To illustrate this, you might pick up a copy of The Song of Roland.

You might also do well to remember the Crusades.

The United States might have had something of a pass for a while, but it was kind of a minor country until shortly after WWII.

But, not all the blame belongs to western civilization. Muslims themselves have a terrible way of getting along with others. A good study of the practice of zoroastrianism in Iran’s history would show you exactly how Muslims would treat all religions given their preferences.

I believe Islam is an invasion force masked as a religion.

“The reason, of course, that the U.S. no longer still has peace with the Middle East is that it stopped being neutral. Obviously the reasons seemed good to somebody at the time, though time has proved them an abject failure, just as Thomas Jefferson warned us.”
Yep. Bang on. We needed a cheap, stable supply of oil. Oil is the commodity that all growth and technological development is based on. Most people don’t fully appreciate that.
We were willing to buy it and help produce it but we needed to tweek their governments a little bit so we could do business. You can’t be renegotiating contracts every few months with a new tyrant tribal chief. They got rich and we got oil but it sure turned in to a mess. Thomas was right. Don’t mess with the Prime Directive.

I just don’t think we can go back. That’s my opinion, reached after 45 years of experience, human observation and historical study. Doesn’t mean I’m right. Lots of little pandora’s box parables I could use here to back myself up and expressions like “you can’t go home again” and “opening a can of worms” but we won’t know for sure until somebody tries it. Pull out, pull back, turtle up and hope for the best.

I’ve never seen a crazy fanatic who was hell bent on beating the crap out of somebody suddenly turn in to that person’s friend when they tried that turtle move, but you never know. If we keep going like this financially, it will be the only move we have left.

The reason, of course, that the U.S. no longer still has peace with the Middle East is that it stopped being neutral. Obviously the reasons seemed good to somebody at the time, though time has proved them an abject failure, just as Thomas Jefferson warned us.

Returning to that neutrality which enables peace does not in any way mean that the U.S. has to back down from anyone who attacks it. It does mean giving up hegemony and aspirations of empire, though. The thousands who died on 9/11 and in the subsequent fighting might consider it a fair trade.

There was peace with Islam for a hundred years before Truman….. but during the Dark ages, Islam had grown and conquered half of Europe.
I say in my statement that the Moslem religion preaches that the infidel has no rights and should be treated like dirt, but really the same can be said for most religions. “If you’re not one of us, you’re the bad guy.” That’s a pretty common outlook.

Really, there is no peace with anybody. All cultures and religions are constantly trying to throw their weight around and expand. However, the Middle East has the only culture and religion to date that produces suicide killers on such a large scale. You have to admit, that takes hatred to a new level. If I had a neighbor who would blow us both up if I pissed him off, and taught his kids to think the same way, I don’t think we would have a very trusting relationship. I don’t think I would like him. Might even burn him out…..but that’s just me.

I’ve just always bristled whenever the US is painted as a big ruthless bully and everyone else is painted as a poor innocent victim.
It’s just not that way.
All groups in this world, work to get the upper hand and do as THEY wish when they get it. As dominant powers in history go, the US has been the kindest and most generous, hands down.

We’re human beings. There will never be peace as long as we are running things. To think otherwise is ignoring all of documented history.

We are not dealing with a “live and let live” type of people. Backing off and leaving them alone, at this point, will not make the problem go away. It would probably make the problem worse because it would be seen as a sign of weakness.

I don’t know what the answer is, but there will be no peace with the world of Islam.

As we ponder the reasons for these determination by a few fundamentalist to change the world by blowing everything up, we also need to find out how these people can be STOPPED. In essence, where is radicalism coming from, and why does it prevail?? Can we purely blame religion(s) or politics or human nature or all of them things and mat be more!!!!

Until we can answer those questions and provide concrete solutions, no amount of high-tech screening or bombing will solve these problems.