‘Our Country Is in Trouble’

Our Leaders always portray what we do around the world is good and what others do is evil. This is just to make us feel good and justify our actions. Why would the Arabs or muslims hate us or the way we live as our leaders say if we leave them alone? They have no reason to hate us if we are not messing around with their lives. The fact is that we are messing around with the way they live through our support of their oppressing government and our presense on their land. How would we feel if it happens to us? How would we feel if Russia has a base in the U.S. and can influence our government?

Mr. Scheuer,

I take issue on many of the points you mention in your article, especially with regards to Bin Laden's opposition to specific aspects of our foreign policy
"Our support of foreign states that oppress Muslims, especially Russia, China and India"
You cannot be serious! Russia, China and India! I'm sure that the U.S. does not currently consider these three to be on our top ten list of "supported foreign states," quite the contrary; read the news with Russian bombers buzzing our naval ships, Putin's promise to target nuclear missles at U.S. and its allies, China's newly established military alliance with Russia formed to counter the sole remaining global superpower. Last time I checked India maintains cordial relations with us but trades primarily with Russia and China. With the sole exception of Chechyen separtists I don't see or hear any threats being made by Al Qaeda towards China or Russia.
If we complied with all of the Bin Laden's foreign policy demands tomorrow they would come up with other aspects of our government, culture or people to continue their quest at forcing radical Islamic ideals down the throats of all "non-believers," Just ask Salman Rushdie. Bottom line here is that Al Qaeda, Bin Laden, and radical Islam hate the United States for much more than its foreign policy.
You go on to compare the World War II to the battle with Al Qaeda.... not a fair comparison. Surely a former officer of the CIA can understand the difference in fighting small groups of scattered insurgents who have allegiances to no army or country but to radical Islamic ideals vs. large organized armies with well defined borders and objectives.

Mr. Scheuer,

I take issue on many of the points you mention in your article, especially with regards to Bin Laden's opposition to specific aspects of our foreign policy
"Our support of foreign states that oppress Muslims, especially Russia, China and India"
You cannot be serious! Russia, China and India! I'm sure that the U.S. does not currently consider these three to be on our top ten list of "supported foreign states," quite the contrary; read the news with Russian bombers buzzing our naval ships, Putin's promise to target nuclear missles at U.S. and its allies, China's newly established military alliance with Russia formed to counter the sole remaining global superpower. Last time I checked India maintains cordial relations with us but trades primarily with Russia and China. With the sole exception of Chechyen separtists I don't see or hear any threats being made by Al Qaeda towards China or Russia.
If we complied with all of the Bin Laden's foreign policy demands tomorrow they would come up with other aspects of our government, culture or people to continue their quest at forcing radical Islamic ideals down the throats of all "non-believers," Just ask Salman Rushdie. Bottom line here is that Al Qaeda, Bin Laden, and radical Islam hate the United States for much more than its foreign policy.
You go on to compare the World War II to the battle with Al Qaeda.... not a fair comparison. Surely a former officer of the CIA can understand the difference in fighting small groups of scattered insurgents who have allegiances to no army or country but to radical Islamic ideals vs. large organized armies with well defined borders and objectives.

Our foreign policies are shaped by our belief in OUR right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. When you start looking at the impacts that these policies have on other areas of the world, you will rapidly find that we don't care so much about their rights to the same.
Mr. Sheuer has hit the nail on the head, but our leaders consider it political suicide to speak out against those with vested political capital - the pro-Israeli lobby, the oil and auto industries, etc. These are the people with power in America, the power to get a politician elected, not the populace as we'd like to think.

I just read the they will be executing a woman in Saudi Arabia for being blamed without reason or fact for practicing whichcraft. They are no woman rights in this part of the world or no rights at all. We have to choose either hot or cold. Can't be both! I understand that is not our duty to change someones beliefs, but Ignorants is not a bliss, and in reagards to Castro we have not understimated him, we just never cared for a rock in the ocean. 99% of Cuba is in the United States, and we have all we need there, a military base.

THANK YOU!!!!

"We've been fighting bin Laden for longer than we fought World War II. Why haven't we won?" I am stunned that the Newsweek reporter presented that question. What is the reporter's definition of "winning" this unconventional war? Is he expecting the cowardly terrorist leaders to emerge from their caves and sign a peace treaty on a battleship? This war will be with us throughout our lifetime and those of our children and grand children. There will be no definitive moment when we "win". This is an obvious truth that was either overlooked due to ignorance or intentionally presented as a U.S. "failure" to paint the current administration in a poor light.

The problem is our foreign policy and all the things that Bin Laden stated above. So that means the solution is to leave all isrealis for dead, make enemies of China, Rusia and India, dramatically increase the cost of oil for our people. If we do that Osama will like us......I don't think that is a goos idea. While he may be a smart and cunning man, he is also an evil man. What would it say about us if our foreign policy was determined by a man without regard for anything that our country holds dear. While is might be a misconception that the terrorists hate us JUST because of who we are, but our foeign policy is shaped by our belief in life liberty and the persuit of happiness. I am not willing to change THAT.

The author???s observations about Bin Laden and our response to him is not surprising. We have been underestimating our enemies for a long time. Take our view of the Japanese prior to WWII, we thought of them as incapable of mounting a threat to this nation, until they hit us in Pearl Harbor and took over most of the Pacific shortly thereafter.

Fidel Castro is another prime example of our ???Imperial Hubris??? in action. Our presidents and government have been underestimating this man and his regime for almost 50 years. Yet, he has strategically outmaneuvered our foreign policy for all this time and put us on the defensive in the eyes of the entire world.

It is a shame, but we do not seem to learn from our experiences. We always seem to take the short road, the easy way, rather than face the truth and act accordingly. I hope that new generations do a better job. We have not.

What the writter is saying is that our tolerance for the tyranical disctators in the region that are oppressing muslims is the reason the terrorists are against us. I seems like we should do what we can to bring freedom to these great (and intellegent) people, so that they can live their lives without fear. Oh!....Wait.

Not being discussed in the presidential campaign? Not true: Ron Paul. Ron Paul and Ron Paul alone is talking about it and has been for the last year in debates, campaign speeches, interviews, etc. In the debates the other candidates seemed to be amused by these very logical ideas. When are we going to wake up?

He's incorrect about the presidential candidates not talking about this. Ron Paul and Ron Paul only is currently and has been talking about it for the last year during debates, campaign speeches, interviews, etc. The other Republican candidates seem to be amused by what he's saying about this and not taking him seriously. McCain thinks it's ok to have troops in Iraq for 100 years. Why do so many people not want to hear this? It's so logical.

When asked in my book Saddam???s Revenge ??? ???How can we have peace in the world????

Grandfather responded??? ???Leave behind you the baggage of yesterday and the fears for tomorrow. Strive for peace within you today and it will come to you, and as everyone joins you ??? to the world.???

I have been spouting two statements consistently over the last 10 years:
1. The people in the Middle East have been fighting and abusing and killing each other for over 5000 years.
2. They don't want--or tolerate--outside interference. They will unite for as long--and ONLY for as long--as it takes for them to get rid of this outside interference.
3. They are a great deal more ruthless than we are, so they will probably win this war, too. We haven't got the moral fortitude to make them want to stop fighting us.
4. Since, to them, it's a religious war, they harken back to the Crusades. That makes them determined to win this one. They can afford a whole lot more "war casualties" than we can. Life is not nearly as precious to them, and they have no problem with taking slaves. Which is what we'll be if we don't get off our moral high horses.