[The Great Satan]

Kind of ironic don't you think ....that a secular Muslim is the next big hit in our centuries old struggle with Islam?

But not surprising. The West's history with the Mid East is simply recapitulating our history with the Far East. When the natives got uppity against the "Imperial Powers" in China (Boxer Rebellion and all that), we'd just send a gunboat up the Yangtse and shell a few villages, and that would be the end of the matter. When we got hit with a surprise attack, it was from the Japanese, who had zealously studied the West, adopted a market economy, and built an industrial state. The Chinese were simply too backward and befuddled to move against us. Plus ça change...

[wardaddy]

China...particularly with it's current form of govt. can always become a greater threat.