No, I'm not assuming that. Why would you think that?

US military strength has grown and decreased over the years, depending on what the perceived threat was. After the Cold War ended US military strength was significantly reduced. After 9/11 it was significantly increased, although not to Cold War levels overall. The US military is currently shrinking. But if al Qaida makes significant gains and grows in strength it will probably mean that the US will increase its armed forces to deal with it again.

Nobody, why do you think that? The US certainly doesn't run the world and it isn't forcing Christianity on anybody. The US government is secular. You may be getting some incorrect information if you believe that.

And hello to you.

Then why did the US economy grow at the higher rate than the decade before and after?

The Real Reagan Economic Record: Responsible and Successful Fiscal Policy

I'm thinking this is somewhat better than a $200 car.

Aeronca 7AC Champion

You don't get it, do you? It isn't what I believe, it is what they say. Why don't you start educating yourself?

The Future of Terrorism: What al-Qaida Really Wants
Alarm in Spain over al-Qaeda call for its “reconquest”
HAMAS Targets Spain

I can't believe that people are still ignorant of this sort of thing after all this time. It is almost unbelievable.

I was visiting an aviation site a couple of days ago and it said you could start picking up decent used planes at around $30k.

But outright trolls seem to have decreased as a proportion of posts, and the endless complaining about the new interface being testing are mostly gone. Overall the quality seems to be up. I'll call that a win:win.

So.... you were happier when Jimmy Carter was in office? :D

You don't see the world they way that they do. To them there is only one Islam, without race or nationality. They are all part of the Ummah - the body of believers that constitute the Islamic nation. In Islam there are two main divisions of the world: Dar al-Islam (House of Islam - where Muslims rule) and Dar al-Harb (House of War - where Muslims do not rule which makes it subject to war). Their goal is to extend Dar al-Islam to cover the entire world, restore the Caliphate government dissolved with the fall of the Ottoman Empire in 1923, make their flavor of Sharia law the law of the land, and return Islamic civilization to the glory of its former days.

It really doesn't matter what the truth is historically, they act on their beliefs.

As to conquest by "Christian nations," few of them are overtly Christian in any meaningful way anymore, and they haven't engaged in conquest expressly to spread Christianity in a very long time. Al Qaida and company is engaged in conquest expressly to spread Islam.

Do you see this news story?

17 Beheaded in Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan for Attending Wedding Party with Dancing

They would gladly do it to you, just like they did it to those 17, and to Daniel Pearl. Their goal is to impose that sort of rule on the entire world even if it takes 1,000 years. As of today there are people willing to put their body between you and them, putting their life and limb and risk, to prevent them from endangering you. Frankly, I'm not sure that the sacrifice of any of them is worth you. But they still do it. So it would be great if you would either grow up, or stop providing evidence you may be a moral idiot and a fool. (I realize that asking you to show some gratitude for the defense of your life is wasted breath. Some people only learn the hard way.)

You don't understand the problem, it isn't about being nice, or anything wrong you might have done to them. They are ultimately going to come after New Zealand because New Zealand doesn't conform to the rules they demand you live under. Do you know anything about the age of Islamic conquest, such as when they invaded Europe or took Constantinople? That is what they are about, their goal is a Muslim world even if it takes force of arms. You don't want them to get stronger.

Al Qaeda-Trained Terrorists in New Zealand, Prime Minister Says

From what I recall reading, the US and Pakistan had long had an understanding that if the US found Bin Laden it would come after him.

If the raid to kill Bin Laden had gone badly it would have been an international incident, but that's about it... more than likely. Jimmy Carter survived his debacle at Desert One.

The first line currently reads: "Tim Wu has a though provoking piece in the New Yorker"
"though" should be "thought"
The first line should read: "Tim Wu has a thought provoking piece in the New Yorker"