You're right about polarization. But I kinda feel that the core of the issue lies in the fact that radical islam and western ideals simply cannot live on the same earth at the same time, for whatever reason you choose. It simply doesn't work. Hence the crusades. I mean, we can try and make it work, and at times it has. But honestly, as long as democracy exists, with it's women's rights and free speech, it'll always be a threat to conservative Islamic values. Most muslims can live in peace with it, but those who hold the power and use strict islamic law to manipulate and control people (The Iranians and Taliban of the islamic world) will always be threatened by democracy and it's ideals. If we could rid ourselves of our dependency on mideast oil, it would help us distance ourselves from it. But then again, 20 years from now, powerful mullahs and ayatollahs could say "screw you the west and your MTV and coke and britney spears" and still find reasons to kill us. Not to mention if they become as technically advanced as us, it could pose real problems.
I honestly believe we are living in the time of another and perhaps last crusade, and there is simply nothing we can do about it. It's the natural progression of the clash of civilizations that's been occuring since the 1st crusade. We can do a lot of things, like make a palestinian state and pull out of Saudia Arabia, but you have to ask yourself, is that really going to solve the problem? I don't think so. They're motivated to kill us from day one, as the video shows. We're infidels, remember?
