and MNJohnnie repliedMy problem with what he said is that the War on Terrorism has been going on for the past 24 years since Hezzbollah
Back in the late 1960s or early 1970s the PLO, at Yassar's direct orders, murdered a US diplomate. May have even been the Ambassador. This war has been going on now for almost 40 years.
We certainly also have to add Bobby Kennedy's assassination in 1968 by a Palestinian protesting America's support for Israel, so there's a firm anchor for a date at least 39 years ago. But that's only the most recent manifestation. You both know as well as I do that this war has been going on for 1300 years.
The clash of civilizations started when Mohamed declared that the purpose of Islam was to covert, enslave or kill everyone else in the world. They have never altered that goal as the central tenet of their civilization. We choose to ignore it from time to time and pay a heavy price for that willful act of delusion.
We cannot coexist with them so long as their purpose on this planet is to wipe us out.
That is especially true in a world where the technology to make plague in a bottle or suitcase nukes exist.