There is a lot of rhetoric going on home and abroad, but I think one point is being muddied by it on both sides (e.g., our government and what I gather the extremists nations and terrorists are saying as well). The main reason for the attack was not because Americans in their homeland have different values and freedoms than those in middle-east countries that are more extreme. Not saying this isn't some part of it, but it is not the main part. Some have implied the chief reason for the attack is it is a holy war because of America's internal "progressive views" (Satanist, e.g., Falwell) on women's rights, gay rights, individual liberties, prostitution, drug use, etc. In fact if this were the main reason for the attack, we would not be the primary target. The fact is drugs and prostitution are neither legal nor decriminalized in our country, further gays are probably treated worse in America than in just about any other fully-developed Western democracy. If the attacks were based on "immorality" or "Satanist" views at home, it would have occurred in Amsterdam, Brussels, Stockholm, and even somewhat more middle road cities (for developed democracies) of Paris, Berlin, London, Zurich, Rome or even San Jose (CR) in our own hemisphere. Not that some of America's ideals (as are those of our fellow free and civilized countries) are not threatening to the terrorists and extremist nations, but the bigger underlying part of the attack is the perception (real or not) that we "mess with them". Don't get me wrong, I am NOT providing solutions or easy answers. I am NOT saying our Armed Forces should not be in Saudi, that we should not have done some thing to check Saddam, that we should not have halted trade with rogue nations, that we should not be setting up stealth radio stations to transmit into foreign lands, that we stop supporting Israel, nor I am saying that we should not respond militarily to the recent cowardly attack on our soil. I am however saying may of those activities, or perceptions of what we are doing internationally, played a greater role in the attack than anything that goes on <i> within our borders. </i> That is why us and not Western Europe is the CHIEF target right now. I don't believe simplifying the situation--such as US saying it is simply a holy war against the American way of life is the sole reason for threats to us, well help us. The fact is this is a very complex situation with many angles and we need to consider all of them to best protect our fellow Americans.
The overall logic of your post is irrefutable. Excellent post! As you know,I do believe we have to stop doing many of the things you listed above to countries and people outside our borders, not only for our own safety, but because it is the right thing to do.
When our government is saying that this is an attack on the American "way of life", they are talking about our riches and success NOT the "way of life" that Falwell and his cronies are referring to. In other words, the "warring" patires are jealous of our lifestyle. They see themselves as being on the bottom rung. Whether or not this is the reason is debatable, but when you hear our government talking about the American "way of life", they are talking about the good we have NOT the bad we may or may not do.
Bobrek, I think I agree with you but I am not have been clear. Our government is saying they attacked us because of our inherent values freedom and democracy. The values we have on our homeland and live within our country by. What I am saying is that may be part, but the bigger part for them attacking us is because they perceive as interfering with how they do things, or want to do things, in their own lands. Others (not our government) have tried to make the Falwell like argument (we are attacked because of perceived "sin"). Either rhetoric doesn't tell the whole story. And what the terrorists want is for the acts to be perceived as lauching a holy war. We should not feed into that (holy or "cultural" war rhetoric) and ignore the more pragmatic (and in my mind more important), foreign policy undercurrents that we DO have more direct influence on.
<B>What I am saying is that may be part, but the bigger part for them attacking us is because they perceive as interfering with how they do things, or want to do things, in their own lands. </B> Absolutely. These people could care less about the nature of our government -- they simply want us to get the hell out of the Middle East. bin Laden has come out and said exactly why he hates the US. He has $300 million dollars -- he can live any lifestyle he wants. I seriously doubt that's why he hates the US. If he hadn't become a terrorist, he could have moved to the US and lived the high life.
Bin Laden does have two brothers who live (part-time anyway) in the US. One is in New York, I think, and one in Cambridge. The news said that he has been dis-owned by his family and his Saudi citizenship renounced back in 1994.
