Rhuby:

I'm reading your post as a plea for America to turn the other cheek because retaliation would "lose the USA the synpathy (sic) that is currently being poured out by the whole world."

I must disagree. Human individuals may turn the other cheek and ignore a slight or an injury, but a government cannot do so, since it then ceases to be the protector of its citizenry. Our Constitution starts:

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

We have made a career out of altruism. We have sent billions of dollars all over the world to feed, to clothe, to heal those less fortunate than ourselves. We have opened our arms to immigrants from literally every country in the world. We have thrice (if you include the Cold War) fought world-wide battles to establish a world atmosphere where every individual has the same rights and responsibilities as the person beside him or her. Our inventions and innovations have raised the standard of living to unparalleled heights. Our medical advances have helped raise life expectancy all around the world. We have in the main been even-handed in passing our good fortune on to others.

But we have let ourselves be pushed around once too often. Today as many as 40,000 of our citizens lie dead, incinerated and crushed by an evil hatred for our way of life (and our good fortune). If our country does not take strong, timely, and measured steps to prevent this from happening again, it will have failed to live up to at least four of the main phrases of the Preamble to our Constitution.

To paraphrase the late John Kennedy, Let the word go forth from this moment on YOU FUCK WITH US AT YOUR OWN PERIL.

Terrorism delendum est.

TEd


TEd