That was an excellent rendition of how we got to be so "loved" by the Muslims. The Arabs, in particular, because the populations are so wretchedly poor, must keep some dream. That dream is to return to dear old days of yore when they ruled (what they think of as) the world. I'm a little unclear but that dream, if they were to check it out, would be a Turkish dream because the Ottoman empire that arose ruled them like slaves.

In addition to that, populations at large really want to be free. The U.S. has a tendency to support the status quo because a good business climate demands stability. That means we've supported some pretty despicable regimes. The M. Fundies (and their apologists in the West) get this into their blood and somehow the U.S. is behind every throne and government. I think the U.S. has an attitude that if the people didn't like their government, they'd be like us in 1777 and start their own revolution. Of course, if you are supporting the status quo, you are not on the side of revolutionaries.

There is a dangerous course the West could take if it were to give up the fixation on oil, and give the Arabs what they claim they want. We could push over the Saudi royal family, a bunch of corrupt people who should be first up against the wall. And do the same for Egypt, etc. We could push for democracies.

And the first thing that would happen is the Fundies would act like Hitler, get elected, and then forget about democracy.

There are at least two possible outcomes: (1) the people get so disgusted with the religious storm troopers that they become like Iran. In another generation, I'm willing to be the mullahs will be out of business. (2) the Fundies become essentially like Saddam's regime, out for world power based on nuclear, biological, and chemical means. I do not believe the Fundies are anything more than the creepiest dictators have always used to gain power --- find out what people say they want and use it to gain that power.

By the way, who was the idiot who claimed history was essentially over a few years ago?