In his response to the Robert Wright piece mentioned below Eugene Volokh misses most of Mr. Wright's points. Volokh mischaracterizes Wright as an appeaser. Wright is saying we need to take into account how our actions are perceived if we ever hope to get our message across and bring about some sort of peace. Apparently Volokh would rather completely ignore perceptions and have us make our points through use of force. But it is just that kind of brutish blindness that has caused us to fail to establish a good name in the Arab world. The terrorists are finding too much fertile ground among ordinary people who have no reason to think well of the US and our allies. We need to give them reason to think otherwise. This war is to be lost or won in the hearts and minds of the Arabic world.

Sometimes I think these problems are because we are just not smart enough. We don't have good, proven methods for peacefully introducing democracy and human rights into cultures such as those in the Middle East. This where we need to apply some of that touted American genius. We need to learn to be nation-builders (current administration notwithstanding).