Posted by
JDComments on Monday, January 29, 2007 5:34:11 PM
The
article In the LA TImes by David Bell that makes the argument that we are overreacting to the attacks of 9/11 in a time honored fashion that is out of proportion to the actual threat posed by the Islamic Fascists is predicated on the physical harm posed to the US. As such it is nearsighted, and misses the true danger that we are currently facing , which is indeed a mortal one.
Even if we accept Bell's presumption that terrorists can never really offer a severe physical existential threat to the US, and that is a tremendous leap of faith considering the proliferation of nuclear weapons in the world today, the Islamic jihad has the capability of doing considerably more damage to us than any explosion, no matter how big, could.
Simply put, they can cut off our life blood, which is oil. Imagine a world with $200 a barrel oil, and $8 a gallon gasoline, with people freezing to death in the NorthEast, while every item made of, or transported by, oil is skyrocketing in price, and you begin to understand the true threat we are facing.
As much as the Left looks down upon any mention of "war for oil" as if they were discussing their hired help's dirty laundry, without oil our economy simply stops- period. The industrial age is really the age of energy, and for good or bad we have made oil the key ingredient in the founding of our modern society.
Now imagine the Middle East roiled by a nuclear Iran dominating Iraq while Hezbollah is attacking Israel and undermining Lebanon and AL Quaeda is blowing up Saudi petroleum facilities. All this while the Chinese and Indian appetite for oil is skyrocketing.
Even without political upheaval oil is destined to increase in price. With a jihad seeking to destroy the status quo- it is a nightmare scenario.
If Bell doesn't understand that the Terrorists have it within their power to bring us to our knees unless we defeat them in Iraq and the Middle East, then I guess he believes we have achieved that Liberal Utopia he mentions where war is no longer an option.
Unfortunately it will bear a great resemblance to the Middle Ages in terms of industry and living standards, with the slight difference that instead of attending churches, we may all be required to pray five times a day towards Mecca.