The Disaster of Disengagement

Submitted by Mark Tyler (United States), Feb 14, 2006 at 13:21

I entirely agree with Mr. Pipes analysis of what is happening with respect to disengagement, but I can't see this as something the west can fix.

Surely those westerners who've lost their lives in the Middle East in the last few years would consider their efforts at engagement something of a failure, and would in retrospect have disengaged.

Swimming in the same pond with Piranha may not be the safest way to coexist with them. Instead, it might be just as well to leave them to their own pond, and post a "no swimming" sign.

I'm not concerned over which burgers they buy, or whether Barbie gets a fair shake. I am instead concerned that some Muslim Charlemagne may unite them under a single banner complete with nuke ICBM's. So yes, I'd like to stay open to the concept of engagement, but the nature of that engagement is crucial.

For instance, I'm altogether against the idea of continuing to buy middle east oil. We've no choice but to buy it now, and isn't that a good enough reason to disengage from it?

Mark Tyler

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