I think we believe that we can do this - and do it without massive slaughter. But I also believe that we will do whatever it takes, including massive slaughter - because the alternative, for us, is too terrible to consider.
something in their culture - the same something that was causing them to fail over the centuries
If I'm going to speak in broad sweeping terms on this, what I see as the biggest flaw in that culture(mostly Arab culture), is the 'the truth is what I can make the other believe' method of negotiation and world view. That may work very well for a nomadic people of centuries ago where they may never again see or even hear of 'the other'. In todays world where there is global real-time awareness, that exposes them as dishonest. In today's world, that only works for those in power(the beauty of the smallest possible government). On the world stage, that means basically the Western countries, in the Muslim world, that is the despots and mullahs. It works internally since they hold direct power over their people, but fails internationally since they hold a weak hand.
We were going to try to alter that.
I think we believe that we can do this - and do it without massive slaughter. But I also believe that we will do whatever it takes, including massive slaughter - because the alternative, for us, is too terrible to consider.
I couldn't agree more. If you look at the totality of the case for the 'War on Terror', it has been all laid out by Pres. Bush and his administration. To make a case against the Pres. and his administration, the left takes what are relatively minor points of failure, or less than perfect success, or non-clairvoyance, and makes it all important. It takes a series of bullet points and assigns 100% importance to those not quite up to snuff, and 0% to those spot on.