Praise the Lord, pass the ammo

World Magazine ^ | Oct. 25, 2003 | Gene Edward Veith

[Gritty]

We are presently fighting World War IV.

So say a number of scholars and military experts, particularly former CIA director James Woolsey. He says the Cold War between the Western democracies and global Communism was actually World War III. The Korean and Vietnam wars were combat theaters in this larger conflict, which included guerrilla wars in Latin America and Africa, espionage and counterespionage, diplomatic and ideological warfare, all conducted in the shadow of a nuclear standoff.

The current war on terrorism is also global in scale, with a multitude of fronts: the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Middle East; the Pakistan-India nuclear saber-rattling, Afghan terrorism, Philippine insurgency, and Indonesian militancy in Asia; the Russia-Chechnya conflict and the Serbian-Bosnian hatred in Eastern Europe; the drive to impose Islamic law in Africa; terrorist attacks against Europe and America. Unifying them is an ideology just as totalitarian as communism: radical Islam.

But if the world is in for a long ideological conflict punctuated by periodic outbreaks of violent assaults and small-scale warfare, perhaps a better name for it is Cold War II.

This war is different from earlier conflicts. Although the United States has overwhelming military and technological superiority—with an unprecedented ability to defeat armies and conquer traditional nation-states—this might is not necessarily enough to thwart tiny cells of suicide bombers living in ordinary neighborhoods, making bombs with fuel oil and fertilizer. No amount of military dominance, as we have in Iraq and the Israelis have in their own country, can completely stop committed terrorists.

If this is Cold War II, it can be stopped only the way the war with communism was stopped, with an ideological victory. And here, the West is at a disadvantage with its radical Muslim enemies. We are back to the condition Yeats described as the sequence of world wars was beginning: "The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity."

Western intellectuals demand freedom in their own lifestyles, but they undermine the ideologies that have given them that freedom, often being so filled with liberal self-loathing that they are taking the side of the Muslim terrorists. Whereas the struggle against communism pitted a civilization shaped by religious faith against a godless foe, in this war, we are the godless ones.

The radical Islamic hatred of the West is motivated partly by their revulsion at the cultural decadence of the West. The cultural influence of America overseas is no longer democratic ideals, political freedom, and economic prosperity as it was formerly, but rather sexual permissiveness, pornographic entertainment, legalized abortion, and an anti-cultural hedonism.

In the first Cold War, American liberals risked being branded as "fellow travelers," as favoring quasi-socialist policies that were too reminiscent of communism. In this second Cold War, Christians and other social conservatives who agree that our culture has become morally decadent will also be accused of being on the side of the terrorists. In fact, this has already happened.

But just as liberal democrats such as John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson were staunch warriors against communism, most Christians and social conservatives are more willing than pro-tolerance liberals to fight against those who execute gays, enslave women, censor entertainment, and stamp out every freedom.

The West won the war against communism by removing the conditions that made the ideology credible. In the early 20th century, industrialism did seem to be exploiting the workers, and Czarist Russia did indeed oppress the masses. Although these injustices were exaggerated and spun into an ideological straitjacket by Marxist propagandists, these social problems led many to embrace communism and revolution.

Soviet communism collapsed not only for military reasons but because by the end of the century, its ideology was refuted not by arguments but by facts. Under free markets, workers prospered to the point of owning their own homes, having two cars in the garage, and living a life of affluence that went beyond that of the Czar. Workers were no longer stirred by Marxist calls to cast off their chains, since, in a free society, they didn't have any, while those who lived in the workers' socialist paradise were the ones who found themselves chained.

Winning World War IV must likewise entail defeating the enemy's ideology, and this can only be done by cutting off the fuel for the fire. The terrorists can be defeated once and for all by a moral reformation in the West. The world must be shown how morality and freedom not only can coexist but support each other. This is precisely the contribution of Christianity, in which righteousness comes not from legalism or coercion but from the freedom of the gospel.

[wizardoz]

Whereas the struggle against communism pitted a civilization shaped by religious faith against a godless foe, in this war, we are the godless ones.

