Unyielding tough guys leading the United States and Israel was all that Osama bin Laden needed to push the button that could set off World War III.

As the year 2001 and the war in Afghanistan wind down, it's deeply disturbing to see the explosive turn of events unfolding in the Middle East between Israel and the Palestinians, and between Pakistan and India in the East Asia. Indeed, when Saddam Hussein called for meeting of Arab leaders in Mecca to discuss American terrorism in Afghanistan and Israel, it got even more serious with nuclear overtones for all.

Historically, Palestine and Arab nations have been to the democracy of Israel, and Pakistan has been to the democracy of India, as Sparta was to the first democracy of Athens: So obsessed by hating the sovereignty success of their neighbors' people that they simply could not live next door to freedom.

If common sense prevailed, and India gave Muslim Kashmir to Pakistan, and Israel let Palestinians have their state, and Arab nations left Israel alone, and the United States weaned itself from Middle East oil, and the news media quit provoking fights, the world might survive this deadly dilemma.

For whomever's God's sake, don't let unconscionable troublemakers begin the year 2002 with the unspeakable bangs of winless global conflict.

Daniel B. Jeffs, founder
The Direct Democracy Center