“Somewhere in The Godfather, Brando says something like, ‘Children are allowed to make mistakes, not so adults.’ Among adults naivety is perilous.

I hate to be a party-pooper, but can’t we see what’s coming? In Iraq there will be no democracy. There will be less brutality, perhaps, but nothing to resemble what John Locke had in mind. Afghanistan should be a lesson. We did what we had to do. We chased out the Taliban and it is better over there, but not terrific. Miniature Osamas rule from tribe to tribe and it is still much safer for women to remain covered up and indoors. Variations, but same old same old.

Throughout the Ishmaelite world, there will only be more resentment, probably even reprisals against us. For this is not about Iraq, where we are also doing what we have to do, and it is not about Israel. This is about the Big Picture. Ishmael wants ‘Jerusalem and even Rome.’ ” — Jack Engelhard, author of Indecent Proposal, former radio and newspaper editor covering the Mideast and former American volunteer in the Israeli Defense Forces, Jewsweek [via walker]