The Enemy Is Not Islam. It Is Nihilism

Weekly Standard ^ | October 22, 2001 | Charles Krauthammer

[1 FELLOW FREEPER]

NIHILISM IS INDEED THE PROBLEM HERE.A HUGE PROBLEM!!

[JudyB1938]

You may wish to read this. It's long, but well worth the read.

[wingnuts'nbolts]

I do believe that President Bush is doing his level best to keep the war on terrorists into turning into a crusade, thereby attacking all of Islam, which would do us no good at all (right now). Religous hysteria in any form in this country would be more than counter productive.

[supercat]

Is that something like Libertarianism? (just a question, don't have a cow!)

While there are many different variations on libertarianism, many libertarians' (both large- and small-l) disagreements with other parties lie stem not so much in their stated goals, but rather in the means sought to achieve those goals.

Many libertarians, for example, believe that recreational use of most mind-altering drugs is a bad thing (some would go so far as include alcohol, while many would exclude pot, but the general statement holds true regardless). While their support for drug legalization often causes them to be characterized as favoring drugs, in many cases such characterization is not accurate: they don't like drugs but question whether anything resembling the "War on Drugs" is or ever can be effective in a society that honors the Bill of Rights. Given a choice between honoring the Bill of Rights and putting up with some societal harm caused by drug use, or getting rid of drug use by trashing the Bill of Rights, they'd pick the former. Unfortunately, those in power would prefer to trash the Bill of Rights while leaving drug use largely unabated.

What's ironic is that while many people would characterize libertarians as being amoral, one of the underlying beliefs behind libertarianism is that human beings are inherently moral creatures and most of them would continue to be so even if government weren't forcing them to be. They do expect society to have moral standards, but believe that using the government to enforce such is counterproductive.

[Goetz_von_Berlichingen]

"To Americans, who are taught religious tolerance from the cradle . . ."

No, we are not. We are taught indifferentism. A "tolerant" believer would say, "My religion is the one true faith, yours is not. Nevertheless, I will not seek to subvert or deny your civil right to believe as you wish, so that we may have a peaceful community." The "indifferentist" (or latitudinarian) would say, "All religions are equally valid." From this position, it is only a slight flip to say that all religions are equally INvalid. The latter view appears to be part of the canon of contemporary Western society.

The external enemy is, in fact, Islam. Nihilism is the "domestic" enemy that will eventually sap our will to persevere in this fight. Right now, I think that the desire for revenge has temporarily filled the nihilistic void in the nation's soul. But that can only last for so long, possibly not for as long as it will take to subdue the current Islamic threat.

[GuillermoX]

I agree that Bush, or anyone else, shouldn't be overtly attacking the Islamic religion. But at the same time, Bush doesn't need to be touting it and singing its praises at every opportunity. He already said this isn't a war on Islam or Muslims. That's all he should do.

[DreamWeaver]

" In places like Afghanistan, "religion has been turned by some into a kind of nihilism, where people wish to destroy themselves and destroy their past and their culture . . . to be pure. They are enraged about the world and they wish to pull it down." This kind of fury and fanaticism is unappeasable. It knows no social, economic, or political solution.

We better think about that and Pray.

TrueBeleiver9, thank you for the heads up.

Hopefully this thread all day will get a

BUMP !

[wingnuts'nbolts]

Well, since you seem so sure your way is correct why don't you take it up with GW?

[ChadGore]

This needs to be pumped all day.

[Prodigal Daughter]

And the Inquisition and conquering in the name of Christianity is in direct contradiction to the Bible; however, Hindu texts contain torture, execution and more against lower castes. I'm sorry you are in denial and only see Christianity through a glass darkly and Hinduism through rosey colored glasses. Well, I thank my wonderful Father God we live in a country where you can practice your religion without fear of persecution thanks to the Father of Judeo-Christianity.

[watchin]

Rats. I read this whole article with the intent of saying what you said in your brief comment. Anyway, I agree with your assessment of Islam. That is why Islam equals strife, revolution, poverty, violence, and the desolation of the culture and the environment in all the lands it controls.

[JeepInMazar]

gulbutt@yahoo.com

"All citizens of Afghanistan must be Muslim. Non-Muslims have no place in Afghanistan, except as occasional visitors or servants of the Afghan people. We must not tolerate any evil practices. Non-Islamic people are the root cause of many problems in Afghanistan. "

Gul

20 Oct 2001

[pgkdan]

Islam is virulent Barbarism that lends itself quite easily and willingly to maniacal Nihilism

There. Much better.

Thanks for posting this. Is the title yours or is it the original. I ask because Krauthamer makes the point that radical Islam is nihilistic but not the point that islam isn't our problem. Anyhow it was a very good read.

[watchin]

Allah is simply one of the many pre-Islamic pagan Arab gods, so linking Islam and paganism is valid. You have ad hominem tendencies.

[watchin]

Please elighten us. Why is a "fundy screaming about paganism" a dangerous thing, while a pagan screaming about Christianity is not?

Please don't start with some fairytale about pagans never forcing their beliefs on anyone else.

All I'm really asking is that you acknowledge that you embody the very characteristics you fear and despise.

[He Rides A White Horse]

Buddhism is hardly a representative of the West. It is hardly a cause of poverty and destitution. It is hardly a symbol of colonialism. No. The statues represented two things: an alternative faith and a great work of civilization. To the Taliban, the presence of both was intolerable.

ping

[samtheman]

Whether it is Nazism, Communism, hatred of Jews or Islamic fascism, it is the ideology that justifies the hatred and the murderous acts and it is the ideology that must be defeated along with the armies of its adherents. I keep remembering the scene in the movie "Independence Day" when the alien was in the operating room and the "President" tried to negotiate saying we could learn from each other and finally asking "What do you want us to do?" The answer from the alien was simple and direct -- "Die." Even though the aliens has already attacked 15 large cities, it was only then that the apocalptic nature of the evil was accepted and only then that will to pull out all the stops in the fight for survival was summoned.

Very well said!