That is quite an intellectual leap. I could understand that his ties with muslims in his youth in Jakarta when he was younger may give him a little more credibility, in the eyes of the middle east, but to say that it would lead to a "better understanding" on his part is absurd. Having some experience living with a people from age 6-10 doesn't create a "better understanding" of them. Your argument would be stronger if he had lived with them in his 20's, but even then, experience isn't everything. You see soliders in Iraq who know their job and circumstances very well, but the bigger political picture is poorly understood by them. The facts are the facts, "experience" like what you are talking about just leads to an emotional investment, not an intellectual understanding. You are not enough developed, intellectually, at that age to understand what defines that culture as opposed to American culture. You function mostly on emotion. You are prime to be indoctrinated through emotional appeals at that age. Bryan does have a point there.
Also, where are you getting the 96% figure? The other 96% of the world isn't muslim. living in Jakarta for 4-5 years isn't gonna give him any understanding in that way either. Again, if you had gone for the credibility arument, that might have been more plausable, but not really. The part of the "other 96%" that hates us now will still hate us; Bush isn't the reason they hate us, it is just an excuse (one of many). The reason they hate us is also the reason they love us and want us "in charge", globally; we have the most powerful and free society on the planet with the most influence in the world and head up a reasonably stable world system. While they appriciate that, they are also very jealous of us, and resentful that we are so great in part because we, as a nation, subscribe to (and come from) a different political and ideological tradition then the rest of the free world.
