David,

Only quoting you: "On the whole, the British are civil, law-abiding and touchingly decent".

You surely must be referring to the"Up Yours Delors" campaign that the "civil (...) and touchingly decent" British rag called The Sun served to the well-informed public of the UK.

As for the "law-abiding" proclivity displayed the gracious kingdom of Her Majesty, you probably meant UN-"law-abiding", didn't you?

If I didn't think this was his idea of a Bank Holiday Joke, I'd have to assume that M. Kodiak was a humourless obsessive.

I'd agree that most Brits are decent and charming folk. Decent enough I would suppose that most wouldn't mind if the USAF dropped (one) in on that little celebration?

Thanks in advance for your consideration and decency.

They keep talking, someone's bound to start listening.

But I had a thought. They want to dominate "the world?"

They're stuck in the 7th century, give them what they thought was "the world" at that time.

The Americas wasn't known.

You guys want to have some fun, go to the Independent's forum via Delphi:

The thread is, "Will the Yanks Americanize Islam or..."

Saladin70 says!

"...We have witnessed the American ideals spread everywhere(1920-1990), and currently we are witnessing them being eroded in Islamic lands, and in Western Secular countries(1990-now)

I suppose that the conversation is meaningless unless we address the idea of Americanization.

On its most profound level it is the idea that wealth and technology can create a utopia here on earth for man(the American dream). At its surface is the greed, and escapism (movies - drink). And underpinning it all is the theory of evolution and the idea that mans destiny is in mans hands.

i propose that incrasingly people are seeing this as an empty dream, and that is not just the 70-80% of the world population that don't have access to that dream, but also those who are living it. Many people are disillusioned with their lives - the monotomous 9 -5 and the the extra hours to fund the recreation time spent trying to forget the 9-5.

Gradually with the increase of communication and ideas I believe that the idea of a higher meaning will return to take centre stage. I also believe that Islam is in one of the best positions when it happens."

Many Western countries find themselves in the same situation as Britain. No discrimination against those who are different. Free speech.

We're seeing groups of people arrive in our countries who have no plans to assimilate into our culture; on the contrary they plan to assimilate us.

They are very open about wanting to see the West's death and their culture's ascendency. They favor violent overthrow of our cultures.

What do you do? Stop their free speech? Outlaw their religion and culture? The Western countries won't do any of this. It's not our way.

So we allow the festivals, literature, preaching, and lecturing that's urging their followers to do whatever they can to ensure the West dies.

It's not surprising that in this sort of atmosphere, some of the West's larger cities no longer have the same 'feel' as they once did. We are slowly losing some of our beautiful cities. It's very gradual so you don't see the impact right away.

Chris Josephson writes:

"What do you do? Stop their free speech? Outlaw their religion and culture? The Western countries won't do any of this. It's not our way."

On the contrary, surely? Decadent Western societies certainly *do* curtail freedom of speech - but only of their indigenous peoples.

Therefore, Moslem immigrants may say more or less anything thier insane beliefs lead them to imagine. You or I, on the other hand, might find our responses very hard to articulate in public.

Give them all fast cars, chances are they will break the speed limit eventually. Bingo, they police will be down on them like a ton of bricks. Problem solved!

G. Cooper:

You're correct. Had forgotten, for a moment, how one-sided free speech can be. Yes. We can only silence people who may wish to speak out against what is happening in our countries.

Well, I hope most Britons will - as last year - remember the 3,000 people slaughtered in downtown Manhattan that dreadful day. That is the best way of countering this sort of insane drivel.

Why, in particular, would I want to remember the 3000 who died in the World Trade Center attack, rather than the millions dead in Africa's wars, the dead in Chechnya, the millions starved to death in North Korea etc.? I'm a libertarian, I am appalled at all interpersonal abuse and violation. Making an exceptional case for the 9/11 victims is just propaganda bull to dredge up flagging support for Bush and his evil foreign policies.