Recently, Jay Honeck posted:

There are other cold hard facts to consider here. We aren't dealing
with "a murderer". We're dealing with entire cultures who just don't
happen to appreciate our way of going about things. So, to make sure
they don't try to kill the rest of our family, perhaps the best
approach is to go about things differently? If so, the best question
to ask is "why do they hate us?", as only an understanding and
addressing of that question can lead to peace.

Well, Neil, I hear you -- but I don't believe that our enemies really
care about how we "change our ways." It's clearly gone beyond all
that. (As if "we" had the ability to "change our ways" anyway --
whatever all that means.)

Well, they say they *do* care about many of the ways that we insert
ourselves in in their midst. The Palestinian issue; our general disrespect
for Islamic (not even radical) traditions, etc.

At best, your suggestion only works if you believe that our culture
isn't superior to that which predominated during the 6th Century,
A.D. -- which is about where the terrorists are today.

I'm not sure what you're getting at with this, Jay. I can't help but think
that were the shoe to be on the other foot, we'd be acting in pretty much
the same way that "the terrorists" are, so it may be more an issue of
opportunity than culture. I think we're pretty much confused about what a
terrorist is, given that we assign that label on the basis of who we have
a beef with rather than what people do. But, that's another topic, I
guess.

If you think
that "changing our ways" to suit their barbaric view of the world
will ensure peace, I suggest you study Neville Chamberlain and what
his government did with the Nazis, some 65 years ago.

Make no mistake, I'm not advocating appeasement or sticking our heads in
the sand as was done then. But, I do think that part of getting our heads
*out* of the sand is to look at how "we" are perceived by "them". Know thy
enemy, and all. However, it seems that our government has an interest in
preventing "us" from knowing our enemy, and I can't see that as a good
thing.

Regards,

Neil