Posted on 09/20/2012 2:39:25 AM PDT by Kaslin
Last week, Muslim mobs took to the streets to murder the American ambassador in Libya and three of his staffers. American embassies were attacked from Egypt to Yemen.
Embarrassed White House Press Secretary Jay Carney and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice insisted that these assaults were just reactions to an insensitive video circulating on the Internet that disparaged Islam. As embassies burned, we were assured that there was no animosity directed at America in general, or at this administration and its foreign policy in particular.
That is hogwash. The weeks-old video was a mere pretext, in the manner of the Danish cartoons that Islamists use to stir up mobs in their war against the West. The street rioting was long ago synchronized across the Middle East to celebrate the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
Apparently, the administration was left stunned and without a clue about the latest Middle East madness.
President Obama chose not to support nearly a million Iranian dissidents in 2009. Two years later, he belatedly offered encouragement to the revolutionaries who overthrew Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak.
Yet those snubbed in Iran were far more likely to oppose radical Islam than the protestors who later put the Muslim Brotherhood in power in Cairo.
Who, exactly, were we "leading from behind" in Libya? Muammar Gadhafi was a monster, but also one in a sort of rehab who was seeking better relations with the West.
As for Syria, the Obama administration has called dictator Bashar al-Assad a reformer. Then he became a mass murderer who had to step down. Then we called in Kofi Annan and the U.N. to practice soft-power diplomacy. Then we threatened to intervene. Now we have backed off.
As a candidate and as president, Obama assumed that his own multicultural politics, his familiarity with Islam, his novel transracial personal story and his repudiation of George W. Bush would all combine to win over the Middle East. Supposedly, Middle Eastern dislike of America had little to do with longstanding existential differences that did not start with Bush and won't end with Obama.
Obama's al Arabiya interview, Cairo speech and loud reset diplomacy sent mixed messages. He gave the impression that Middle East anger was largely either America's fault or due to misunderstandings that the sensitive Obama alone could mitigate -- as he distanced himself from the supposed pathologies of prior American policy in the region.
That myth-making is now discredited. But it still makes it hard for the administration to admit that hatred in Egypt is deep-seated and irrational -- and has very little to do with a silly video. Those in the Arab street hate the West and America because they are told daily that our supposed godlessness and decadence should not make us so rich and powerful -- especially when such pious believers as themselves are so poor and impotent.
But rather than addressing the real causes of their present misery -- tribalism, misogyny, statism, corruption, authoritarianism, fundamentalism and religious intolerance -- amid rich natural resources, Islamists scapegoat. Sometimes they fume at American support for Israel, at other times at an obscure video, cartoon, or rumor of a torched Koran.
We only feed these adolescent tantrums when America wrongly apologizes for the occasional insensitivity of a few of our citizens, who enjoy free speech under the U.S. Constitution.
America looks even weaker when this administration sends confusing signals about U.S. power. It too often spikes the ball -- whether Joe Biden bragging about killing Osama bin Laden, the president joking about Predator assassination missions, Hillary Clinton high-fiving over the death of Gadhafi, or unnamed top officials disclosing classified secrets about the cyber-war against Iran.
Yet at other times, amid promised defense cuts, the Obama administration loudly announces a strategic pivot away from the Middle East toward Asia, or derides the very antiterrorism protocols -- Guantanamo Bay, renditions, tribunals and preventative detention -- that it later embraced.
Nothing is more dangerous in regard to the contemporary Middle East than misunderstanding the source of Islamist rage. Speaking loudly while carrying a small stick only makes that confusion worse.
What can we do?
Start developing vast new oil and gas finds on public lands here at home. Get our financial house in order. Quietly cut back aid to hostile Middle East governments. Put travel off-limits. Restrict visas and call home ambassadors -- at least until Arab governments control their own street mobs.
Develop a consistent policy on the so-called Arab Spring that applies the same criticism of illiberal dictators to the theocrats who depose them. Keep quiet and keep our military strong. Don't apologize for a few Americans who have a right to be crude. Instead, condemn those premodern zealots who would murder anyone of whom they don't approve.
With fools and dupes like Obama, Carney and Rice representing the US government is there any wonder why the Islamic world has no respect for the USA?
On the world stage, Obama and his administration of buffoons have taken us from being the adult in the room to being the biggest laughing stock in the room.
Yep. Islam has learned that, like a spoiled child it can throw a temper tantrum, and Mommy USA / Obamaland, will appease, bow down, apologize, or give them money to shut them up, invariably wimpifying and tarnishing our image which only emboldens our other enemies to cause us harm. Obama has got to go.
0 is keeping his promise to them and I don’t think he even realizes the complete contempt they have for him. He thinks it’s all for us, but never for him. Somehow, it doesn’t touch him at all. The contempt HE has shown for US in the past week since this happened is so palpable you can cut it with a knife. It’s like it never happened.
...if not for his Muslim slaughters the coming fascist global Caliphate would have exterminated the civilized world long ago.
You should do a youtube of ‘Secret muslim Man’ to the tune of ‘Secret Agent Man’ by Johnny Rivers.
...We only feed these adolescent tantrums when America wrongly apologizes for the occasional insensitivity of a few of our citizens, who enjoy free speech under the U.S. Constitution. America looks even weaker when this administration sends confusing signals about U.S. power. It too often spikes the ball -- whether Joe Biden bragging about killing Osama bin Laden, the president joking about Predator assassination missions, Hillary Clinton high-fiving over the death of Gadhafi, or unnamed top officials disclosing classified secrets about the cyber-war against Iran. Yet at other times, amid promised defense cuts, the Obama administration loudly announces a strategic pivot away from the Middle East toward Asia, or derides the very antiterrorism protocols -- Guantanamo Bay, renditions, tribunals and preventative detention -- that it later embraced. Nothing is more dangerous in regard to the contemporary Middle East than misunderstanding the source of Islamist rage. Speaking loudly while carrying a small stick only makes that confusion worse. What can we do? Start developing vast new oil and gas finds on public lands here at home. Get our financial house in order. Quietly cut back aid to hostile Middle East governments. Put travel off-limits. Restrict visas and call home ambassadors -- at least until Arab governments control their own street mobs. Develop a consistent policy on the so-called Arab Spring that applies the same criticism of illiberal dictators to the theocrats who depose them. Keep quiet and keep our military strong. Don't apologize for a few Americans who have a right to be crude. Instead, condemn those premodern zealots who would murder anyone of whom they don't approve.
Totally agree! Go one step further, Big CUT of financial aide to all those countries who harbor terrorist, and tighten our borders - north and south where they can slip in unnoticed.
Whipping Muslims around the world into a frenzy is part of preparing the battlefield for an Israeli strike on Iran.
Bump
You are welcome
That is hogwash.
Let's not forget the smartest woman in the world Hillary Clinton.
That's a good idea, but will Doug get arrested for exercising his right to free speech if he does it? Will the possibility of enraged islamists have a chilling effect?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
