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| Home Front: WoT |
| VDH: The Crazy Middle East |
| 2007-05-03 |
| Long but very good piece by Hanson. One notable passage: Polls show about 20% of Americans favor the Palestinians in their war against Israel, while about half the US population now expresses an unease with Muslims in general. Meanwhile a large minority of Muslims, according to polls, condones terrorist attacks on civilians, while a vast majority is vehemently anti-American. Their prejudice apparently is chalked up to our omnipresence—like saving Kuwait, feeding Somalia, stopping Muslims dying en masse in the Balkans, ridding Afghanistan of the Soviets, paying astronomical prices for their oil, and giving nearly $100 billion over the years to the Egyptians, Jordanians, and Palestinians. Our prejudice surely could not be due to 19 Muslims slaughtering— to the delight of millions—3,000 Americans, nor to the news almost every hour of Christian-Muslim violence, Hindu-Muslim violence, Buddhist-Muslim violence, or secular-Muslim violence. And now the much circulated quote from Sheik Ahmad Bahr, acting Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council: “You will be victorious” on the face of this planet. You are the masters of the world on the face of this planet. Yes, [the Koran says that] “you will be victorious,” but only “if you are believers.” Allah willing, “you will be victorious,” while America and Israel will be annihilated. I guarantee you that the power of belief and faith is greater than the power of America and Israel. They are cowards, who are eager for life, while we are eager for death for the sake of Allah. That is why America’s nose was rubbed in the mud in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in Somalia, and everywhere… Oh Allah, vanquish the Jews and their supporters. Oh Allah, count their numbers, and kill them all, down to the very last one. Oh Allah, show them a day of darkness. Oh Allah, who sent down His Book, the mover of the clouds, who defeated the enemies of the Prophet defeat the Jews and the Americans, and bring us victory over them.” And wait till these people get the bomb. So much for the war against Islamism being “over.” RTWT... |
| Posted by:Dave D. |
| #4 "What is the message here? Is anyone else sensing a pattern?" Yep. There's "something about Islam." |
| Posted by: Dave D. 2007-05-03 18:47 |
| #3 Perhaps with Gulf oil money, they can one day forget Israel, create a just society, foster a vibrant, non-corrupt economy, and then with confidence negotiate with Israel about borders. But until then, there is no reason to have relations with this government or its populace. Its mother’s milk is envy and jealousy that a displaced decimated people was placed down beside them in rock and scrub, and sixty years later built a humane, prosperous society that is a daily reminder to them that what they do—statism, gender apartheid, tribalism, feuding, religious intolerance, corruption, autocracy, polygamy, honor killings, etc.—lead to the very opposite sort of society in which nothing is invented, no discovery is found, no security or prosperity is achieved, and hand-outs are demanded but never appreciated. Few better, or more biting, appraisals have ever been made regarding that massive collection of psychotic murderous ingrates known to us as the Palestinians. For years Arab intellectuals demanded from the West some concern for human rights, and a cessation of business as usual with their dictatorial strongmen. But post 2003 we are learning that such posturing was, well, posturing, and most of these hothouse plants are more angry at the democratization efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq than they are at their own autocrats. An unspoken truth in the post 9/11 climate is that Arab reformers have zero credibility. Most live in Europe and the United States (including members of the families of the Pakistani, Syrian, Lebanese, and Saudi autocrats and extremists). Most are far more critical of western governments that gave them refuge and a new life than they are of the illiberal regimes that drove them out. So, we already know that moderate Muslims are of little use in fighting terrorism. Now it appears that even reformists may not be of much more worth. What is the message here? Is anyone else sensing a pattern? It seems as if Islam, as a whole, is simply of no use to the civilized world. As .com has so succinctly inquired, what redeeming features does Islam have? Between international terrorism, genocide and sharia law, the answer, apparently, is "none". Without oil and nukes, the Arab and Iranian Middle East has no hold on the world, no more than does Paraguay or the Ivory Coast or Bulgaria or Laos. There's not much we can do about the MME (Muslim Middle East) having so much oil, save reducing our consumption of it. However, there is something we can do about them ever obtaining nuclear weapons. Starting with the neutralization of Iran. That, today and tomorrow, will remain job #1 until we have rendered Iran an also-ran in world history. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-05-03 15:50 |
| #2 I particularly liked this: WeÂ’ve suffered through the distortions of Michael Moore and know that Cindy Sheehan once thanked President Bush for meeting with her. WeÂ’ve heard that the US military is akin to Saddam, Nazis, Pol Pot, or Stalin from the likes of Sens. Durbin and Kennedy, that America is a pariah from Sen. Kerry, that the war is lost from Sen. Reid and Howard Dean, and about everything imaginable from poor Sen. Biden. Ouch. That's gotta hurt. |
| Posted by: xbalanke 2007-05-03 13:24 |
| #1 Woth reading. Hansen makes a lot of sense. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2007-05-03 11:52 |