'I had no idea that madness in the Islamic world had gone so far' - Naipaul

times (UK) ^ | Times

[Bush2000]

Bush's fatal flaw is the same as his dad's--intense loyalty to friends that sometimes overshadows his loyalty to country. Saudi Arabia will remain a blind spot for Bush, and we will all suffer the consequences.

Agreed, and since he is (like most politicians, preoccupied with getting reelected), it will be interesting to see whether he has an interest in an actual shooting war as opposed to the limited engagement that we've seen in Afghanistan.

[537 Votes]

In another thread here on Free Republic, someone alleges that Christianity is made up of cowards, while Islam is filled with brave people. Therefore, the writer of the thread insists, Islam will win over Christianity.

The reality is that Islam is filled with intellectual cowards. Just like Communism was. And we all know what has happened to Communism.

[cake_crumb]

It's been so long, I doubt you'll see this reply...but having read the excerpt...I MUST HAVE THIS BOOK.

[cake_crumb]

"Agreed, and since he is (like most politicians, preoccupied with getting reelected), it will be interesting to see whether he has an interest in an actual shooting war as opposed to the limited engagement that we've seen in Afghanistan."

Look...first of all, why am I always the one who has to point out the glaringly obvious????? I kind of resent that. OK...</end resentful tangent>

Look...Afghanistan, as in the Gulf War prosecuted by the first president Bush, was a SURPRISE. We expected more resistance...more power. Especially in the case of Afghanistan, who's tough resistance fighters had WE THOUGHT beaten off the Soviet Union....we forgot to add the HELP WE GAVE to the military equation.

Fact is, thus far, we've been trying so hard not to underestimate our Islamic enemies that we have erred on the side of caution by OVERESTIMATING them.

Therein lies the ONLY fault with our military ops, and it is an understandable one. Also one I hope we are able to overcome with the CONFIRMED knowledge gleaned from the Afghan experience combined with our previous Iraqi and Iranian experience.

[BunnySlippers]

Thank you for pointing out this outstanding paragraph from V.S. Naipaul:

I’ve been aware of madness in the Islamic world. I’ve written about it. The madness of people who have fallen behind technically, and who do not have the will to make the intellectual effort to catch up. I was aware of the religious hatred, I was aware of the indifference to life. I was aware of the anti-civilisation aspect of the new fundamentalism. But I had no idea it had gone so far — the madness. The idea of their strength is an illusion. Nothing is coming from within. The terrorists can fly a plane, but what they can’t do is build a plane. What they can’t do is build those towers. I think people have spoken much rubbish about that event. The poor revenging themselves on the rich! It’s nothing but an aspect of religious hatred. And that is so hard to deal with, or even contemplate. You can deal with the poor striking out, but you can’t deal with the threat of a universal religious war.” Though he approved of the recent war in Afghanistan, he is keenly aware of the inherent absurdity of the current war on terrorism: “Your biggest enemy is your great ally — Saudi Arabia — and the foot-soldiers of the terror come from your other ally — Pakistan.”

[dennisw]

This is another one he wrote about Islam. Very good one but I like "Among the Believers" better even though it was written in 1982. Surely your local library has them. Or gets them on inter-library loan. I can reserve library books over the internet here.


http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0375706488/qid=1028942019/sr=1-12/ref=sr_1_12/104-0008749-4554356

[Bush2000]

Therein lies the ONLY fault with our military ops, and it is an understandable one. Also one I hope we are able to overcome with the CONFIRMED knowledge gleaned from the Afghan experience combined with our previous Iraqi and Iranian experience.

You're barking up the wrong tree. I'm not faulting our military ops in Afghanistan -- or anywhere else, for that matter. I've been in the service. We have the finest military in the world, bar none. My beef is with our choice of targets. The real sources of power in the war against terrorism are Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, and Syria. And yet we pretend that only Iraq is our enemy. I have no doubt that our military can carry out their mission. But like most other "limited conflicts", the politics is what screws things up and gets people killed needlessly.

[dalebert]

thanks for the ping

[keri]

Thanks for the ping.

It amazes me the number of conservatives here at FR who believe the propaganda (and spread it) of the far-left. Only Communists and World Socialists (apparently some Mormons, too) believe the BJP is fascist. The rest of the true believers are simply useful idiots for the very movement they are supposed to be fighting: Leftism.

[dennisw]

Quite welcome sir !

[dalebert]

Dumb or retarded?