We'd be better off if we were a nation of cold-eyed Objectivists, but I'll settle for letting the Christians fight off the Muslims, because I know Christians will let me live as an Objectivist, whereas Muslims won't.

[snarkpup]

I don't see much evidence that Western decadence is a factor in their hatred of Western Civilization. After all, different factions of Islam that claim to be reading the same scripture and following the same morality are trying to wipe out one another. Even if we all converted to Islam, it still wouldn't count unless we converted to exactly the same faction as whatever terrorist group is the threat.

Add to this the stories of the "perfumed princes" and the general lack of value placed on human life in their culture. They're in no position to be criticizing anyone else's morality. Are we supposed to embrace concepts like "honor killings" in order to appear "civilized" in their eyes?

[stradivarius]

There's an old Russian saying: "If a man has one pig and sees his neighbor has two pigs, he'd rather kill one of his neighbor's pigs than work to purchase another pig for himself."

[Gritty]

I would rather see the entirity of Western civilization fall than have it thrown into the hands of morally judgemental Christians

You mean Christians just like our Founding Fathers?

[jpl]

Welcome to Free Republic, I think. Hmmm.... no, I take that back. See ya.

[vbmoneyspender]

I completely disagree with the premise of this article. The Islamists hate us exactly because we have an ideology. That ideology is based on the belief (which is specifically religious based) that we are endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights, among these the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The Islamists hate Americans because they know our ideology presents a mortal threat to them and their beliefs. That is why you hear Islamists talking about the United States being the Great Satan and not France or Germany or being the Great Satan.

[stradivarius]

"You mean Christians just like our Founding Fathers?"

Many of the Founding Fathers (Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine, etc.) were Deists.

The Pilgrims who founded the 13 Colonies were Christians (minority Protestant denominations of Puritans, Quakers, Huguenots, and Anabaptists fleeing religious persecution by majority Protestant and Catholic governments in Europe. E.g., in 1606, Pilgrims were driven out of England because they illegally separated from the Church of England).

Religious persecution isn't good when practiced by anybody. (However, only the Koran says to murder and enslave everybody who isn't Muslim.)

[tet68]

precisely the contribution of Christianity, in which righteousness comes not from legalism or coercion but from the freedom of the gospel.

Tough sell in Saud.

[mil-vet]

Well stated! This article strikes me as mere liberal socialist pondscum (LSP) drivel about how bad we are, i.e. straight-up anti-americanism poorly cloaked in some kind of elitist blather which, on the surface, appears intellectually accurate and philosophically inspired. It is, in fact, typical LSP double-speak; it's merely another attempt to blame us for all the world's ills.

It's the same drivel as asking what we did to make someone so mad at us they would fly airplanes into the WTC - in fact saying we deserved it. Remember the LSP hand-wringing at the time? ....all the LSP wailing and gnashing of teeth over the poor idealogs who were so battered by whatever we did to them that they felt it necessary to attack the WCT?

Same old LSP manure! The WTC was attacked because our freedoms are the antithesis to the wahabbi muslim view of the koran which, in no uncertain terms, tells them that they must kill all infidels.

What part of "we want to kill you because you are an infidel" do LSP pukes not understand? Laughable, isn't it?!

[pawdoggie]

I don't see much evidence that Western decadence is a factor in their hatred of Western Civilization.

Love to agree with you on this, but having lived in Saudi Arabia I must respectfully disagree. While the article doesn't speak to the Islamists major beef, the State of Israel, that doesn't mean that the have a real soft spot in their hate-filled hearts for Western materialism, Western democracy or good old fashioned Western Pop culture and porn. It's hard for most of us to accept that guys who will take every opportunity to drug it up, booze it up and sex it up whenever they're in the West would have a real problem with our secular Western societies, but it happens to be true. In their world-view, we (the Western Infidel) are at fault for putting irresistible temptation in the otherwise pure and faithful Muslim's path. And despite what you (or Mr. Bush) may think, that (along with US support for Israel) is why the Islamists hate us.

[rhema]

BUMP

[Tailgunner Joe]

bttt