“why the soft-pedaling of Islam as a religion of peace and allowing many more of its adherents into the US after 9/11?

In my own mind, I keep having to remember that Bush has always claimed to be a deeply religious man. His actions would underline those claims if you consider that (1) he’s been desperately trying to avoid genocide, and (2) he’s trying to be forgiving and to turn the other cheek. There’s also a (3) in that Pappa Bush is emotionally connected to his good friends the Saud’s, so if we start knocking KSA and/or killing its leaders Junior Bush’s administration would be responsible for killing Pappa Bush’s personal friends.

Mostly, I think it’s the genocide thing. If you look at Dubya’s strategy since 9/12/2001 he has deliberately gone for the long-term option of soft power and brainwashing over the short-term option of nuking the SOB’s — all of them. As I understand it, that is what Jesus would have counseled, even if the Pope or the elders of the Latter Day Saints or the Bishop of Canterbury might have a totally different interpretation how to be a good Christian when attacked by barbarians.

At least Bush *did* respond, even if he may have chosen the longest most complicated way to do it. Knowing now what we’ve seen since then I think there’s just about one other head of a nation who would have responded to such provocation, with – literally – every other country in the world rolling over, playing dead, and trying to placate the savages.