I realize I’m about to sound like Yet Another Jerry Pournelle Parrot (YAJPP), but I do agree with some of his recent points. The Middle East is full of tyrannical regimes. These are places where people (OK, women) are tortured – or worse – for being less-than-fanatical about clothing. Oil money feeds tyrants who abuse their own societies. What we and other oil consuming nations need is to become independent of Arab oil. Russia, at least at face value, is becoming a stronger partner. And they have lots of black slickery stuff for our cars. Better yet, we should start pumping more of our own oil. Better still, we should be working hard to find efficient, reliable alternatives to fossil fuel altogether.

While this isn’t as urgent as eliminating those who would kill us, it’s right up there. The tyrants have money – oil money, much of which is used for, at best, questionable causes (see the Saudi “telethon” for the poor Palestinians, or Saddam’s payout to “martyrs'” families). Choking the fanatics’ money supply certainly wouldn’t be a bad idea.