Reply #278: I won't comment on Mr. Hitchens attempts at "thinking", but

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the problem is this, violence and war do not reduce extremism and
fundamentalism, rather the opposite. This may be easily observed
out there in the real world, you don't need to take my word for it.
There are plenty of long drawn out grinding conflicts to pick from,
all based in a refusal to consider honest political solutions that
respect the rights of self-determination of one or more of the
disputant parties.

There is, to be sure, room for police work, but the policies Mr.
Bush is pursuing are having the opposite of what is claimed to be
the desired effect, ie. reducing fundamentalism and increasing
secular politics.