Our Bleak Future

I had a lively discussion with an engineering college classmate over dinner last night. He was born in Turkey, first came to the U.S. 40 years ago, I met him in 1970, married for over 40 years, conservative, Muslim, American citizen, loves to discuss politics and culture, generally votes Republican but Bush has soured him on Republicans at the national level.

He also would like to see much better control of our borders, to keep out criminals, and says Phoenix is over-run by Mexican crooks and gangs. He is generally negative on the future of American culture (due to lack of parental involvement in raising kids) and the trend is for more crime, more victims, and higher cost to the good people (as victims themselves, and paying for the judicial system, and paying for prisons).

He is also very concerned that the U.S.-Iraq situation is a battle that can never end or at least not well. Withdrawal now would result in huge loss of life, but keeping U.S. troops on the ground will continue to antagonize the whole mid-East situation. I am more hopeful that the Iraqis will learn how to run and police a democracy than he is. And he sees the way the U.S. is handling the Palestinian situation as a burr under the saddle of Muslims around the world and the primary cause of terrorist actions against the U.S.

What do you think is the primary cause of terrorism against the U.S.?