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An Old-fashioned War
Foundation for Defense of Democracies/Scripps-Howard News Service ^ | December 29, 2005 | Clifford D. May

Posted on 01/01/2006 1:25:45 PM PST by Daralundy

To be fair to our enemies, they are only doing what comes naturally. We are the historical oddballs.

Wars have been fought since time immemorial. The vast majority have been over power and resources, to defeat rival civilizations, to vanquish hated “others.”

Why did Spartans, Persians, Macedonians and Romans fight? What motivated Bonaparte to take on the Austrians, the Ottomans, the Russians and the English? What caused Imperial Japan to attempt to conquer Asia?

Almost a thousand years ago, Genghis Khan provided a candid and classic answer: “Man's highest joy is victory: to conquer his enemies; to pursue them; to deprive them of their possessions; to make their beloved weep; to ride on their horses; and to embrace their wives and daughters.”

Sure, grievances may be a contributing factor. The Germans were angry over the way France and Britain treated them after the First World War. But it was to dominate the world -- not to redress insults and injuries -- that the Nazis left a trail of blood from one end of the continent to the other.

Similarly, while workers may have gotten a raw deal in the Industrial Revolution, Bolsheviks and Maoists had more in mind than raising wages and securing health care for those who labored on assembly lines.

Nazis attempted to establish the rule of the “Aryan race.” Communists attempted to unite a broader swath of humanity: workers of the world as well as those whose fingernails were clean but who proclaimed themselves the proletariat's vanguard.

Militant Islamism – the 21st century's most dynamic and dangerous form of totalitarianism -- is attempting to appeal to 1.2 billion Muslims living in more than a hundred countries. Non-Muslims are encouraged to convert.

(Excerpt) Read more at defenddemocracy.org ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: clifforddmay; totalitarianism; war
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1 posted on 01/01/2006 1:25:46 PM PST by Daralundy
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To: Daralundy

Convert, be enslaved or die. Pretty grim choices.


2 posted on 01/01/2006 1:28:44 PM PST by TADSLOS (Right Wing Infidel since 1954)
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To: Daralundy

BTTT


3 posted on 01/01/2006 1:31:06 PM PST by Fiddlstix (Tagline Repair Service. Let us fix those broken Taglines. Inquire within(Presented by TagLines R US))
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To: Daralundy
“Man's highest joy is victory: to conquer his enemies; to pursue them; to deprive them of their possessions; to make their beloved weep; to ride on their horses; and to embrace their wives and daughters.”

Most of us thought of Arnold

4 posted on 01/01/2006 1:33:33 PM PST by ASA Vet (Those who know don't talk, those who talk don't know.)
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To: Daralundy
“Man's highest joy is victory: to conquer his enemies; to pursue them; to deprive them of their possessions; to make their beloved weep; to ride on their horses; and to embrace their wives and daughters.”

Wow, he has a way with words.

And he's sadly correct about man in his natural state -- only by living in civilizing conditions do we start to think and act differently.

5 posted on 01/01/2006 1:35:23 PM PST by 68skylark
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To: TADSLOS
Convert, be enslaved or die. Pretty grim choices

Missed one. Kill them first.

6 posted on 01/01/2006 1:36:46 PM PST by MNJohnnie (We do not create terrorism by fighting the terrorists. We invite terrorism by ignoring them.--GWBush)
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To: Daralundy
Most Americans and Europeans can not imagine fighting other than in self-defense or against severe oppression. That is admirable; less so the lack of imagination that leads so many in the West to “mirror-image,” to delude themselves into believing that everyone sees the world as they do.

I really like this article -- thanks for the post.

7 posted on 01/01/2006 1:38:48 PM PST by 68skylark
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To: TADSLOS
There's one more choice you forgot to add.

I like to call it "The Coulter Option".

L

8 posted on 01/01/2006 1:39:17 PM PST by Lurker (You don't let a pack of wolves into the house just because they're related to the family dog.)
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To: Daralundy

The man doesn't get it.

