Why the Muslims Misjudged Us

Opinion Journal ^ | 02/25/2002 | VICTOR DAVIS HANSON

[Pokey78]

Since September 11, we have heard mostly slander and lies about the West from radical Islamic fundamentalists in their defense of the terrorists. But the Middle Eastern mainstream--diplomats, intellectuals and journalists--has also bombarded the American public with an array of unflattering images and texts, suggesting that the extremists' anti-Americanism may not be an eccentricity of the ignorant but rather a representative slice of the views of millions.

[summer]

bttt

[js1138]

The fact is that democracy does not spring fully formed from the head of Zeus but rather is an epiphenomenon--the formal icing on a pre-existing cake of egalitarianism, economic opportunity, religious tolerance and constant self-criticism.

If we had never had the American Revolution we might be like Canada ar Australia. Perhaps not as grand as we are now, but worse things could have happened. Our ideas are build of two thousand plus years of thought. Islam is built on the rejection of that 2000 years.

[boris]

"The Muslims might have misjudged America, but America has yet a long way to go to prove how wrong they are indeed."

Yeah.

But my answer: the Muslims misjudged us because they thought we were as weak, naive and ineffectual as Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter.

--Boris

[boris]

Fire is not necessary. The blood of 10,000 pigs should suffice.

--Boris

[medved]

bookmark

[Mahone]

Bump

[RnMomof7]

If Israel were not so successful, free and haughty--if it were beleaguered and tottering on the verge of ruin--perhaps it would be tolerated. But in a sea of totalitarianism and government-induced poverty, a relatively successful economy and a stable culture arising out of scrub and desert clearly irks its less successful neighbors. Envy, as the historian Thucydides reminds us, is a powerful emotion and has caused not a few war

YEP!An act of God!

Excellent article..a ping to others

[xJones]

his is something else the Muslims don't realize about us. We are very, very slow to anger but once we do, we don't forgive easily.

Winston Churchill said something like that. He said that Americans were the slowest people in the world to finally get mad and the slowest to cool off afterwards. Of course, Winston was half-American himself.

[xJones]

But my answer: the Muslims misjudged us because they thought we were as weak, naive and ineffectual as Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter.

Yeppers, and if Clinton had somehow been President on 9/ll the Taliban would still be in power in Afghanistan with their al-Quida buddies. Osama's great mistake was one of timing.

[Faraday]

Neither address the critical factor of mean IQ of populations except to dismiss it.

They're just too stupid, I suppose.

Seriously, I oversimplified J. Diamond's argument, in order to express it a few words. You seem to argue for an "IQ" determinism. This seems silly given the rise and fall of civilizations over time. And since America is the most mongrel of civilizations, it's hard to believe that only the most intelligent emigrated here. The reason for the success of our culture is our embrace of freedom in economics, politics, and other social spheres, not an "average" ability to match 3-D projections.

[catonsville]

Absolutely brilliant. When Pat Roberstson criticized Islam recently and the drumbeat began in the media to demonize him for his opinion, it suddenly stopped and died.

Why? Because of the beheading of Danial Pearl who left a lovely pregnant wife and a future child who will never know his or her courageous INNOCENT father.

My Arab readers, while you may think Robertson impertinent for his remarks, I think your lack of outrage at the Pearl slaughter far more evil

[Demidog]

Can you give examples of democratic nations in the past or present?

Athens. Any state with a referendum.

[Billthedrill]

There is one simpler consideration, and it is that for some years now "Death to America" has been an all-pervasive motto (and this predates the 1979 Iranian revolution considerably) in the Islamic world. Authorities have allowed this to run essentially unchecked as a means of easing social control: every despot ever born realizes that an external enemy is necessity number one for distracting an oppressed population. Nobody in the ruling elites was taking it very seriously; a few dead Americans in isolated terror incidents was, to them, nothing more than a morale-booster for their population.

Now we're 3000-odd people down. And we're taking it seriously. And not only our enemies, for such they are, but our putative allies, are acting as if we're spoiling some silly international game by taking it seriously, as if shrugging off an attack leaving thousands of dead is the mark of some sort of sophistication.

Well, all of the old rhetorical ammunition is being trotted out - the U.S. is a "rogue state," we're "terrorists," "out of control," "imperialists," etc, etc...we've heard it all before. If there ever was a time when it mattered, and I submit that under Carter and Clinton, it did, then it certainly doesn't matter any longer. The uneasiness we're hearing from the European left is a result of their realization that the same old BS just isn't cutting it any more.

[Anti-PKAD Reactionary Front]

ping

[Michael2001]

The formal machinery of a democratic government is 2 wolves and a sheep voting over what's for dinner. If "the Muslims" (nebulous and useless term) have been devoid of democracy, they should consider themselves lucky.

Can you name a better form of government? Perhaps you would like to live in Iraq? Iran? Communist China?

[Demidog]

Of course I can name a better form of government. A republic. Where do you think you live? You think you live in a democracy?

[Parmy]

We don't have to actively prove how wrong they are. Our very existence and ultimate success does that by itself.