US News online analysis:

Predictions. In a prophetic essay more than 10 years ago, "The Roots of Muslim Rage," Lewis cautioned that there was little the United States, or the West in general, could do to affect the outcome of a struggle that has been going on since the failure of the second Ottoman siege of Vienna in 1683. Combined with the subsequent spread of European colonies in Asia and Africa, that setback for the Ottoman Empire marked a sharp reversal in fortunes for the larger Muslim world, Lewis explained. Once members of the more prosperous and culturally advanced civilization, Muslim peoples saw their standing fall drastically in relation to that of the peoples and nations of Europe. Now on the defensive, Lewis says, Muslims commenced a 300-year debate over what had gone wrong and how best to fix it.

For a link to the article: http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/90sep/rage.htm

For historians, this is an excellent source. Good reading.

Damn it, don't you listen to President Bush and CNN? The reason for their rage is that they are evil and hate justice and liberty. Don't confuse and complicate the issue with historical facts.

Preoccupation with anything but food, clothing, shelter and reproducing is a waste of time.Wasting time, much like wasting money, can bring great pleasure.

Casual sex, for instance. Or smoking pot and listening to good tunes. Watching your favorite baseball team make a pennant run.

Since we have the attribute of happiness, and we deem it good, I say go for it. :D

This waste of time brought to you by beer, of all drugs. But I shall give more relevant comment when I've finished reading everything.

thanx much,
Tiassa :cool:

There is no relevance except in the mind of the beholder,

good point though.

bjl