In the interests of intellectual honesty, I will admit that the left is right– the action in Iraq, and our support of Israel, does in fact contribute to “why they hate us.”

Those who say Iraq and Israel have nothing to do with this are being rhetorically excessive, or a little naive, or just telling what they think is a white lie in the service of a bigger truth.

However– the reality is that “why they hate us” is, as they say, overdetermined. Meaning: there are so many reasons they hate us that it’s glib and stupid to attempt to say they bomb us for this or that reason. They have hundreds of reasons.

If not for Iraq, then for Afghanistan.

If not for Afghanistan, then for Palestine.

If not for Palestine, then for our military presence in the Gulf.

If not for our military presence in the Gulf, then the simple fact that we dominate the world miltiarily, technologically, and culturally, which is an affront to radical Islamicists who believe that Muslims must rule the world, and to follow Allah’s teachings righteously, they must fight us to claim world dominion as dictated by the Prophet.

Etc.

And changing our behavior won’t change any of this. We risked blood and treasure to save Muslims in Serbia; that won us no fans whatsoever. They’re still screaming about the Andalusia and thousand-year-old grievances. Those who believe a charm offensive is going to win the hearts and minds of people still nursing grudges from a frickin’ thousand years ago are simply delusional.