Dennis Prager: Dear American Soldier in Iraq (Undeniable truths elegantly expressed!)

Town Hall ^ | November 25, 2003 | Dennis Prager [Creators Syndicate]

[quidnunc]

Dear American Soldier in Iraq:

I am writing to you simply as a fellow American.

In just about every way, I am quite typical. I am a married man with three children, believe in God and love my country. I differ, however, from many Americans in a couple of ways. First, my vocation — radio talk show host and columnist — makes me a professional communicator. So I might be able to say things that most other Americans feel but could not communicate quite as clearly. Second, and more important, I suspect that more than some Americans, though hardly more than President Bush and his administration, I am keenly aware of the fragility of civilization, of the monumental evil you are fighting, and of the historic mission of America.

For these reasons, I am writing to you. Though you may already know everything I am about to say, I need to say it for those of you who, after seeing fellow soldiers blown up or severely injured, may sometimes wonder whether these sacrifices are worth it.

So, first, let me set the record straight. Not since World War II have the stakes been this great. This is a war for the future of civilization every bit as much as the war against German Nazism and Japanese Fascism was. If we had lost that war, the world would have devolved into barbarism.

If we lose this one, the same will happen.

It was a war for civilization then; the war against Islamic Fascism is such a war today.

Of course, there are hundreds of millions of fine people among the world's 1.3 billion Muslims. But that is, unfortunately, as irrelevant to understanding today's war as the fact that there were millions of fine Germans living in Hitler's Germany was to understanding World War II.

It is not the fine Muslims who rule most Muslim countries, some of which are among the cruelest on earth. It is not the fine Muslims who dominate the Islamic schools around the world that teach that it is right to subjugate women and to slit Christians' and Jews' throats. It is not the fine Muslims who wish to impose a violent, hate-filled religion on others. It is not the fine Muslims who burned 13 churches in Nigeria just last week.

And sadly, most of the fine Muslims, including those in America, rarely condemn their civilization-threatening co-religionists.

Iraq is the battleground for civilization. That is why our enemies are throwing everything they can at you. If you help create the first free and tolerant Arab country in the heart of Islam, they are doomed. If we fail in Iraq, we are doomed. Our enemies know this. We need to know this.

-snip-

[jocon307]

Great post quid. Prager's finest moment. Truly, exceptionally, precise.

[goodnesswins]

bump for later

[Travis McGee]

IMHO, Dennis Prager is the greatest American philosopher alive today. V. D. Hansen and Mark Steyn are close competition.

[MissAmericanPie]

well said

[Seeing More Clearly Now]

Prager has been getting it exactly right on issue after issue since the 1960's - a clear thinking man who was ahead of his time - saw the dangers of political correctness and moral relativism before most of his Ivy League "intellectual" peers.

[elbucko]

Dennis Prager is the greatest American philosopher alive today.

I agree. His "Ducks" are always, "dress right, dress"!

[tubavil]

I listened to Prager in Seattle's largest (and extremely liberal: Klinton is worshipped more than Torah) Synagogue.

Prager is a "10" on the 1-10 scale.

Soft-spoken, articulate, intelligent, engaging, conservative, and religious.

His talk show is live on the net 0900-1200 Pacific Time M-F.

http://dennisprager.com

[goldstategop]

When you look at the thugs who cut the throats of our boys in Mosul and ask if being there is worth it, the answer has to be an unequivocal "YES!" Either we prevail in Iraq or the terrorists will prevail over America. 9-11 has proved they have more in mind than simply to chase us out of the Middle East and Afghanistan; they have in mind the destruction of America. Our soldiers understand perfectly well what is at stake and one hopes the American people see this as well. You ask what is our aim? It the the aim of survival and this depends on but one thing: "Victory!". We will do everything in power to make sure Operation Iraqi Freedom is not in vain and we will not rest until America's enemies are defeated.

[nathanbedford]

Praeger, whom I greatly admire, is not up to his usual rigorous standards in this piece.

Although correct in his premise that we are involved in an epic struggle for our civilization, he does not support the proposition adequately. Moreover, it is annoying to witness a man who is not a liberal and whose provious writings indicate he actually knows better, nevertherless utterly overlook the threat posed by communism to our civilization. I recommend a review of THE BLACK BOOK OF COMMUNISM.

[DJtex]

Thanks, Incredibly well said, and needed. It's just incomprehensible to me that the Democratic Presidential hopefuls have all been pulled by Howard Dean into a totally anti-war position. There is simply no way for the eventual nominee to pull himself back to the center, so this election will be referendum on this War for Freedom and US Security.

Sadly, this just might be the one issue that could turn against George W. Bush and give the 'Rats a chance to win. I don't think it will happen. Americans have a good sense of the big issues we're facing, and the Democrats have not--and will not--made a coherent case against the war.

[GOPJ]

Good stuff, quidnunc.

[LiteKeeper]

read later

[Humidston]

Fantastic piece from the king of ethics and morality.

Bump from one of Prager's loyal sycophants!

[lainde]

I've really started looking forward to his articles! BTTT

[LibertyLight]

Thanks for the great post -
already printed some copies to send out...

[fly_so_free]

This is great. Wish every soldier could have a copy of it.

[jocon307]

"Americans have a good sense of the big issues we're facing"

I agree, and I would only add ALL AMERICANS. I don't think it is escaping anyone's notice. I remember last Christmas, over-hearing a black couple shopping for wrapping paper as I was, and the woman saying to the man (I paraphrase from memory) "Well, with all this talk of terrorism, I don't want to go to the mall now., Let's just finish up shopping here, in B...." That woman took the words right out of my mind. Do I think the she, and the millions like her (and me) is paying any less attention to the world today? No, I do not.

Ok, new tagline time...

[cgk]

Bump & Bookmarked!