09-03-2009, 08:45 PM
Most of those links are either about Obama or reflect on this same article by this Pipes guy. So we know this Pipes probably would like a war against Islam. But that is not what President Bush ever actually said. Nor should a U.S. President ever cross that line.
In the Middle East, politics and religion are more closely tied together than elsewhere, and it is difficult perhaps to distinguish political from religious issues. So if an extremist cleric comes to have great power, is that because of the nature of the religion or the nature of the nations political (or for that matter, economical) structure? Where these terrorist cells operate outside of our ability to get cooperation on investigating and stopping them, is that for religious or political reasons? In any case, there are a lot of peaceful Muslims living all over the world, including U.S. citizens, and I'd rather not declare war on any of them.
In the Middle East, politics and religion are more closely tied together than elsewhere, and it is difficult perhaps to distinguish political from religious issues. So if an extremist cleric comes to have great power, is that because of the nature of the religion or the nature of the nations political (or for that matter, economical) structure? Where these terrorist cells operate outside of our ability to get cooperation on investigating and stopping them, is that for religious or political reasons? In any case, there are a lot of peaceful Muslims living all over the world, including U.S. citizens, and I'd rather not declare war on any of them.