Victor Davis Hanson: Response to Readership, Septemebr 2004

victorhanson.com ^ | September 2004 | Victor Davis Hanson

[Tolik]

victorhanson.com is a MUST EXCERPT website. Please go there to read the complete log of Q&As for September. This is just a short list of some questions.

• Do the roots of Islamic terrorism lie in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and America's support of Israel? Arab elites make such claims, but is it really the main reason?

• How can the United States convince the world of our reasons for the current foreign policies? More importantly, what do we need to do to win the hearts and minds of the Middle East?

• Was Europe during the dark and middle ages more advanced in science and technology than the eastern civilizations?

• What is your assessment of John Kerry's four-point plan for Iraq?

• Why didn't the military change its tactics as soon as we began losing soldiers to roadside bomb attacks? There must be something else we could have done besides sending them out to their slaughter every day.

• At what point in recent history should gathering danger of Islamism to modern society have become apparent to serious and informed people?

• Why do neo-conservatives like yourself have such blind faith in the ability to install democracy by conquest?

• I am an Arab-American born in the U.S. I cannot understand why anyone would be hostile toward the Palestinian right to freedom when these are the very ideals on which this country was built. I regret the targeting of civilians on both sides, yet many pro-Israeli individuals regret only the targeting of Israeli civilians. What is your opinion on the solution? Do the Palestinians have a right to freedom from the illegal Israeli occupation? Are the Israelis to blame for anything, or is it just the Arabs?

[Tolik]

    Victor Davis Hanson Ping ! 

       Let me know if you want in or out

[George Smiley]

Here it is, in a nutshell:

China, Latin America, most of Asia, India, and much of Africa seek reforms and hard work to join in on Western-induced globalization. But the reactionary Arab World wants it three ways:

1. not to give up tribalism, autocracy, controlled economies, gender apartheid, religious intolerance, or polygamy;

2. still enjoy modern material benefits it cannot produce and cannot pay for, whether computers, advanced medical care, or jumbo jets; and

3. blame the West for whetting its appetite and putting it in such an embarrassing dilemma.

[marktuoni]

My father-in-law (believe it or not, my favorite conservative) turned me on to VDH. Please add me to the Ping list!

[Tolik]

And he is absolutely correct in continuing: "And their writ against us depends entirely on Western complacency and appeasement. Yet, their lament is a castle of sand: as soon as the West says, “Quit whining, change, and reform yourself or simply don’t emigrate, stay inside your own borders, and live in peace and isolation in the 8th century,” a real dialogue opens up."

The Western complacency and appeasement is one of the causes of the problems we face now. They were preprogrammed 30 years ago when Europe refused to confront terrorists and hijackers and by all our half-assed responses since. The West allowed them to get away with murder, literally.

See also Eurabia surrender and dhimmization of Europe: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/search?m=all;o=time;s=eurabia

[A Ruckus of Dogs]

Do the roots of Islamic terrorism lie in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and America's support of Israel? Arab elites make such claims, but is it really the main reason?

9-11 (also African emabssy bombing, Khobar Towers, Cole)was the result of Al-Quada resenting our presence in the Gulf and in Saudi Arabia.

The rest have other causes.

[Creightongrad]

What is VDH's best book?

[A Ruckus of Dogs]

Don't know.

[GnuHere]

Whilst combing the AM posts, considering the combined intellect and articulateness of VDH and Rush has just made my head explode. Thanks a lot!

[schu]

IMHO, Carnage and Culture, talks about the nature of war and how free societies wage "better" or more effective war than autocratic type governments. Itemizes the reasons and specific battles/wars to support his position. I especially enjoyed the Cortez/Aztec and the Midway discussions.