I must disagree, Raoul. I think people of all political stripes are asking why certain groups turn to violence to "solve" their difficulties. Why does bin Laden and his cohorts hate the US so much that he wants to murder us by the thousands (millions if he can) and destroy us as a nation? Does he feel that by ridding the world of us, it'll be a better place? Does he feel that we deliberately propogate poverty and sickness? Does he feel that we somehow control everything that goes on in the world and he wants out from under our thumb? Is he, in fact, a champion of truth and light?

Imagine a man who vows to kill your family. You are troubled by this, but try to get along with your life. Then to your dismay, he kills your brother. You may well ask yourself "Why would he do this?" But I'd bet you'd also seek to bring him to justice, and to do everything in your power to protect the other members of your family. That's what we're doing as a nation.

If the attacks stemmed from injustice and poverty, as Turner suggests, maybe bin Laden should take the matter up with one or more of the fabulously wealthy regimes in the Arab world, the Saudis, for example. In what way is the US responsible for poverty and injustice in the Arab world? They seem quite happy to take billions upon billions of our dollars for their oil, at a price which they set. Are we shafting them?

If bin Laden wants to help the Palestinians acheive self-determination, then why doesn't he urge them to lay down their weapons and begin a dialogue with the world, instead of proving at every turn that a Palestinian state would be a disaster, a haven for terrorists who would ceaselessly target Israeli and American concerns?

Being a conservative does not mean being heartless. But it does usually mean being a realist, and understanding that politics is, as has often been said, the art of the possible. We have to work toward what we can acheive, not what we can dream. Sadly, that means dreams are often dashed...but that's life in the real world.

We also have to understand that government cannot, and should not, be all things to all people. Similarly, the United States cannot be all things to the rest of the world. We cannot feed, educate, house and employ everyone on the planet. If we are hated for this, I guess that's too bad because we can't change it.

If bin Laden and his cronies want the US to turn its back on Israel so the Arab states can destoy it, I think he's simply proving his own bigotry and hatred. He's also misjudged the US terribly.

I have no problem with a search for reasons, although personally I think Charles Krauthammer is correct in asserting that the hatred toward the US stems for from a need for ascendency than for a redress of grievance. Bin Laden is far more interested in killing infidels than in feeding beleivers.

If you want to discover shallow, irrational reasoning, then a study of Osama bin Laden will take you there. He's not a deep thinker...far from it, he's a blind fool, his mind deadened by his own twisting of Islam into a bloodthirsty justification for mass murder.

Oh, and Lindy, you recently complained that one of your posts attracted more personal attacks than legitimate debate...yet that's exactly what you did to me. Thanks bunches, and FO.