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Religions have been fighting among each other since they were invented. A new religious war wouldn't be anything new, but I don't see any sort of global conflict like you're envisioning. There are quite a few Islamic nations that are very pro-US like Turkey and Egypt and Jordan. There are certainly vocal folks in these countries that don't like the US, but there are people here that don't like the French, a traditional ally going back to the 1770's. Holy wars or not, I just don't see the US (or the rest of the West) fighting organized Middle Eastern nations. We'll certainly have to deal with their citizen terrorists, but Syria or Iran would be foolish to try to take on the US directly. WWIII in these terms will probably never be a declared conventional war. In those terms, it could have already started.
As far as isolationism goes, I can't imagine that it's even feasible given the economic interests that we have around the world. The US of the 1920's and 30's didn't have nearly as much wealth tied up abroad as we do now. An American retreat from the world stage would shift the balance of power in to many economically important areas (Nigeria, Pakistan/India, Saudi Arabia and Japan just to name a few). The military/industrial complex that Eisenhower warned us all about would also scream bloody murder since US pullback means less weapons needed. GE alone could take a hit big enough to sink it if we suddenly stop ordering weapons systems.
After 9/11, I got an email from a friend of my fathers who spent several years working for a "contractor" in Afganistan after his retirement from the Army. He bascially said that the way to win over the Afganis was economical - educate their children, get people good job, respect their customs and religion but help pave all the roads and give farmers a reason to grow something other than opium poppies. I wish I could find it, because I would create a thread to post it in and open it up to discussion.
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"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - B. Franklin
"There ought to be limits to freedom." - George W. Bush
"We have met the enemy and he is us." - Pogo
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