And to think that I came to Shrapnel Forums to get away from this mess...
I haven't had the chance to skim over all 45+ back pages of this thread, but what I have seen is pretty close to a lot of other discussions on this topic - lengthy exercises in missing the point.
I have given a lot of thought to what the real significance of this war is, for America and the world in general. Several articles I have read have greatly influenced me in this regard. For those interesed, here are the links...
Our World-Historical Gamble
The Pentagon's New Map
Al Qaeda's Fantasy Ideology
The Clash of Civilizations (The article that started it all. Before you agree or disagree with Huntington's thesis,
read it.)
For the more adventurous, I would recommend two hardcopy books that relate to the subject...
The Ends of the Earth - A reporter's travelogue through various failed third-world "nations". Definitely
not recommended bedtime reading.
The Next Christendom - examines, among other things, the coming clash between Third-World Christianity and Islam.
I don't agree with everything in these articles, but they all provide sobering food for thought. The twenty-first century looks to be "interesting times", as the old Chinese curse goes...
(If these articles have already been referenced or discussed, I apologise. Like I said, I haven't had the time to start at page 1 of this thread...)
[ March 31, 2003, 21:54: Message edited by: General Woundwort ]