[jacquej]

Thanks for posting this. I have similar dark thoughts, but am hoping that it is just the long winter getting to me.

[Dirk McQuickly]

A compelling essay. My thoughts have been drifting toward this scenario, as well. That's why this is a watershed moment in Western History.

Is there any reason not to suspect that Chirac won't turn his nuclear weapons toward New York. I know that sounds nutty on the surface, but France is clearly an enemy of this nation. Maybe we need to disarm France next.

[guitfiddlist]

some of America's allies express the position that America is a greater threat to world peace than Saddam Hussein

Spoken like a spoiled brat 16-year old daughter- who screams "I HATE YOU!" - and runs away. We all know what usually happens to girls like that, who don't soon come to their senses and return home.

But a key difference here is - these other nations aren't our sons and daughters. We don't have to love these cretins. I don't give a flying frik WHAT happens to these smarmy bastards. If we go isolationists - we also need to turn a deaf ear when THEIR crap hits THEIR fan.

[joesnuffy]

Isolationism or being pushed around by France Russia Germany China and every pissant country in africa and the middle east...via the commmie controlled UN?
Let France and Germany deal with their own people when the terrorists make their moves in their countries..
Meanwhile we expell ours and seal the borders
The world will come back begging for our help soon enough - imo

[Spirited]

If the friends of Iraq succeed in an effort to have oil payments made in Euros rather than dollars we will have a rapid descent into a '30's type depression. Israel would learn to pray more and harder and if we are smart we would join in that activity. Even those who don't believe in prayer might find place for it when they saw our global corporations move their offices out of this country.

The economies of France and Germany and other Euro-centric nations would burgeon. Only fly in the ointment is I cannot imagine a free flow of Euros from any of those governments to all the nations we now sustain so bountifully.

At such a point isolationism might be a downright necessary refuge as long as we threw out the UN.

In fact doing so might be the best possible curb to terrorism, come to think of it, in view of what really employs the time of some of those delegate entourages.

[inquest]

Will we see a return to isolationism?

Unfortunately not.

[LibertarianInExile]

I'm with the Captain--bring on the war, but wait til April!

[gcruse]

Hmmm, okay.  But this is getting far afield from the Tech Central mission statement:

Tech Central Station is here to help provide the right answers to many of those questions with the news, analysis, research, and commentary you need to understand how technology is changing and shaping our world, and how you can make sense of it all.