Jarring as the 9/11 attacks were, they seem to have not fully woken up the non-Islamic world to the mortal peril it is in from Muslims.

Al-Qaeda's number 2 today declared they view the whole world as a battle ground on which to score a grand Islamic victory.

The statement should be taken with all due seriousness. It is not an idle threat.

People should be forced to declare whether they're on the Islamists' side or not. Anybody who isn't with us, is against us. What does that mean for Lebanon, for example. It means that they must immediately declare Hezbollah illegal and take their own steps towards abolishing the organization. They shouldn't be allowed to cover their collusion with Hezbollah by claiming to be too weak to fight it. Hezbollah was not holding guns to the head of every Lebanese when it went about building a fortified headquarters right in their capital city and set up stockpiles of 13,000 rockets all along their southern border.

The Lebanese should be forced to decide now, not later; which side are you on? If they aren't on our side, too bad if they get flattened. We don't have the jihadi mentality towards them; they have it towards us, and we must defend ourselves against it, or else.

These are some of the thoughts I had today as I walked up Amsterdam Avenue, passing the firehouse and seeing the memorial to the firemen lost to Muslim insanity on 9/11.

Hello Micheal and other commentators from previous message!

You guys' lovely and amazingly retarded messages just successfully turned athestic Asian, whose county has a ignorably small portion of jewish population, to an ardent antisemite. Good job.

We really hope, this time, other arabic countries "flatten"(it's from one of comment below) Israel and MAKE it; whatever they want.

With wish from the bottom of my heart,
JW

P.S. Please stop whining about 9/11. We are totally sick of it, and really don't give a damn.

Make no mistake about this my dear gay brothers - Michael & Scott Rose are right. This is no time for "why can't we all just get along and be fabulous?". This is a war that we can all waste time talking about where & when it started, but there is no argument that the Islamists are not going away and are already winning a few battles.

We might even have to acknowledge that GW Bush may have been right about the "Axis of Evil" thing even though the Iraq War could have gone much differently.

As Scott Rose tells you, you do have to make a choice right now and as painful as it may be to some of you, that choice includes the conscious deaths of tens of thousands of enemy combatants and unfortunately many innocents as well. There is no such thing as a clean war but there is truly such a thing as subjugation & tyrrany; in contrast, their plans for you & I make this administration's surveillance programs look like pure liberty.

So, the next time you're having cocktails and chatting about the latest episode of Project Runway and how you'll be glad when they work this Israel thing out - I hope you stop yourself and realize that this is as real it gets, and that IT DOES AFFECT YOUR LIFE AND YOUR FUTURE.

Let me ask you, who do you want to be influencing the world? Those bastards, with their supporters in Europe & the UN, who hung those teenage boys in Iran by the neck for being like you and me? Or do you prefer the US and Israel? Our country has many areas of needed improvement, but on this issue I support the administration and encourage them to push back harder, support Israel more and win this now as bloody as it will be, before this becomes the nuclear holocaust we truly fear.

And Michael, for me, there is a God, and although I don't always understand how he works, I think we may need his help on this one.

Keep this issue alive Michael & thanks for the info on how to send support to Israel as I'll be doing so.

Because JW above says this post turned him into an anti-semite, I would like to ask this "athestic" Asian which "county" he lives in that the "jewish" population is "ignorably" small.

Maybe it's JW whose behavior is ignorably.

Learn English, fuckwad. And if you ever visit New York, for your own safety I urge you not to tell anybody that you're sick of hearing us "whining" about 9/11. There is no small number of people here who, justifiably, would rip you a new asshole for saying such a thing.

A little stronger than I would have put it, but many good points there.

I'm not anti-semite or anti-Islamic, more anti-violence and anti-ignorance. I'm a whiny liberal who likes to take into consideration all sides to the issue, negotiate and use violence as the very very last resort. I can't defend Hezbollah's actions, nor would I want to.

My take: America, lead by a conservative fringe movement and it's leader, Mr. Bush, openly antagonize Iran, refuse to negotiate regarding nuclear issues, invade Iraq, creating a civil war and an active Al Qaeda training ground. Antagonized Iran supplies Hezbollah with weaponry, who attacks Israel, our closest ally in the middle east. Israel, rightly defends itself. Al Qaeda declares a holy war. Cool. It's as much about anti-Israeli sentiment as it is about anti-American sentiment.

