Via Mike Lief??comes a chilling look at aplausible futureby author Dan Simmons, whose work I will be checking out after reading this.

“Athens failed in Syracuse–and doomed their democracy–not because they fought in the wrong place and at the wrong time, but because they weren’t ruthless enough. … I come from a place and time where your grandchildren and hundreds of millions of other dhimmi are compelled to write ‘pbuh’ after the Prophet’s name. They wear gold crosses and gold Stars of David sewn onto their clothing. The Nazis didn’t invent the wearing of the Star of David … the marking and setting apart of the Jews in society. Muslims did that centuries ago in they lands they conquered, European and otherwise. They will refine it and update it, not toward the more merciful, in the lands they occupy through the decades ahead of you.

It’s plausible, if the United States cannot hold its resolve.

Here’s the kicker:

“How, we wonder in my time,” he said softly, “can you ignore the better part of a billion people who say aloud that they are willing to kill your children? … or condone and celebrate the killing of them? And ignore them as they act on what they say? We do not understand you.”

How can people ignore this? Because it’s not happening here, not since 9/11/01. And why is it not happening here? Does anybody really believe that the jihadis figured, “Oh, well, we made our point in the States; we’re done over there.” I don’t. They haven’t pulled anything off because they’ve been prevented and because they don’t seem to get smarter, better funded, or better organized. For now.

You should read the whole thing. It’s harrowing.