Russia and China lead the way.

I have -- quite reasonably, I think -- advocated the expropriation, taking, snatchment, theft, deprivation, and liberation of Arab and Iranian oil resources so that the revenue therefrom can be diverted to somewhat worthier causes than killing American troops and aiding, abetting, and directing terrorism around the world.

I am gratified that the Chinese and Russians have taken my advice to heart and prepared a suitable military response^[1] if Central Asian or west Chinese Muslims ever get it in their heads that they'd like to take over from the current more "desirable" governors of those regions.

In effect, these two countries are cooperating to forestall just the situation that the West faces in the Middle East, Persia, and North Africa -- to wit, control of oil resources by people who shouldn't be trusted to fluff up a pillow without supervision, let alone to play with forty zillion dollars of decent peoples' money p.a. to finance subversion, hatred, mayhem, killing, and all around Islamic grumpiness.

So Russian and China are gearing up to act in case thing turn out there as they already are in our neck of the wood, but we do nothing to deal with our equivalent of their worst case scenario. Our Freddy Kruger nightmare started 45 years or so ago but do we lift a finger to chastise our enemies?

I mean, am I missing something here or is there a certain failure of nerve when it comes to the West's willingness to act to defend its interests? The Russians and Chinese sure don't seem to have this same kind of built in disabling condition.

Now do they?

Notes
^[1] "'Peace Mission.'" By Richard D. Fisher, Jr., Wall Street Journal Online (subscription), August 15, 2007.