Posted on 10/11/2006 9:21:54 PM PDT by neverdem
Worse, more and more people are falling for the Grand Delusion - the notion that if we just leave the extremists alone, they will leave us alone. On the right, some believe that if we just stop this Wilsonian madness of trying to introduce democracy into the Arab world, we can return to an age of stability and balance. On the left, many people can't seem to fathom an enemy the United States isn't somehow responsible for. Others think the entire threat has been exaggerated by Karl Rove for the sake of political scaremongering.
Perhaps it's understandable that many Americans would fall for this Grand Delusion. The Israelis, who have more experience with Islamic extremism, recently did. They imagined that they could build a security barrier and unilaterally withdraw from their historical reality. It took the war in south Lebanon to make them see there is no way to unilaterally withdraw. There is no way to become a normal society. Even if they pulled out of Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank, they would still have to...
--snip--
The blunt fact is that groups of Islamic extremists will continue to compete and grow until mainstream Islamic moderates can establish a more civilized set of criteria for prestige and greatness. Today's extremists are not the product of short-term historical circumstances, but of consciousness and culture. They are not the fault of the United States, but have roots stretching back centuries. They will not suddenly ignore their foe - us - when their hatred of us is the core of their identity.
The National Intelligence Estimate predicts terror violence will get worse in the years ahead. The scarier estimate was made by a veteran of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, in conversation with his grandson who now lives in Boston: "This is forever."
(Excerpt) Read more at tbo.com ...
So true. Since the attack on 9-11 occurred not from an abundance of hatred, but a profound lack of respect, perhaps the question should be, "how much do they respect us now?"
Two buildings fell, now two countries have fallen.
Another important question to answer is why have the jihadis not hit us again on our soil? It is time we consider the possibility that our enemy considers the loss of two countries (perhaps three if Pakistan can be counted), and the presence of the Great Satan in their midst, this time willing to stand and shed blood, as significant consequences to their actions.
"If we would withdraw the bases from around the world and focus on domestic issues instead of meddling with everyone's government, policing the world, paying off countries, people will stop targeting us just like they aren't targeting governments of other countries."
This is impossibly naive. First, the world is completely interconnected economically and otherwise. It is impossible for the USA to so completely withdraw from the world. Second, muslim extremists have declared war on us and devoted themselves to our total destruction. It is a grave mistake to think that any particular grievance they articulate can be appeased, because all those particular grievances are pretexts that derive from the only grievance that matters, that you do not agree with them on religion. The choice Al Qaeda has put to the US, to the Pope, to Europe, to Western Civilization is this: conversion or the sword. They have been crystal clear that their ambition is to expand Islam by violent jihad until the entire world submits to Allah. Withdrawal is not an option on this menu.
Regards,
I never voted for anyone to use our good young Americans as guinea pigs in some dubious experiment. I consider that highly immoral.
If it all fails then it's back to traditional war:
When can we look forward to this? Bush only has two years and change left, he's running out of lab time.
"My main point is why are the terrorist not attacking other countries and only us?"
Another false premise.
http://www.rotten.com/library/history/terrorist-organizations/al-qaeda/
"According to Jane's Intelligence Review, al Qaeda is a "conglomerate of quasi-independent Islamic terrorist cells in countries spread across at least 26 countries, including Algeria, Morocco, Turkey, Egypt, Syria, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Burma, Lebanon, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Indonesia, Kenya, Tanzania, Azerbaijan, Dagestan, Uganda, Ethiopia, Syria, Tunisia, Bahrain, Yemen, Bosnia as well as the West Bank [and China]." Other countries where al Qaeda is known to have covert operational cells include Pakistan, the Philippines, Malaysia, the United States, Britain, France and Canada."
Off the top of my head, muslim extremists have committed attacks in Russia, Chechnya, Afghanistan, Pakistan, iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Yemen, Somalia, Oman, Ethiopia, Algeria, England, France, the US, the Phillipines, Indonesia, Bali, Thailand and India.
"The declaration of war that Osama declared was because of the US base in Saudi Arabia. They want US bases off the holy land. I think withdraw the bases would be a great start to reducing hatred towards the US."
Perhaps you didn't notice that we have already withdrawn our forces from Saudi Arabia - as a result of deposing Saddam, whose threat those forces were there to meet. Yet Al Qaeda still insists upon our destruction. Such complaints are a pretext, as I have previously said. The main complaint is that we have not converted to Islam.
Spare us the Michael Moore schtick. If we withdraw, they will follow our troops and attack us here. They want us dead becasue we are not muslim, not because of anything that we do or fail to do.
Islamofascists have attacked Russia as well as Australians in the Bali bombing. China has also been attacked.
Are you a U.S. citizen or a Thai national? Folks in Thailand have had a bit or trouble from Islamofascists as well. Welcome to FReeRepublic.com .
Well said to someone who should be well aware of the attacks throughout South East Asia.
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The delusion is that if we just leave them alone, everyone will come to a peaceful coexistence.
But THEIR RELIGION says they will CONQUER THE WORLD.
If an army said that, we would see it and know it and fight it.
But since it masquerades as a religion we get all touchy feely and kumbaya-d.
If somebody has the ultimate goal of the overthrow of the government, what do you call it?
For a very good reason.
If so, they won't last long.
And here it is.
Thanks for the ping.
We are witnessing the greatest anti-truth, anti-freedom, anti-individual, anti-life collective in the history of civilization.
I note that you left out France. France has helped them more than anyone else, yet their Police say that they are being attacked by the "youths" in the Suburbs.(The Muslim areas.)
They are attacked hundreds of times a day. It is so common that it isn't news anymore.
Thanks for the ping!
Islam isn't the problem. Muslims who think that they must conquer the world is. We must made Muslim eschatological dreams an impossibility, so liberal Muslims can re-invent the religion.
Pick a country. If you pick mine, get back to me and I might take you more seriously.
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