Chesterton's Lepanto

G.K.Chesterton's Works on the Web ^ | 1920 | Gilbert Keith Chesterton

[Salman]

Lepanto

by G.K.Chesterton

White founts falling in the Courts of the sun,

And the Soldan of Byzantium is smiling as they run;

There is laughter like the fountains in that face of all men feared,

It stirs the forest darkness, the darkness of his beard;

It curls the blood-red crescent, the crescent of his lips;

For the inmost sea of all the earth is shaken with his ships.

They have dared the white republics up the capes of Italy,

They have dashed the Adriatic round the Lion of the Sea,

And the Pope has cast his arms abroad for agony and loss,

And called the kings of Christendom for swords about the Cross.

The cold queen of England is looking in the glass;

The shadow of the Valois is yawning at the Mass;

From evening isles fantastical rings faint the Spanish gun,

And the Lord upon the Golden Horn is laughing in the sun.

[Salman]

Just in case you think the Islamofascist thing is merely a problem of modern times. Click on the link above for the whole poem (long). Or here for the rest of Chesterton's works. It's worth the time and trouble.

[a_Turk]

There's a Polish village near Istanbul. They're all Poles, all Christians there. These Poles sought refuge a few centuries ago, and they found it with us "islamofascists."

[jonascord]

Until they stop trying to kill us, you will have to be tarred with the same brush. Islam does not seem to be too choosy about which religion it declares Jihad on. Ask the Hindus, Jews and Christians that were blown up last week. They were all targeted by Islamofascists.
I suppose that the Armenians were just a blip...

[cinnathepoet]

Just finished the Two Towers video as I started to read this. Goose flesh reading. Thanks for posting Chesterton.

[a_Turk]

LOL!

They try to kill us too, you know..

[eno_]

Turkey has got to make up its own mind.

Now there is no Soviet Union, there is no imperative to make Turkey part of the West.

The performance of Turkey in Iraq is questionable, at the very least.

Plus Turkey has to contend with the Saudi credibility gap in the U.S.: They keep claiming to be allies, but the links to terrorism appear more vivid each day.

[OpusatFR]

My mother who just died at 95 vividly remembered stories her grandfather told her about the ~Durka~ (Turk) who invaded and raped, slaughtered and pillaged. Gave you gooseflesh to listen to her relate the tales.

Old memories don't die and that is the problem with this world. We have a group of Islamofascists who combine Marxist Communism with Islamic memory.

Funny thing though, Turks are definitely not Arabic and neither are Persians. Your whole history over there has been co-opted by the Arabs. They are now also attempting to destroy what is left of African history by wiping away its culture and replacing it with Arab versions.

We in the West see this happening and will not allow it to happen here. It is attempted in Europe and South America. Unless you, in the cauldron of this fire, bring it under control, we have no option but to view all of Islam the same.

[a_Turk]

East west what's the difference. Some folks are finally realizing that it's all about the globe. If imperialist goals in the oil lands were coupled with indifference towards the actions of the leaders there for decades upon decades, then it should be no surprize that there are so many bastards out to get you.

>> Old memories don't die and that is the problem with this world. We have a group of Islamofascists who combine Marxist Communism with Islamic memory.

You've got a bunch of unemployed guys who are convinced that your policies were to keep their opressors in power for steady oil flow for decades.

My condolences about your mother. How old was she when her father told her about rape and slaughter? We've got Turks who'll tell you similar stories. I say it's gotto stop.

[a_Turk]

>> The performance of Turkey in Iraq is questionable, at the very least.

The folks in Turkey felt that your behavior towards Turkey during the 90s did not warrant their help. You gave the terrorist PKK political and logistical support, allowed them to disseminate propaganda, and denied us arms sales at the height of our war on terror.

>> Now there is no Soviet Union, there is no imperative to make Turkey part of the West.

During the 90s your government literally shit on Turkey. The peace dividend, I guess..

[FreedomPoster]

During the 90's, most of us here on this board weren't too happy with our government, either, in case you've failed to notice that.

[Publius6961]

Just in case you think the Islamofascist thing is merely a problem of modern times.

Not being one of the PC kneejerk sandmaggot defenders, I can relate totally.
I'll have to compile that list of famous figures from all branches of the arts, literature and science who at one time or another literally went to fight the 1300-year-old human disease.

All cultures are equal.... uh huh...

[a_Turk]

>> in case you've failed to notice that.

I noticed that. But you can't expect the regular person overseas to notice that. All they can see is that it's you doing these things.

It doesn't matter much what I see.

[eno_]

Assuming the U.S. did aid the PKK, how much U.S. aid and subsidy was sent to Turkey at the same time?

There is at least as much evidence that Kurds were victims of other U.S. priorities as there is to support any theories the U.S. supported Kurds.

[a_Turk]

NATO distributions to Turkey ceased in the 90s.

US and European support for the PKK (in contrast to the Kurds) is well documented. Whether it was foolish or not is another question. The result is Turks doubting the US..

[GatekeeperBookman]

Tahnks for posting & enduring the slurs-you perform a service from which we may all benefit. Keep it up!

[Puddleglum]

I love reading Chesterton - just finished rereading "The Man Who Was Thursday." He's so ignored by the literary canon that he must be really dangerous - and he is, in a good way! I am slowly collecting his works via Alibris, etc.

[Publius6961]

These Poles sought refuge a few centuries ago, and they found it with us "islamofascists."

Refuge from what?

[Clemenza]

Being Half-Polish, I find that interesting.

Don't know about Turks, but I do know there were Armenians living in Poland as early as the 1300s.

[eno_]

Recent US aid levels to Turkey are about ONE BILLION annually (that's a billion 'merican dollars, not no loonies or nuthin'). I wonder if the checks keep coming with Turkey up to all kinds of mischief in Iraq.

Unless it is propped up by US and EU aid, Turkey would be a third world hell hole. The politicians playing games in Iraq are dicing with throwing most of their population into grinding poverty.

[a_Turk]

>> Recent US aid levels to Turkey are about ONE BILLION annually

Not so. You're talking about IMF loans. That's credit not aid.