[dk/coro]

Well stated — and far be it for me to argue your points.

In a close study of the underpinnings of Sam Huntington’s “Clash” — and associated readings of Bernard Lewis, Paul Johnson and others, I have come to the following conclusions:

1. The United States is in its waning phase of power. I suspect we peaked just about the time I was trying to teach my girls to use a hula hoop — and was chalking up my first few hundred carrier landings...about 1960.

2. Mankind is tribal. No global institution nor organization will be able to sustain its governance over man’s cultural and religions beliefs over the long term.

3. At this juncture, The West is entering a sustained global conflict with Islam. Western Democracy is threatened as it never was by National Socialism nor Communism, due to the magnitude of the player populations; the communications/transportation revolutions; and the multi-faceted aspect of the threat.

It is my position that we address this threat head-on — or by acceleration of our civilizational sine curve — facilitate our own ultimate demise.

Our choice, is it not?

[dragnet2]

The West is entering a sustained global conflict with Islam. Western Democracy is threatened as it never was by National Socialism nor Communism

The Soviet Union/Red China and Communism was/are less of a threat?

I think not.

[KDD]

1. The United States is in its waning phase of power. I suspect we peaked just about the time I was trying to teach my girls to use a hula hoop — and was chalking up my first few hundred carrier landings...about 1960.

2. Mankind is tribal. No global institution nor organization will be able to sustain its governance over man’s cultural and religions beliefs over the long term.

3. At this juncture, The West is entering a sustained global conflict with Islam. Western Democracy is threatened as it never was by National Socialism nor Communism, due to the magnitude of the player populations; the communications/transportation revolutions; and the multi-faceted aspect of the threat.

It is my position that we address this threat head-on — or by acceleration of our civilizational sine curve — facilitate our own ultimate demise.

Our choice, is it not?

Impressive background you have. Your past experience in Naval Air might lead you to agree with the following post.

We won the War...The people cheered and stood behind Bush 90%. Then came the Nation Building Police Action...The people booed, loudly, and stand behind Bush 29%.(up 3% on surge..now dropping again.

Reduce our enemies ability by bombing em till their rubble bounces...this includes Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia Afghanistan and yes, parts of Pakistan. Target the wealthy Sunnis who finance Al-Qaida and the wealthy Shiites who finance Hezbollah ...Then watch the Qaddafi effect...Then return to base...park the planes and repeat when necessary.

Disallow any and all immigration to this country from any Muslim country. Deport all non citizen Muslims and keep as close an eye on the remaining ones as well as we did the Japanese American in 1942. Secure our borders.

Putting ground troops in these countries to institute democracy is a fools errand and will result in one long quagmire.

Even if successful, the newly empowered democratic Arabs will elect the Muslim fundamentalist entities that are our enemies.

[KDD]

1. The United States is in its waning phase of power. I suspect we peaked just about the time I was trying to teach my girls to use a hula hoop — and was chalking up my first few hundred carrier landings...about 1960.

I agree...although in 1960 I was one of the kids trying to master the hula hoop myself. You lived through some interesting times...

In the mid to late fifties Whitter Chambers (renounced communism and put Hiss away...hated forever by leftists) and William Buckley became friends and exchanged correspondence over the years.

Buckley once asked Chambers to join the staff of the then new National Review in one of his letters expressing exorbitant hopes for the role the publication might play in human affairs.

Chambers answer, which Mr. Buckley called "a paragraph unmatched in the literature of supine gloom, even though finally resisting despair" was thus...

It is idle [he rebuked me] to talk about preventing the wreck of Western Civilization. It is already a wreck from within. That is why we can hope to do little more now than snatch a fingernail of a saint from the rack or a handful of ashes from the faggots, and bury them secretly in a flowerpot against the day, ages hence, when a few men begin again to dare to believe that there was once something else, that something else is thinkable, and needs some evidence of what it was, and the fortifying knowledge that there were those who, at the great nightfall, took loving thought to preserve the tokens of hope and truth.

I am beginning to share Chambers' sentiments in this regard.