Posted on 03/07/2002 3:42:23 AM PST by tberry
Why does Islam hate America?
Posted: March 5, 2002, 1:00 a.m. Eastern
Editor's note: Buchanan's latest book is here! "The Death of the West" is an eye-opening exposé of how immigration invasions are endangering America . Both autographed and unautographed copies are now available at WorldNetDaily's online store.
© 2002 Creators Syndicate, Inc.
Despite Sen. Trent Lott's demand that we all fall in behind the commander in chief, the Senate has a constitutional duty to debate the wider war the president has begun to pursue.
Far from being unpatriotic, such a debate is the quintessence of patriotism. In World War II, patriots argued the wisdom of FDR's "Europe-First" policy that left our men on Corregidor to the mercy of the butchers of Bataan. And U.S. generals wrangled ferociously with Churchill over where and when to invade Hitler's "Fortress Europe."
We are a republic – not an empire – and republics do not go to war until all the elected leaders of the people, not just one, have decided on war. Moreover, since the "Axis of Evil" speech, the White House has moved far beyond the mandate of Congress to destroy the "evil-doers" of Sept. 11 and their accomplices.
In that speech, the president threatened war on Iran, Iraq and North Korea if they did not renounce weapons of mass destruction. Since that speech has come word the United States is building bases in four ex-Soviet republics in Central Asia and deploying 200 military advisers in Georgia. Last week, we learned NATO will be expanded to include three Baltic states. If Russian nationalists are going berserk, who can blame them? How would we react if Russian military advisers began turning up in Tijuana?
Why are we humiliating Russia when a first priority of U.S. foreign policy is to keep Russian atomic weapons out of the hands of terrorists and Mother Russia out of an embrace with China? What is there in President Shevardnadze's Georgia that is worth the risk of antagonizing a nuclear superpower like Russia? Congress cannot ignore these issues.
And now, even as our War Party is cawing for Phase II attacks on Baghdad, we learn that Phase I is not over. U.S. troops even now are clashing with Taliban and al-Qaida forces in the largest land battle yet. And before we begin the March to Baghdad, second thoughts may be in order in light of the latest Gallup Poll of the Arab and Islamic world. Apparently, America – once seen as a benefactor and friend – is despised from Morocco to Indonesia.
By 61 percent to18 percent, Pakistanis, Lebanese, Kuwaitis, Iranians and Turks do not believe our word that Arabs were responsible for Sept. 11. Only 9 percent of the Arab and Islamic world believes the U.S. war in Afghanistan is morally justified. Only 11 percent likes President Bush. By 55 percent to 22 percent, the world's 1 billion Muslims hold unfavorable opinions of the United States. The most negative views are held by Pakistanis (68 percent to 9 percent) and Jordanians (62 percent to 22 percent). Among Saudis, 16 percent has a favorable opinion of America, but 64 percent views us negatively, which is almost identical to the unfavorable opinion of America held by Iranians.
Who are we defending over there? Who are we fighting for? And why do hundreds of millions of Arabs and Muslims dislike and even detest us?
According to Gallup Poll editor Frank Newport, "These respondents have a deep-seated disrespect for what they see as the undisciplined and immoral lifestyles of people in Western nations." They see America as "ruthless, aggressive, conceited, arrogant, easily provoked, biased." In short, Arabs and Muslims see us as the new Rome – a ruthless and godless empire – not as a Godly republic or a shining city on a hill.
Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak is now warning that if we attack Iraq, and the Arab world sees Arab civilians again dying under American bombs, the entire Middle East could explode. And Mubarak is a friend who backed President Bush's father in Desert Storm.
In the hubris and triumphalism of this war capital, in the wake of our victory in Afghanistan and coming "cakewalk" over Iraq, many will ignore these polls. After all, who cares what Arabs think? But if we are going to war, we need to know the mind of those we expect to conquer and convert, lest we find U.S. troops receiving the same reception in Baghdad as Israeli troops get in Ramallah.
There is another reason Congress must say "yea" or "nay" to a wider war. This weekend, the press reported on the failed efforts of al-Qaida to acquire an atomic bomb – for possible use in New York City. As America is the probable target of terrorists anxious to acquire such weapons, Congress must answer two questions:
What is there in the Islamic world worth risking having such a bomb exploded in our capital? And is the better way to avoid that horror plunging in ever more deeply into that world that hates us – or getting out altogether?
