There's nothing that clears a room quite like "Who's with us?"

Think and say what you will about George W. Bush and the Iraq War. But after the unprovoked acts of war against the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, the president essentially said to the world, either you're with us or you're with the terrorists.

He was pilloried in many circles for being so black and white.

But he was right then, and he's right now.

The sad truth is, the world is largely a coward. As long as it's someone else's ox that's getting gored, then don't bother me. As long as it's the United States getting attacked, there's no reason for us to lift a finger.

We did get a remarkable coalition together for the Afghanistan and Iraq missions. But mostly the world has sat on the sidelines while we've fought the war on terror ourselves.

Will the terrorist attack in China last week on the eve of the Olympics, which killed 16 policemen, wake the world up? Will a Web video depicting a terrorist attack on an Olympic venue?

What will convince the world that it's at war with radical Islam? That it's not just the United States or the West? That radical Muslims want to kill any creature that fogs a mirror and doesn't submit to Islam and the strictest interpretations of it?

It may surprise all the Bush-bashers out there when he leaves office and Muslims stay on the offensive -- against not only the United States and the rest of Western civilization, but against anyone who stands in the way of worldwide Islam.