Sixty years after the U.S. ended two generations of aggressive Japanese warfare, Japan remains free, productive, and friendly to America. The Japanese have not abandoned their traditions—nor has anyone asked them to do so—but they no longer use them to kill and enslave others. Rather than seek our destruction, Japan has become a staunch political ally, a robust free-market competitor, and an invaluable economic producer. Rather than build bombs and fighter planes with which to attack us, the Japanese build cars and computers that contribute immensely to our own high standard of living. In perfect contrast, the second option—the pragmatic, altruistic, limited-military response—has been the basic approach of the Bush Administration to the attacks of September 11, 2001. What are the results? Thanks for the link. Very inspiring.
I would add, however, that, in the Japanese situation, even then we played to enemy sensibilities in order to lower the street-anger-and-resistance level; might as well admit it: 1) we didn't nuke Tokyo (nor ancient Kyoto); and 2) we didn't hang Hirohito (AKA "god").
But, following Lewis' analysis and prescription, my own inclination to have nuked Medina (leaving Mecca as a prize for good behavior) within 2 weeks of 9/11, would have been the only way to have avoided the slop-opera which has actually ensued. It would have been a tough choice (wan't Hiroshima?), and would have been second-hundred-guessed (wasn't Nagasaki?); but it would have circumvented this slow-bleed fiasco we have now got on our hands, ad nauseam.