If Islamic peoples detest America, why not let them discover democracy in their own time, rather than trying to convert them with thermobaric bombs and cruise missiles?
What is there in the Islamic world worth risking having such a bomb exploded in our capital? And is the better way to avoid that horror plunging in ever more deeply into that world that hates us – or getting out altogether?
If Islamic peoples detest America, why not let them discover democracy in their own time, rather than trying to convert them with thermobaric bombs and cruise missiles?
Those questions are the keys to the whole debate.
It could be either that you are trying to sell books or support Islamic terrorists in their war against America.
Some foreign policy Pat. Take a poll of our enemies and if our popularity rating would suffer, don't defend ourselves.
Is this the same Pat Buchanan who blasts Republicans for failing to stand up for principles because of poll watching?
Is this the same Pat Buchanan who claimed he was unpopular BECAUSE he was speaking the truth?
Is this the same Pat Buchanan who worked for Ronald Reagan, who never polled the Soviets to see if we should end the Cold War?
Bush's, and America's , popularity rating may be low. But I bet Bush is more popular and respected in Arab countries than Pat Buchanan is in ours.
This statement represents a passive Islamic world where they are just minding their own business and mean the old global dominating US begins dropping bombs on baby Abdullah and his parents.....
Hogwash......
We've provided humanitarian assistance for these countries(or groups) for many years. In return, they despise us through the hate rhetoric of their leaders.
Then, in case the author of the article had not noted, they attacked us numerous times. The embassies in Africa, Barracks in Saudi Arabia, the Cole in Yemen, the WTC in '93 and '01.......as well as a host of smaller attacks.
These people plan to attack DC (or US interests)whether we send them flowers or bombs......
The radical regimes must end in the M.E. and now we bring the war to them on our terms, at our time, and pace.
Buchanan is way off base....
NeverGore
Who cares? I don't want them to like us, I want them to fear us.
1. I didn't post it.
2. I have not written books, and am therefore not trying to sell any
3. Do our normalized trade relations with China (all in the name of "free trade", I could add) indicate support for Chinese Communism?
What is reprehensible about asking our leaders--in the Executive Branch as well as the Legislature--adhere to the Consitution and get Congressional approval before going to war. The approval Congress gave for going after the Taliban was very narrow in scope; going after Iraq is beyond it.
Why are you in favor of subverting the Constitution?
Megga dittos.
Sounds like the Arab Muslims. A little projection going on here?
Islam ran the western world for centuries. While Europe was experiencing its dark age the world of Islam was the center of art, science, commerce, military might, etc. Once, however, Europe crawled back out of its cultural caves into the light of the renaissance the world shift started. In the thousand or so years since the start of the process, and especially since the birth of America and the co-incidental industrial revolution, European based cultures have seen their power, prowess and influence in every area grow exponentially. During the same time the world of Islam has been running in place.
The old rules which worked a millenium ago are impotent today. Islamic countries were able to maintain distance from the progressions in the west for two reasons: Colonial powers, primarily the British, created and supported a de facto caste system wherein the supremacy of Western ideas in all things non-religious appeared self evident, and, prior to the last forty years there were no readily accessible avenues to information through which the average Islamic citizen could measure his state against that of his counterpart in the west.
As global media proliferated the Islamic man in the street saw the world without the veil as a possibility. The threat to the thousands-years old structure shook the mullahs. They reacted in the way that all religion-based cultures have always done; they demonized in a very literal way the opposing culture. As the clear leader of the Western world the USA became The Great Satan.
It is not possible in this generation or the next to completely alter this perception of us and the primal fear/hatred that spring from it. The task at hand is not one of understanding but one of defense through offensive measures. To meet this task does not require that we understand our enemies, only that we identify them and eliminate them.
" Why does Islam hate America? Who the hell cares."
LouD says:
" Who cares? I don't want them to like us, I want them to fear us."
These types of attitude concerning others who don't agree with the current nationalism/fascism of the US government is exactly what Buchanan was talking about when he said,
"They see America as "ruthless, aggressive, conceited, arrogant, easily provoked, biased."
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