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Where have you been? Attacks at the Olympics(munich), on cruise ships, airplane highjackings all over the world(entebi).

Ancient history. All the terrorist attacks against US targets within the last 20 years have been by non-Palestinian terrorists: Libyans, Iranians, Al-Qaeda, etc. Hamas has never attacked us, neither has Islamic Jihad, neither has Arafat's groop. Hizbolla attacked our Marine base in Lebanon, but that was because we were sticking our noses where they don't belong.

And while we have enough problems with those terrorists who want to murder us, Israel still deserves our support as she faces the same problem.

Why should Israel deserve our support if that support hurts us?

Of course. The authoritarian establishment wants to stay in power. If their people get a taste of the freedoms, and the economic benefits that democracy offers, their time in power is over and they know it.

The authoritarian establishment. Yes, the great authoritarian conspiracy. Tell me, why is Pakistan, which has an authoritarian regime, supporting our efforts in Afganistan?

I don't want a war with every single arab country. I want to install a democracy in Iraq, and promote internal revolutions in the rest.

What makes you think the "internal revolutions" as you put it will create secular democratic regimes rather than Taliban-style Islamic fundamentalist regimes? Do you honestly believe that a revolution in Jordan or Saudi Arabia or Egypt would produce a pro-US democracy? Are you high?

Besides their at war with us already, they use deniable agents like al Qeada, but it's their money.

So according to you, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, and Kuwait are at war with us already by supporting organizations like Al Qaeda. Do you have any proof, or is this just a gut feeling?

Democracy can work in every society. What makes you think it can't?

Because it's been tried in many primitive societies and it failed. Pakistan, Chile (before Pinochet modernized it),Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Russia are just a few examples that come to mind. There are countless others.

It's really got nothing to do with culture but rather modernity. The empricial reality is that democracy cannot function effectivly in a pre-modern society that has not developed certain instiutions and whose populace has not reached a certain level of education and sophistication.

It's true that Reagan bombed the piss out of Libya, and there seems to have been a change in the their strategy, or their resources at that time. I not sure if it was the loss of the USSR's support as it began to crumble, which cost them world wide logistical support. Or it could have been that they just decided, it wasn't worth it to wake up the sleeping giant of american power.

Why should Israel deserve our support if that support hurts us?

Why should it hurt us? Maintaining a moral position is generally a good policy and strategy. Nepoleon said "the moral is to the physical as 10 to 1" this indicates that our eventual victory depends on sound moral policy. This means what's good for the US, must apply to our alies as well. We are at war with terrorism, and a suicide attack on the US can be treated no different than one on some other nation. The policy must be Justly applied or moral superiority is lost.

The authoritarian establishment. Yes, the great authoritarian conspiracy. Tell me, why is Pakistan, which has an authoritarian regime, supporting our efforts in Afganistan?

I said nothing about a conspiracy, just that the authoritarians have a common self interest in staying in power. This leads them into making the same responses to the threat posed by democracy. As for Pakistan, it was given a offer it couldn't refuse. It was, "give us access to Afghanistan, or we start with Pakistan, and take that access". Oh! and here's 30 pieces of silver to sooth your outrage. Pakistan has been fighting a rear guard political action ever since, to make it seem like they weren't forced.

I wish I was high. What makes you think we would support anything but democratic revolutions, or that any revolution would succeed without our support. The authoritarians are very good at suppressing the street, and rooting out political enemys. You are also ignoring the fact that the authoritarian regimes will quickly see which way the wind is blowing, and seek compromises like a constitutional monarchy, which will allow them to keep some power. It wouldn't happen quickly but the overall level of freedom and democracy would slowly rise in the middle-east. While they wouldn't all be pro-american democracy's, any democracy will have more incommon with us, than an authoritarian government.

So according to you, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, and Kuwait are at war with us already by supporting organizations like Al Qaeda. Do you have any proof, or is this just a gut feeling?

I think the victory dances in the streets on 911 answered that question quite well. If their our friends, why were they so happy with thousands of american deaths, and the terrible destruction of downtown NY. What more evidence do you need? Would a signed confession even satisfy you.

Democracy has never failed. Many nations which move to democracy, often back slide. Democracy isn't easy to impliment, which is why nation building has gotten a bad reputation. It requires several supporting institutions, like a free press, a sound and fair justice system, a loyal army, and private property rights. It took France 5 different governments before they finally began to get it right. Germany also had implimentation problems. With the exception of Cuba, some other islands, and maybe Venezuala, all of the americas are now democratic, where that wasn't true at all even 20 years ago. But all nations which start on the road to Democracy, will eventually get there.

I agree it has nothing to do with culture. I also agree that democracy needs a number of supporting institutions(see above). I disagree however that education or sophistication are needed. Very few americans in the early US could read or write, nor were they sophisticated as most were common farmers and backwoods men. It's also true that neither sophisticated markets, high technology, industrialization, or a long democratic tradtion are needed. I believe that every nation on earth is a candidate for democracy, and that all would benefit from it.