PRAGUE -- Recent statements from some American leaders and North Atlantic Treaty Organization representatives give the impression that not only Islamic and other radicals, but also quite civilized figures, are losing their grasp of reality and have begun acting irrationally. The world is becoming an increasingly difficult place to predict and manage, especially for those who are accustomed to being in charge.
The mistakes of the past decade will exact a very high price. Three countries -- Pakistan, India, and North Korea -- have been allowed to develop nuclear weapons, proving that there are no remaining political or moral arguments against nuclear proliferation, only airstrikes or bribery.
Instead of a dialogue of civilizations and support for modernist forces in the Middle East, preference has been given to an almost opposite course of action. The invasion of Iraq destroyed a very unpleasant tyranny, but it has inspired a wave of hatred toward the West, even among those who despised former Iraq President Saddam Hussein, and has divided the West against itself.
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