I like a lot of what Thomas Friedman says. I think he's done a great job of telling us about the mindset of the Islamic world. And he continues to do so in his column Listening to the Future?, where he prints comments from an 18-year-old Indonesian girl, a Muslim.

So let's take a little sample, shall we?

"Most Muslims are afraid of America because they think America is against Islam," she began. "You can see that America is backing the Israelians, and the enmity between Islam and Israel, the Jews [and] Judaism, is obvious."

So it's the Jews fault? Is that what you're saying?

"As for the [Sept. 11] tragedy, we can't prove that Muslims did it. Because up to now they have not found evidence to prove that [bin Laden] is the one who did it. Also I read in some newspaper that the real people who did that tragedy are Americans...."

Yeah, I read that too somewhere.

"I don't know [what] percent of the Congress are Jewish, [but] America is backing Israel, and I think therein lies the feeling of enmity toward America."

Why are so many Muslims so angry with America and Israel now?

"I think it is because Israel has gone beyond limits and [Muslims] just got fed up and decided they have to do something about it. I think it has something to do [with] Muslims feeling like they are being called murderers and they are being treated in the U.S. like they are terrorists — they are being blamed for something they haven't done...."

Imagine the injustice. Blamed for something they haven't done.

"At the beginning, when George Bush became president, some people thought he is only going to be like his father and he's not going to make anything new — and also people did not want Al Gore to win because he was Jewish."

Al Gore. I don't remember: was he one of those Southern Baptist Jews, or one of the Episcopalian ones?

Friedman now:

Wisam's views are widely shared by millions of Muslim youth. They are a product of many things: a reaction to America's war on terrorism and Ariel Sharon's war on Yasir Arafat, the failure of Muslim states to master modernity, Muslim resentment at being blamed for 9/11, unquestioning Congressional support for Israel and outright incitement against Israel and Jews in Arab and European media and Web sites. Stir it all together, and what comes out is a single big idea melding in the minds of many young Muslims: America, Israel and the Jews are working together to undermine Islam and dominate the world.

OK, so the lies that the Arab and other Islamic nations have spewed have worked. He forgot to mention the fact that Jews need the blood of Muslim virgins to bake matzoh. Hey, I wonder if that's where Allah gets all those virgins for the martyrs?

This is not good. But how does one reverse it? Spreading democracy in the Muslim world would help enormously, but that's not going to happen soon. In the near term, Israel has got to get out of the West Bank and Gaza any way it can — just get out — and get this war with Palestinians off TV. It will not end Muslim hostility to the Jewish state, but it will eliminate a good chunk of raw material.

This last bit makes total sense if you work under the assumption that the Arab states want peace. They don't. As long as there are Jews in "Palestine", the Arabs will have something they can distract their opressed masses with. And how cheaply bought? Just a few thousand dollars per suicide attack and they get the Israelis willing to fight back. Wonder how much they'll take this time?

Remember, the Arab media doesn't have qualms about spreading lies. Should we expect that to change? I think not. The fundamental problem remains: corrupt, oppressive regimes that can't make the transition to the modern world. When these regimes stay quiet and oppress just their own, we don't much care. When these regimes attack us and our allies, then things change....

  

Ganeshplosion!

I finally slapped a frame on my new painting. Thanks to Michael for giving me the impetus to figure it out.

Drew made the painting and I paid him money so I could have it in my office. Hey, that makes me a patron of the arts! Patron of the arts or not, I still didn't know much about framing. So, I dithered. On Saturday, we trundled off the the University Bookstore and bought a frame off the rack. Took it home and in 5 minutes I had it installed and hanging.

So what took me so long?

Here's another Drew painting I like. He sold it already. He has others for sale. Very affordable too.