h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I've seen analyses that concluded it will take at least 100 years to work our way through this terrorists-versus-everyone else predicament. All of us will be long dead by the time that happens. I've read books written in the early part of the 20th Century ["Seven Pillars of Wisdom," for instance], and I haven't gotten the sense that Muslims in the Middle East were worked up about how awful the countries of Europe and North America were. They had all they could do to cope with the Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans are gone now, the Russians are not as powerful as they once were, and many Middle Eastern countries are wealthier than before thanks to oil exports. It's actually feasible now for people from wealthy families [the Bin Ladens come to mind, though the only point I'm making here is that when Osama went rogue, he had access to money] to strike a blow against the West.

The short term is all that we can see right now. Things ebb and flow. Think of how many times the tide will go in and out over the course of 100 years.

I sang in a concert of French Christmas music last night. When we started rehearsing in September, we had no idea that Paris would be hit hard by terrorism. We had a moment of silence for the victims of that terrorism during the concert.

Some time ago we were complacent the rize of the National Socialist German Workers' Party that grew powerful because of ignorance and pacifism forged on the battlefields of WWI.

The problem will not go away and will only get worse timely action of some kind must be taken. They are united by a strong faith that transcends borders.

What alternative action would you have the governments of Europe and the USA take? What choice have they got? there appears to be a war going on, given their limited options how else are our leaders going to react? biological warfare?