Victor Davis Hanson: Our goal shouldn't be to be liked

jewishworldreview.com ^ | March 2, 2006 | Victor Davis Hanson

[Tolik]

When the golden dome of the Askariya shrine, a holy Shiite site in Iraq, was blown up last week, enraged militias did not attack American bases but rather went after Sunni extremists who, they privately believed, were the real culprits.

How could that have been when clerics loudly railed to the cameras that the United States was the perpetrator?

Meanwhile, Hamas, despite its hatred of the U.S. and unabashed pride in its terrorist suicide bombers, suddenly seeks victim status when Washington plans to cut Palestinian financial assistance. If America is so terrible, why would Hamas want its tainted money?

On any given day, the state-run media of the Middle East publish vile anti-Semitism and various slanders against the West. With such an unapologetic assault on Western values, why then would thousands riot when an obscure Danish publication runs a few tasteless cartoons caricaturing Islamic radicalism? And why would Western crassness be surprising to radical Muslims anyway, given their constant harangue that we are decadent and should be shunned?

[hinckley buzzard]

unwillingness to change his historic political allegiances, given all the lunacy that the Democrats have advanced in our lifetimes, denigrates the value of any particular position he may have by calling into question his fundamental judgment.

Zell Miller is a registered democrat. Do you also question his fundamental judgment?

[Valin]

Maybe because he hopes the lunacy will end. Like Victor I can remember a time when democrats were not completely insane (pre 68).

[metesky]

bttt

[Kakaze]

" We can see this strange psychological American need in the old conundrum over whether the United States is "hated."

I've been trying to figure out for years why we have such a collective cultural "guilt" over our sucesses.

Instead of apologising for having a high standard of life, we should scream from the roof tops...." If, you'd just educate yourself and drop the 10th century style of life you lead, this could be yours too!"

Instead we act like the guilt ridden spoiled rich college kid and try to BUY friendship through unaccountable loans and flowery apologies.