If you know the enemy and know yourself,

you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. So said Sun Tzu in The Art of War...

September 11 reminds us of the capabilities and intent of our radical Islamic enemies. They are not interested in getting along, sharing the planet with non-Muslims, land for peace, or any other negotiation. They want us to convert to Islam, or die. It's that simple to them. So we know our enemy.

How well do we know ourselves? It's gut-check time. It seems that many people (USA, UK, and other Europeans included) want to keep their heads in the sand as to the nature of the threat we face. Claiming that those of us who clearly see this threat are "fear-mongering" or are "blood thirsty" doesn't make the threat go away. Do we have what it takes to eliminate these people who wish us harm?

We did in the second World War. We were forced to flex our muscles and show the world what the USA is capable of accomplishing if it chooses. Had we not, my guess is that a hell of a lot more people would be speaking German now, and the genocide would have continued unabated. It's time to take the gloves off, let the CIA do some really dirty work (assassinations and other covert operations), and kill the enemy before it happens to us again. I think Blair and Bush see the threat pretty clearly, but the U.S. Congress is a different matter.

If you haven't yet made it down to Ground Zero in NYC, I strongly recommend you go. It's hard not to get angry when you see it.