El Gaviero,
I guess this is what makes a market. I thought the Krauthammer piece (I only got around to reading it after you "recommended" it) was excellent, on point and prescient. I said in this space a few days after 9/11 that we would have to treat Islamic fundamentalism the same way we treated Nazism, and that the sacrifices would be great. I think they still will be.
As for Israel, I think that is a canard. It's true the Palestinians aren't very happy about it, but most of the nearby states use it as a pretext to pursue their own means. As for Muslims in the non-contiguous areas, why should Pakistanis or Libyans care about Israel? I personally would be in favor of giving Judea, Samaria, Galilee etc. lock stock and barrel to the Palestinians and bringing the 6.5 million Israelis here to the U.S. to live. We'd have space enough if we booted the 9 million illegal aliens, and we could finance it by charging the oil states for the purchase of Israel's current territory and improvements. The housing bubble could really continue then.
I have no doubt that within 5 years of any Arab group/state taking over Israel that the elevators and escalators would all be broken, there'd be no power for air conditioning, the "desert which blooms" would be desert again and Palestinians would be taking to the streets (which would be broken bricks and rubble, just like current Palestine) to protest America and its policies.
But I don't think Arabs hate us because of our freedom, either. They've been taught to hate the outsider (the infidel) by their own sick little dictatorships as a way to continue the oppression there. You have freedom of the press in all Arab countries, just so long as it's criticism of Israel and the U.S. Otherwise, it's time to bring in Muhammad and his scimitar. A hand here, a hand there, lop-lop, pretty soon they'll get the message.
JMHO,
Kb |