W has deprived our enemies in Europe of its Iraqi treasure and territory while claiming for us.

As the war goes on the Al Queda women will weep and cry in anguish as do the wives and daughters of Saddam.

He continues to be delusional and believe we are not really in a war.


9 posted on 01/01/2006 1:39:50 PM PST by bert (K.E. N.P. Slay Pinch)
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To: 68skylark
only by living in civilizing conditions do we start to think and act differently.

Removal of the veneer of civilization doesn't take much.
Man has reverted to our true nature several times.

10 posted on 01/01/2006 1:40:22 PM PST by ASA Vet (Those who know don't talk, those who talk don't know.)
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To: Daralundy

Three phases of an Amphibious Operation; Rape. Pillage. Burn.

In that order!


11 posted on 01/01/2006 1:51:10 PM PST by DakotaGator
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To: Tolik; neverdem

ping


12 posted on 01/01/2006 1:52:14 PM PST by King Prout (many accuse me of being overly literal... this would not be a problem if many were not under-precise)
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To: ASA Vet
Removal of the veneer of civilization doesn't take much. Man has reverted to our true nature several times.

That's very true.

13 posted on 01/01/2006 1:54:08 PM PST by 68skylark
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To: Lurker; MNJohnnie
Missed one. Kill them first.

There's one more choice you forgot to add.

I like to call it "The Coulter Option".

All true. I suppose I should have clarified my point by saying that those are the only options provided by Islam. Our options are much broader but hampered by political correctness and leftist agendas.

14 posted on 01/01/2006 2:01:51 PM PST by TADSLOS (Right Wing Infidel since 1954)
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To: DakotaGator
Never understood that burning part.

Leaving the village somewhat intact allows the village to rebuild, and repopulate.

That shortens the Rape and Plunder cycle.

That's the problem with barbarians, they don't practice good village resource conservation principles.

One of my ex wives attorney referred to me in writing as "A Barbarian."
Does that qualify me as a subject matter expert?

15 posted on 01/01/2006 2:05:32 PM PST by ASA Vet (Those who know don't talk, those who talk don't know.)
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To: Daralundy

Militant Islamism – the 21st century's most dynamic and dangerous form of totalitarianism -- is attempting to appeal to 1.2 billion Muslims living in more than a hundred countries. Non-Muslims are encouraged to convert. Indeed, Osama bin Laden expects many will once it becomes clear which side in this global struggle has the stronger will to power.

It should be pointed out that (so far) OBL and his gang of thugs have been less than successful....much less.


16 posted on 01/01/2006 2:10:53 PM PST by Valin (Purple Fingers Rule!)
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To: Lurker

"The Coulter Option".


Oh you mean we should act just like the terrorists do.
No thanks I'd rather win.


17 posted on 01/01/2006 2:12:40 PM PST by Valin (Purple Fingers Rule!)
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To: Daralundy

Thank you for a truly insightful article post . This may help me in explaining the current world situation to family members who don't understand "why we can't all just get along".


18 posted on 01/01/2006 2:13:20 PM PST by Nebr FAL owner (.308 reach out & thump someone .50 cal.Browning Machine gun reach out & crush someone)
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To: ASA Vet
"Never understood that burning part. Leaving the village somewhat intact allows the village to rebuild, and repopulate. That shortens the Rape and Plunder cycle. That's the problem with barbarians, they don't practice good village resource conservation principles.?"

Man sometimes just enjoys destroying.

19 posted on 01/01/2006 2:14:07 PM PST by Bob Mc
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To: ASA Vet

You burn so that the villagers are busy rebuilding shelter instead of fortifications to keep you from attacking the village successfully the next time you decide to pay it a visit.


20 posted on 01/01/2006 2:17:18 PM PST by Nebr FAL owner (.308 reach out & thump someone .50 cal.Browning Machine gun reach out & crush someone)
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