I really wonder what the hell is going on, and how to decide on a position.

For example: suppose you are right and it really is all about 'religious wars', a clash of civilizations. Does that mean it would be wrong to support our side? Not necessarily!

One thing about Bush is that he's made a point of trying not to alienate Muslims, paying respects to their religion, and differentiating between Islam and dangerous Islamism.

In the end I think I will be persuaded at least to a degree, by what I find out about 'collateral damage'. But even then, how do we know what to decide? Many civilized people still argue that Hiroshima and Dresden were necessary.

But did the US really need to start a war in Iraq! Maybe not on the basis of strict self-defense. That's also an important, or central, consideration.