It is time that we make a decision? Are we in a genuine all out war with the Al Qaida type religious fanatics or not? It seems that the majority of the west is still very confused on this issue. On the one hand we have liberal minded intellectuals de-emphasizing the attacks. They say it really is not a war but just some kooks protesting our colonialist aggressions and thirst for their oil both past and present. These terrorists just happened to get lucky with some hi-jacked planes. Local police action will take care of the problem. Maybe, they say, in some ways, we brought this upon ourselves! No need to change our lifestyles.
Then we have the conservative intellectuals trying to "circle the wagons" in order to prevent future attacks. They place themselves alongside our military and are the sheepdogs protecting the sheep from the wolves. Sounding the alarm loudly but blocked at every turn by the liberals claiming over-reaction.
I confess, I'm with the wagons bunch. I value mine and my family's lives and I have no doubt there will be more attacks.
Fact: We, the west, were attacked repeatedly by certain followers of the Islamic faith who have interpreted the Koran to their own evil ends which include a seething hatred for most of our western values. These people do not value human life and do not distinguish between civilian or military, young or old, their own or others. They do not follow Geneva Convention rules or even basic rules of human rights of any kind. They do not even communicate in any sense of the term "good faith" since even lying and every kind of corruption is approved and commended by their personal spiritual advisors and teachers as long as they interpret their actions as advancing their idea of Islam.
Unknown: How many of these anti-western terrorists are out there? Less than 1% of all Muslims? 20%? More? The key is dialogue between intelligent leaders of Islam and the west. Human nature is such that if the affront of terror is on a sufficiently extreme and devastating scale, the ultimate backlash , I fear, will be such as never seen before in the history of mankind. The few corruptors can cause the many innocents to be sacrificed. No sane human being wants that.
