The BBC did a documentary called the Power of Nightmares. It's brilliant, and it works well as a companion to Glenn's book. I think it should air on a network here. It essentially explains the origins of the Islamists are coming.

Granted that the right wingers you cite go to an extreme in their paranoia and want to respond in inappropriate ways, but Glenn, are you actually maintaining that the more radical elements of Islam (which are in fact growing in response to our own misguided policies) represent NO threat to us and our values? Aren't there SOME groups out there who do in fact want to impose their understanding of Islamic law, not just on the U.S., but on the entire world?

Honestly. At least Soviet Communism was a somewhat worthy adversary in the struggle for global civilization. The Soviets could build bridges and roads (poorly), manufacture cars (poorly), fashion nuclear weapons (rather well), put men AND WOMEN in space, structure a decent compulsory educational system, raise a fairly intimidating army, and manage a menacing state security sector. But in the GWOT we’re competing with a bunch of half-wit yokels in caves hardly better than Neanderthals. This is not a results based movement. Sure they can destroy, but they sure can’t build or sustain squat. They can’t even get a revolution in Saudi Arabia or Egypt after decades of trying, so the idea the United States will submit to this crap is utterly absurd. The only place other than Afghanistan and Sudan that Sunni militants have at all been able to successfully export their ideological revolution is in Iraq – and well, they had a little help there didn’t they?

Right-wing goofballs are always in seach of another bogeyman -- the latest being Islam. Back in the 1950s and 1960s it was fluoridated water, which was supposed to be part of a Communist plot to poison America. The reason that many Muslims have been radicalized is because the U.S. and its oil companies are trying to impose their will on the Mideast, and the people living there are rebelling.

Progressives need to start pointing out that one of the most important parts of any constitution that separates a Democracy from a Theocracy is the "Separation of church and state". Fundamentalist movements in any religion is a danger to Democracy. The Islamist who want to force women to cover up are are not any differnt for those Crhistians in the U.S. who want to deny women their reproductive choices (privacy rights). All of these political Christian Right issues: abortion, gays, denial of evolution; their family values all has to do with the "Separation of Church and State". Unfortunately the right has made it seem as if "the dirty liberals" changed the constitution to eliminate religion. When in fact our founding fathers designed this nation as a secular Democracy.

The violation of the "separation of church and state" in the U.S has risen enormously under this Republicain administraton and right-wing talk radio promotes it. The Right now control the airwaves, with their half truth and lies, and claim anyone who disagrees with thier views is part of the "biased liberal media". Instead of taking up the right-wing family values and faith messages, progressives need to craft a way to talk about these issues in a way that resonates with the majority of americans. For instance, I support gay rights but the gay rights movement made a big mistake using the term "marriage". The term 'Marriage" has more to do with religion than civil liberties. No one one's marriage gay or straight is recongnized unless the couple have a civil license to form a union. That is what it should be called for all couples... "civil union licnses. Religion have the right to decide who they will provide "maririge rites" to. Gays should recognize the right of religion. I suspect the majority of americans would support "civil uinon license".

Bushco could not have gotten away with near the damage he's done to this country without the OBL, Islamist extremest, terrorist threat to scare people with. And OBL, the Islamist extremests and the "terrorists" could not possibly have done as much damage without GWB as their chief enabler. The damage done to our rights in this country have been huge, and the growth of radical element of Islam has been tremendous. These two feed off of each other. They are flip sides of the same coin. Which is the parasite and which is the host I guess depends on ones point of view.

In looking around the other day, I found where about 13,000 people die each year in this country due to faulty infrastructure....bad roads, bridges in poor repair, etc.. Seems to me that people should invest their fears more in where the real dangers are than in stories made up mostly for political gain.

... and try to imagine ANY situation which could lead to the imposition of Islamic law in America.

It's manifestly absurd.

I fail to see how overthrowing secular states and inciting fundamentalists there helps "fight" Islamism in any case.

Global warming (like nuclear winter) is a wacky, liberal bogeyman, but "Islamic Winter" is something we ignore at our peril, is that right?

We are constantly being reminded and patted on the back for being the greatest, most powerful, richest, and most wonderfullest nation that has ever existed on the face of the earth, with the finest, bravest, best trained and equipped soldiers around, and yet these self-same boosters are constantly pissing their pants that we are going to be wiped off the face of the earth. How the hell is that going to happen? The United States today has about 75% of the naval power on earth, most of the rest being in the hands of the British, Japanese, and French. We have about the same amount of air power, with again most of the rest being in the hands of the British, Israelis, Germans, and French. What nation, or combination of nations, is likely to come into play that would threaten the US and its closest alliance partners? And how about Russia and China? They are not friendly to Islamic radicals in any way. Or is Islam first going to sweep away the Middle Kingdom and then come gunning across the seas for us? This is racist nonsense, the Yellow Peril updated to become the Green Peril. Total bullshit.