[csvset]

Yes, but who's going to take over Arabia -- the strongest alternative is the radical Muslims. What if Egypt goes? The dream of the radical Islamic movement is to topple all of the secular, pro-West governments in the Middle East. Americans may say, "Oh, that can never happen."

Well, yes it can -- because of the discipline and rigor of these radical, self-contained belief systems.

She nailed that part. The "radical Islamic movement", like the commie Chinese, realize that their strong suite is time. They don't care if it takes 10, 15, 50 or 100 years, they'll keep chipping away until they topple the US & Israel.

[dbrutus]

Actually, time is not on their side. Look at Iran, where the people who enthusiastically welcomed Khomenei in 1979 are in the streets again shouting for the mullahs to get out. Islam, medieval, brittle, harsh islam that is, cannot offer a convincing alternative to modernity. It is only thriving because the alternative in the arab world isn't modernity with 2.3 children, a house, and a car but grinding poverty in a corrupt authoritarian regime.

What needs to happen is for a safe zone to be created for islamic reformers to clean up that religion and make it something that can deal with modernity, cope with it, and provide answers instead of bile and rage.