And this anti-American attitude didn't just start last week. Overthrow the democratically-elected government of Iran in the 50's, install a dictator - Iranians remember that. They have a revolution and hold Americans prisoner '79-81. We back Iraq and Hussein in the Iran/Iraq conflict, the Soviet Union backs Iran. Another cool move.

I've seen comments here disparaging the UN - it's taken thousands of years of brutal human civilization to get to the point where nations have had the capability (and the balls) to form international organizations like this. We need to challenge it, use it a lot more effectively, with politicos who have the interests of people, not multinational corporations at heart.

It's us. We citizens have to inform ourselves, have the balls to step up, vote for politicians that represent America as a just, strong and impartial. We've been respected in the past, and it'll take many more years to be respected and trusted again.

Michael, I understand your anger, and feel angry, too.

But this shit is karma, global style.

Whatever - I'm the dreamer, you guys can help ratchet up the violence...the people we refuse to negotiate with (or respect at all), will be the ones killing us and our neighbors. Love your enemy...who said that?

While I may not always agree with everything Michael says, I do agree that we in the west (& certainly Russia, with it's diverse population),
have much to fear from militant Islam. I do, however, question the bombing of Beirut.
This aside, as gay men, we have much more @ stake here than most, since Islamists (&
some so called "Christians", our president included, & many Orthodox Jews & Catholics (Pope Adolph included) despise us, & some call for our deaths. (Isn't there a group in Jerusalem calling for "Death to gays?")

And I just read of a 16 year old girl killed in Iran for "crimes against chastity", even straight women & men have something to worry about. Fundamentalism in any religion is wrong (I know, organized religion & wrong is redundant!)

This has become a scary world; when the leader of the so called "political party" Hezbollah (along with the terrorist leader of Iran) start to praise Hitler, when the US has lost all credibility to act as a broker or peacekeeper, thanks to a corrupt, dishonest, worthless president and administration, Europe cowers,
Russia tries to re-gain her place as a superpower,
China sits by waiting for something to blow. (Japan vs N Korea anyone?), & silly little tin "Castros" like Chavez posture & prance around.

Anyhow, Michael & I and other honest bloggers still have the right to our opinions, & the right to post/state them, and to agree or disagree with each other, in a civilized, intelligent, manner. Someone like JW, (whatever he/she is) with the disjointed, bigoted, mispelled little post it put up, gives bloggers (& humanity) a bad name. Let it open it's cowardly mouth in NYC, or any other civilized place, openly, & it would get it's ass kicked. I assume, however, that it will hide behind it's probably "ugly" mask.

Thanks Michael, for giving us a place for intelligent conversation. Pity little rodents sometimes chew their way in.

Michael,

I've enjoyed your blog for the last six months or so, appreciating your witty commentaries on life as a porn celebrity and ignoring much of your political rhetoric. Frankly, the latter made me feel that you were working too hard to prove your intelligence, without giving any great evidence of it. This post of the Middle East conflict just turned my stomach. How has it come to pass that you've bought into the conservative idea of preemptive strikes? If you, like so many U.S. Jews, feel that the U.S. should be directly involved in the conflict there, why don't you join the military? Or, join the Israeli army? Why should young people from poor and ethnic communities, including illegal aliens, in the U.S. be the bulk of the fighting force dying in the sand? If you believe this is our fight, GO!

Contrary to the rant above, I am, above all things, a pacificist, and a student of history. I reject the idea that religious intolerance is the root of this age-old conflict. Money, land, power, resources--these things affect peoples' lives so that they take up arms. Go back to the Old Testament/Talmud to read how Joshua led the tribes of Israel to claim land for their nomadic tribes. Or, further back, how Sara had Abraham abandon Hagar and her son Ishmael (patriarch of Islam) so that he would not inherit before her child. I'm not a Marxist, but I clearly see how the human instinct for violence is fomented by human needs and desires rather than religious differences. When people are violent with such cause, I see them fitting into a characterization of sociopathic or psychopathic. When I was robbed at gunpoint, the kids were high on crack and wanted my money. Did they hate gay people? Probably...but the root cause of the incident was their need to get high. What do terrorist organizations offer to people in the Middle East so that their fanaticism spreads?

