Off to Europe
So today, we're getting ready to leave for Portugal and southern Spain, to visit and to attend a good friend's wedding.

Last night another at another friend's place we had an intense discussion of recent events. We are living in trying times. I've also gobbled up Thomas Frank's What's the Matter with Kansas in a couple of days. Scary stuff.

So what do all these events have in common? From the WTC to the underground in London, to the resorts in Egypt ... from the small towns in Kansas to the madrasas in Peshawar - I feel that free western society (or is it moderation) is under siege. From all sides, the knives of ideologiocal conflict are being sharpened. Each group is pointing towards its leopard - and often they are pointing at us.

We're not there yet, but it would seem that we are heading down the path to ... I don't know what. What can we do? I guess we need to stand up - not to fight, but to try to bring reason - but how do you reason with individuals that are full of irrational ideas? We need to fight paranoia in others and ourselves.

There is no "Zionist Conspiracy" and there is no "Liberal Conspiracy".

I think that this vacation is well needed - I've been working too hard ... and thinking and worrying too much about where western society, and the world in general are headed.