The violence that is consuming some inside the Muslim world about those insulting cartoons has now claimed some lives. It again highlights the vast difference between our Western values and those of the radical Muslims. In our culture an insult, even if it is an egregious one that attacks a cherished value like religious belief, is not cause for violence. This, of course, was not always the case and, in some sub-cultures of our society, is not the case even today. President Andrew Jackson fought a number of duels over alleged insults directed at his wife. Famously, an American Vice-President once killed a Secretary of the Treasury in a duel (Burr killing Hamilton) sparked by a perceived insult. The radical Muslim world has not yet been transformed, as we have in the West, to disregard concepts like faith and honor. They are still willing to die (and kill) for their passionate beliefs. Lee Harris thinks that here in the West we have lost any passionate belief in our values, which means we will be unable to defend them when they are assailed by the radical Muslims.

This cultural difference is OK, if the cultures are separated by national boundaries, but it can be downright suicidal if it exists within those boundaries, according to this Newsday column.

Denmark is warning its citizens not to travel to a laundry list of Muslim nations.

Lebanese officials are saying that the Syrians are responsible for the rioting that led to the sacking of the Danish Consulate in Beirut. The Weekly Standard has a piece that goes into more detail on why the Syrians would be interested in fanning these flames.

Meanwhile, the Iranians are moving forward to limit the IAEA's access to their nuclear sites. This Washington Post column argues that we should be optimistic about a diplomatic solution to the impasse, because the Russians and Chinese will remain solidly with the U.S. and the Europeans, sanctions will hurt Iran more than the West, and the Iranian leadership is rational. I hope they are right, but I fear they may be wrong. The Israelis may not have the patience to wait this out, considering the existential stakes, and may take things into their own hands.