Doesn't it strike anyone else as ironic that a people who cry "Never again" might preach genocide for social and religious groups? I don't wonder at the fight for survival in the Middle East. We're talking the birthplace of Western Civilization, the first place to build agricultural societies and the birthplace of the world's greatest organized religions. I don't know how much arable land still exists and can't remember buying anything, except oil, that was exported from the Middle East.

I don't have answers for this struggle, but supporting the hawks is not it in my book. I believe that catty sarcasm aside, that you are good at heart, yet you envision the death and destruction of legions of people quite cavalierly. One thing to consider is how natural conflict and violence is to the human animal and how unnatural it is to use our minds and communication skills to negotiate a sustainable peace. Study the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 and it is staggering to consider the US President and the British Prime Minister practically hand-in-hand setting policy. In our version of our history, we call those who committed acts of treason, sedition and violence against the British government "patriots" or "freedom fighters". Actually, they vandalized property, tortured those who disagreed and killed people in the public square. Sound familiar?

So, Michael, if you believe that your readers need further edification on the Middle East, how about just linking to relevant articles?

Ben makes the extraordinary confession that he is not anti-Islamic.

Has he read the Koran? Does he know the full contents of Sharia, Islamic law? The Koran condones violence done against non-Muslims in the service of Islam. Not just in the defense of Islam when it is attacked, but in the service of spreading Islam. There are versus in the Koran that justify attacks such as those carried out on 9/11, for example. Furthermore, Sharia calls for gays to be killed. And Ben is not anti-Islamic? He might want to rethink that one. No matter what some rabbi's interpretation of what's in the Talmud might be, the Jews are ready to live in peace with Ben. Muslims, taking the Koran literally, are not. We should all be spared religious claptrap of whatever kind. And we should consider that we have a special responsibility to speak up specifically for the rights of GLBT people in Islamic countries, because the straight leaders of Western countries, even those who favor gay rights, have the attitude "We have so much on our hands with the Islamics already that to talk specifically about gay rights in their countries isn't possible."

If anything, we should be sending out daily messages to the youth in Muslim countries that we'd like to be able to peacefully cohabitate the planet with them, that the religious brainwashing of the Koran does not give them a good life with all their earthly neighbors, et cetera, et cetera. People will figure out that it's better to be productive and peaceful in the world than to be obsessed with a nasty metaphysical abstraction. It's something that's not being done now and that over time would have an effect. We should reach out to their youth, ideologically, with a message of peace and modernity and equality for women, gays, and everybody else. Women are about half the population, gays another 10%, so right there you'd have 60% of a population with a lightbulb going off "Gee, they're right, we'd be better off jettisoning this nonsense."

Also, Ben, when the CIA and the Brits colluded in the overthrow of the "democratically elected" Mohammed Mossadegh in Iran, the situation was not a black and white, good vs. evil one. Mossadegh, for example, had gradually usurped powers that were supposed to belong to parliament and appointed as the speaker the Ayatollah Kashani, a radical Muslim. So there, you're back to having a group in power that wants laws saying society has an obligation to kill gay people. And yes, the Shah became increasingly dictatorial, but the answer to that is not sanctioning an Islamic state in which women must cover themselves or be killed and where it's illegal to listen to Beethoven.

I agreee with Michael and as for JW-well if anti-semitism was so easy for you-go live in Iran or Syria then-lot of fun there for you-an atheistic asian-yeh,trust me..... for Ben-the point of view of militant Islam (Hezebollah) is there CANNOT BE ANY OTHER CREEDS BUT THEIRS and if you're a homo you haven't a prayer in hell with them...you are right about the crackpots in control of our own govt' though.

As a half Arab/half Italian, I have the following to say:

First and foremost, you need to thank George W for officially involving the US by supporting Isreal. Now, I have nothing against the Jewish nation, infact I think their fight is more justified than their attackers. But the truth is, we have no business being involved in any of this. Our involvement in situations like this lead us to 9/11.

