An excellent read. Yesterday's retorts appear to be (again) media related. Newsweek chooses to sensationalize the public into reading its magazine by posting a header of:

Bin Laden and his fellow fanatics are products of failed societies that breed their anger. America needs a plan that will not only defeat terror but reform the Arab world.

This is completely out of context. A more truthful heading should have included more data as to how the Arabic reform should be handled, but that would make the header far too large, and a different header entirely would have failed to attract so many readers -- though it would probably attract a better patronage of readers.

Perhaps a better one would have been:

America’s allies, the tired, corrupt kleptocracies of the world.

...but that's from Chapter 1, not the forward...

Regardless, stating bin Laden to be the product of a failed society is no excuse for allowing him to continue. He needs to be brought down, as does Saddam Hussein, and at all costs. There are other Arab leaders who will need to come under heel, and I know that with the proper counseling, the royal families and government agents of OPEC can learn a better way to do business, both global and local. It will mean sacrifices, but the survival of the world demands it.

Thanks again for posting it, Frank. I'm on Chapter 2 now.

Cheers,
Dan