Recent terror attacks have been motivated by Western violence
that routinely kills and oppresses innocent men, women and children. “When you attack one Muslim, you attack all Muslims”, is the cry.

Obama might well fear that another 9/11 attack would give his opponents the opportunity to say, “There you are – we always said that the country would be unsafe with a black president” (racism thrives). Further major terrorism on US soil is the greatest nightmare for Obama, and would overshadow everything else he has done.

As a result the impression is gaining that Obama has been “captured” by the homeland security and defense lobbies, whose interest is perpetual war. If it wasn’t the “War on Terror” they would invent a war on something else. How else can one interpret the massive increase in secrecy, the trial of Bradford Manning, the mass snooping by the NSA and the refusal to explain the legal basis of that snooping?

The public never voted for all this. The American belief in democracy, freedom and the rule of law, is now being undermined by over-reaction to extremist threats.

Epicureans want peace and reconciliation with all Moslems. You don’t have to believe what moslems believe to show them respect and good intentions.