It's funny how we come to everyone else's rescue, but how many of these coutries that we defend came to ours? While I might be a bit militant, who can blame me, when we put Saddam into power in the Iran/Iraq war. When put Osama into power in the Afghan/Russia conflict.

The UN, a "world wide" organization, has ignored the pleas and cries of many, in it's financial interest. And just a side note, those of you who think Isreak doesn't stand a chancem remember the seven day war. You know the one where almost all of the Arab Nations got together and Isreal still kicked thier ass.

The comment by Sundiata is evidence of the old adage, "The less facts, the stronger the opinion."

His whole rant is based on the notion that the current conflict began with "a pre-emptive strike" by Israel. That notion is verifiably false.

He goes on to assert that Jews "preach genocide for social and religious groups." Where is the evidence of that alleged preaching?

And the Dummkopf says he knows of no products other than oil that come from the Middle East. Heard of cell phone technology? Know where it was invented and greatly expanded, moron? Heard of pentium chips? Know where they were invented?

This jerk didn't even get these details correct, yet claims to be a "student of history." You flunk, Sundiata. Keep your fucking horsecrap to yourself. Anybody who asserts that Jews "preach genocide" as if that were a verifiable fact deserves to have their nose rubbed in all the evidence to the contrary and afterwards should be forced to apologize. You are guilty by reason of stupidity; and you are very stupid.

This is as good a place to post this as any.
Does anyone agree with me that the Bushies & their ilk, the "reborn" christians, are backing Israel not because they are pro-Israeli, but because in their little minds, they seriously believe that all this war & unrest is the beginning of their "end times" or Rapture as they call it. I have seen this many times in the press & on blogs since this new phase of the mideast mess began. Falwell, Robertson & most of that crew, never seemed so pro-Israeli as they have lately.

Hi Michael:

Have you ever read the Declaraton of the Establishment of the State of Israel?

Here's a paragraph from it:

"WE APPEAL - in the very midst of the onslaught launched against us now for
months - to the Arab inhabitants of the State of Israel to preserve peace and participate
in the upbuilding of the State on the basis of full and equal citizenship and due
representation in all its provisional and permanent institutions."

The Arabs were offered full legal equality in Israel, but rejected the offer, waging
war against the Israelis and in the process creating the "Palestinian"
refugee situation.

THE ABOVE PARAGRAPH FROM THE DECLARATION SHOULD BE READ OUT LOUD ANY TIME SOMEBODY
SAYS THE ISRAELIS OWE SOMETHING TO THE "PALESTINIANS."

THE SENTIMENTS OF THE ISRAELIS TOWARDS THE ARABS EXPRESSED IN IT SHOULD BE COMPARED
TO THOSE OF THE GRAND MUFTI OF JERUSALEM'S ACTIVE ATTEMPTS AT EXTENDING THE
FINAL SOLUTION TO THE ONE MILLION JEWS WHO LIVED THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST IN THE
WWII ERA.

THAT SAME MAN, THE GRAND MUFTI AL-HUSANYI, WAS ONE OF THE INITIATORS OF THE 1948
ARAB WAR AGAINST ISRAEL. DEPSITE HIS DAMNING NAZI TIES, HE WAS ACCEPTED BY THE
ARABS FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE. HIS NEPHEW YASSER ARAFAT WAS GIVEN TO CALLING HIM
"OUR HERO."

I can't believe the tone of many of these letters. Especially those posted by the obvious warmonger, Scott Ross, who wants us all to be forced to declare allegiance for the US and Israel and against Islam. This is on gay blog????Consider this: Islam is a spinoff of Judaism; it is the Old Testament (the Jewish part) that is the most filled with blood and smiting and all that garbage about Sodom and Gommorah. The Jews may be tolerant of Gays now, but this has not always been the case. All three of the religions of Abraham demonized gays, and every other behavior the patriarchs considered deviant in their tryannical eyes. The problem my freind is not Islam; the problem is RELIGION ITSELF! Wake and stop calling for your own brand of Jihad! You're fighting fire with gasoline, you stupid idiots.