[Echo Talon]

Never said America's energy independence was going to stop terrorism dead in its tracks. You changed the subject matter, so I thought I'd expand the debate. America's energy independence would releave the US government from obligations we now have with Islamic nationstates in the ME. It would reduce business dealings, end certain arrangements and alter specific agreements the US govt and US businesses now have with the Islamic world. This would free the hands of US bureaucracts to take a more hardcore relationship with the Islamic world, and allow the US military to focus on killing more "jihadists" and islamofascists". America's energy independence would help to slow down the threat from terrorism and allow America to advance our other interests we have in the world today. If you don't believe what I just posted, you're out of touch with reality even more then I thought you were.

It could go either way, if we were energy independent it could also cause "some" to think that our military in the region is no longer needed, thus allowing terrorist to go unfettered and unopposed. IF our military were to pull out, Israel would be more isolated and vulnerable than what they are today.

[Reagan Man]

Time for a short review.

First you misread and misinterpret what this essay by Brigitte Gabriel was all about. When I try and correct you, you say she's painting with a broad brush. Even when other Freepers point out how wrong you are, you continue misstating the authors position.

Throughout this thread you have given the impression that the Islamic world in general, is a critical ally to America, who we can't do without and who we can't afford to piss off. What spineless drivel. We're the super power. They're a bunch of theocratic sheikdoms. Then you throw Turkey up as some sort of template for all Islamic states to follow. What baloney.

Then out of the blue, you agree with me that killing "jihadists" and "islamofascists" is good, yet in the next breath, you qualify that remark by once again saying we can't go overboard and upset our Muslim allies.

I say we should embody some of the philosophy that PresReagan employed in winning the Cold War, and you have no response whatsoever. As the US becomes more energy indepenedent, we can stop buying ME oil. Nothing wrong with that. Such a policy may not bankrupt the ME oil producers at first, but it would cut them down to size and cut funding for terrorsim. You object to that too. One of the basic conservative tenets. Take care of your own first, everyone else is secondary. You seem to have a problem with that conservative philosophy and its America first attitude.

Conclusion, you're a status quo centrist who supports Bush, right or wrong. You ignore the facts and promote a globalist strategy for America. I don't like your politics.