Quote Originally Posted by tibilicus View Post
The West's fear is staggering. Are we really afraid of some new Arab Caliphate as some would lead us to believe? So what if, in an unlikely scenario (my personal opinion anyway) some of the Arab nations turn to "extremist Islam"? So long as that's what the majority want, why should I care? Am I meant to believe that such new "extremist" nations would pose a threat to me in my Western citadel? If such new nations were hostile, would they threaten my way of life? The answer is no. Due to the security these days I doubt they could even attack the West seriously via terrorism.

Newly anti-Western governments in the Middle East (whether Islamic theocracies or not) can inflict serious damage on Europe and America without ever lifting a finger in violence.

The support these protests have received from much of the public and press in the West, while not surprising, is extremely shortsighted. People do not seem to realize that many if not most of these protestors hate the West only slightly less than they hate their own governments. Further, the governments that are falling are not our enemies (Iran, Syria, and Hezbollah-controlled Lebanon are fine), but some of our closest allies in the region - allies that have not only fought against radical Islam but have kept oil flowing and prices stable. Radical changes in the latter could have disastrous and far reaching consequences far greater than the 9/11 or any terrorist attack.