<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Doppy:
We will always be at war. Terrorism isn't going away.
If we were in a limited engagement, like WWI or WWII, it would be a different story to suspend things for a short while. But this isn't a limited engagement; we're never going to be completely safe.
Ratcheting up security more and more and throwing away more of the principles of a free society isn't going to make us safer, but it will make America and the world a worse place to live.
And on a side note, as I mentioned above, the US cannot afford to discourage people and money from coming to the US. Our economy is entirely dependent upon it. If we ratechet security up high enough, we won't have to worry about terrorism -- we won't be a superpower anymore and the world's attention will move elsewhere. That's how the economics of our situation work.
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Actually, while you believe what you believe, I believe Al Queda will be destroyed. I believe their leaders will become known as the evil and power mad despots that they are, and their ability to hide in plain sight will be ended by the ordinary people that they oppress.
I believe that a moderate class of Islamic leader will emerge to lead their people from isolation and poverty into prosperity and community with the rest of the world. I believe that by embracing equality, negotiation, and free enterprise, the standard of living among the poorest and most disenfranchised will be elevated, and their hatred of the middle class will dissipate as they join it themselves.
I believe that ultimately this new class of leader will make peace with Israel, instead of war, and when they are ready, Israel will give them a lot, not just in land, but in knowledge, technology, and infrastructure in order to cement the peace and create a new trading partner.
As these things happen, this era of terrorism and anger will be replaced by a more settled time, and we Americans will respond as we always have, by adapting to the new circumstance, and embracing the greatest liberty possible while assuring our own safety.
You can believe in anger and terror if you wish, but I prefer to look at the future with confidence, optimism, and hope. I see the signs of it all around me, every day.
Merry Christmas.
[This message has been edited by Felix Unger (edited Dec 24, 2003).]