Everybody seems to know how to solve the Middle East problem, and yet it's still a problem

I stumbled on an article in a British newspaper that is utterly typical of a whole species of journalist I call criticus knowitallus. They all seem to know all there is to know about how to fix the problems of the middle East. It is remarkable how many people see themselves as experts on how to fix things in Iraq. They snipe constantly at Bush and Blair. It's not that hard. They are wonderfully easy targets because they actually did something about the butchery that was going on in Baghdad. And despite the civil unrest and fighting, the death toll is still nowhere near that generated by the late, unlamented Saddam Hussein and his progeny, though to listen to criticus knowitallus, you'd think Bush and Blair were just mean old guys that were picking on the poor Iraqis without any provocation.

In the US, we have a huge number of folks that would prefer that we just pull our military out of everywhere in the world, seal up our borders and shove our heads in the sand (or somewhere else equally dark). There was a guy on the Roger Gray radio show this morning, literally screaming about how Bush is stupid and evil and we should bring all our troops home and stay out of everybody's business.

I remember the last time the isolationists got that rowdy. I remember a certain world leader (British) who kissed a dictator smooth on the bottom at the conclusion of 'negotiations' and came home to wildly cheering mobs as he proclaimed "Peace in our time."

The head-in-the-sand crowd over here praised his foresight and wisdom. Then when the gentleman with the toothbrush moustache started driving tanks all over Europe, that same crowd of isolationists turned on on Mr. Chamberlain. They still called for us to "stay out of it" and kept it up till Britain was backed up against the wall, our ships were being sunk by the hundreds and the Japanese were blowing up naval bases all over the Pacific.

My only comfort is that my children are here on the far side of the world from Iran and Iraq and that Arab missiles (so far) will only reach as far as Europe. I can run my car on East Texas moonshine and I've got room for a garden, just in case we decide to try isolationism.

It amazes me that so many supposedly intelligent people just totally dismissed it when radical Muslims declared war on the west and promise to keep fighting until they kill us or turn us into Muslims by force. Even more incredible, you assume (on what basis I can't imagine) that if some of the middle eastern nations get nukes, that, of course, they'd never use them and of course, they'd never share these awful things with the terrorists that have their training camps out there in their deserts.

It's like these guys believe that if only the terrorists knew what nice people we all thought we were they, wouldn't want to kill us. I'm sorry. If you think that if we leave the nice megalomaniacs alone that they won't bother us, you're being a little bit naive. Hey, I tried that approach in 5th grade with the class bullies that regularly pounded my head and stole my lunch money. News flash! IT DOESN'T WORK!

Imagine if King George had told the British Navy, "Just leave those pesky pirates alone. Surely if they see that we're going to be nice to them from now on, admiral, then they won't steal our gold, sink our ships and rape our women, what?"

Aaaargh!

How many buildings have to fall on us before someone takes these guys seriously? If someone declares war on you, it's only polite to show up and drop a few artillery shells on 'em.

Just one man's opinion...

Tom