The West right now is having its Shimei moment. For those unfamiliar with the story: When King David told soon to be king Solomon to do away with slanderous Shimei, King Solomon first gave Shimei a line in the sand he must not cross, on pain of death, (probable origin of the ‘line in the sand’ and the ‘red line’ terms), then he waited, knowing Shimei would cross that line eventually. Sure enough for a long time Shimei did not cross it. Eventually his rebel roguish nature got the better of him and he crossed it, and was done away with. The West is bound to cross the line eventually. That is the whole point of a line in the sand, a red line. It gives the power the excuse it needs to do the terrible but necessary deed.
