Thanks for the detailed explanation.

I disagree that Muslim countries are somehow different and that we should be understanding about other governments being theocracies.

The difference in intentions, in my view, is regarding classical liberalism and basic human freedom.

As you likely know, Jefferson promoted the idea of an Empire of Library and as Hitchens pointed out, he'd be disappointed to know that we hadn't liberated Canada from the clutches of the British royal family. And the American Revolution obviously influenced the French Revolution and transformation of Europe. Prior to that, the very concept of the Citizen did not even exist.

This is part of the reason Paine went to France. The idea to transform the entire world into a universal republic is something he wrote about and wanted. Instead, we have economic integration that disregards and is an affront to Enlightenment ideas and liberalism as the first principles of political philosophy.

It is hard for me to agree that Muslims don't want to be Citizens with rights but would rather be serfs to a privileged class above them. If the natural state of humanity is not liberty, than I think our whole species is at risk of extinction or at least the best part of human potential will be lost.

But I was against the Iraq War and I despise Cheney, and believe they aren't promoting classical liberalism but are controlling oil and ensuring American hegemony, all the while giving hundreds of billions of dollars to defense contractors.

So I think Sam and Hitchens are right in theory, but until the US forces Saudi Arabia and other allies to reform drastically and immediately, then we are just an empire of oil and power.