>>we face a threat from men that no amount of discussion will change their unwaivering efforts to destroy our way of life.<< The only person I know in that area that fits your definition perfectly is Saddam Hussein. But if you assume he even cares about our way of life, you are giving him too much credit. He cares about HIS way of life, and HIS ability to control others. He is untrustworthy, but to assume that it's okay to crush the whole country just to get Hussein is simply impractical.
When I talk about diplomacy, I mean the set of skills, both artistic and scientific, needed to develop ongoing dialogue with many people, not just one person and his agents. The Fundamentalists, meanwhile, who seem to be the main resource for creating terrorism, have one major Achilles heel. They believe in murder even though the Koran opposes such strategies. On the other hand, when we condone the bulldozing of Palestinian homes and unintended (?) killing of children simply as a response to like crimes against the Israelis, we are not doing anyone a favor.
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