One of the topics that I like to blog about how we create our own enemies. That has been true throughout history. The Left holds the belief that America brought upon itself the horrendous attacks of 9-11 and the necessity for the self-defense of the Islamist nations.
And they believe they are correct in accusing the United States and the emerging 21st century civilization of creating enemies around the world. They believe that for us to have peace we must learn to understand why they fear and hate us.
And they are correct – but for the wrong reasons.
The nation of Islam feels threatened by American culture and believes with all its heart that the society it sees is decadent, immoral, even depraved and corrupt and a threat to its very survival.
Case in Point.A recent ABC news article reports that Muslim women want western rights, but not western culture.
“A new Gallup survey — which conducted 1,000 face-to-face interviews in countries including Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey — found most Muslim women wanted the right to vote freely, to drive on their own, to work outside the home, and even to undertake leadership roles within their society. Though Muslim women acknowledged women had more rights in the West, the study found they didn't want their own societies to adopt Western values. The Gallup study concluded Muslim women tended to regard Western culture as morally corrupt and obsessed with sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll.
Dalia Mogahed, executive director of Gallup Muslim Studies, who conducted the survey, says Muslim women see a breakdown of traditional values in the West. "Sexual freedom portrayed in Western media is actually degrading to women, not a form of liberation."
Traditional values? Hmmm. Sound familiar? Isn’t that the mantra of the conservative?
America is a threat to the Islamic culture but it’s not the conservative, capitalist right that is to blame, but the Left itself. Look at what the left defends – their agenda. Pornography, Gangster Rap, TV and radios shows like Sex in the City, South Park, Family Guy (who claim in their show’s musical introduction to be a show about family values) and Howard Stern, nudity, sex and vulgar language in movies, homosexuality, lesbianism, freedom of speech and expression unrestrained by responsibility, and attacks on the Judeo-Christian religion, to name just a few.
The agenda of the Right – family values, anti-gay marriage, anti-single parenthood, celebration of religious holidays in public, and upholding the Judeo-Christian culture. Almost the direct opposite of what the Left holds – and interestingly enough – a lot of what Muslims believe – except for the Judeo-Christian culture part. Perhaps we should show more restraint in the expression of our freedoms and temper it with more responsibility.
In the emerging struggle facing us between a 21st century civilization and a dying 13th century one, we must understand the enemy we created.
9 comments:
This is a ridiculous post. South Park, for instance, pokes fun constantly at the left and has been one of the only shows to make fun of Islam. South Park is not part of the left. Family Guy is a silly comedy cartoon with pretty much no political content and anyone with an IQ above 50 would know that the claim of "family values" isn't meant seriously. The left certainly does not defend Howard Stern in any way--he is pretty much the antithesis of political correctness. I'm not sure that I'd call Sex in the City political either. It is a show about 4 douchebags watched by douchebags. "Gangster rap", in the classic Dr. Dre/NWA style is largely dead.
And if all this stuff offends Muslims, great. Then more Sex in the City by all means. Broadcast Howard over Al Jazzera. More South Park making fun of Mohammed.
I'm with Anonymous, WC. The thing is, Muslims don't like freedom, it isn't just our freedoms. Screw them. They've told us they hate us and that they hate freedom enough times already. For us to try to make amends is like a beaten woman trying to make it up to her man.
I'm not getting down on my knees like that, my friend.
GN--I think "douchebag" is as eloquent as one can get in describing both Sex in the City and its demographic.
That said, I agree wholeheartedly that even the most pious and civil society would find someway to outrage the pacifier brigade. "Waaaa! Mommy they are readig the Bible!" "Waaa! Make those kafirs stop!"
I think it is a mistake to confuse the issue of the general moral depravity of American (and Western) popular culture and our broader cultural war with Islam. While there is little doubt that the Left has a great deal of love for Islam (and Islam has a great deal of use for the useful idiots), it would be foolish to think that things like multiculturalism, political correctness, victim culture, metrosexuality and the emasculation of the Western man, and the host of other ills hoisted upon us by both foolish Leftists and their more calculating Gramscian comrades are the reason for the global jihad. Indeed, be it wholesome post-war America, or pious 12th century Christians, the jihad simply cares that you're not incorporated into the Ummah. They have had issue with every culture they have encountered, which would suggest the problem does not lie with the stupidity of modern American pop culture, but firmly in the derranged bosom of Islam.
I'd also not put much weight into polls of Muslims. Given the cultural penchant for lying and given the strategic importance of lying to the infidels, I'm going to assume there is a lot of error with a Gallup Poll of Muslims. Moreover, even if all of these women were honest, the opinions of Islamic women are more or less moot. If they wanted to vote and drive, but eat falafel and fesenjen and not Big Macs and lattes, whatever. I suppose we could get along with them (and advertisers would figure out how to break down their culture too and get them buying stupid crap). The important issue is what Muslim men think--and I don't think they want their women driving and voting, nor do they generally want anything but the utter destruction of anything non-Islamic. It would be difficult to argue otherwise given their nearly 1400 year track record.
Well - I guess we agree to disagree.
The crassness of our western society only inflames pious Muslims more. I really don't give a s**t if it does, but the fact is that the social fabric of our society has come apart to the extent that common decency and common courtesy is almost nil and these, along with common sense, have contributed to the fraying of our social fabric.
'Just Do It' is a bumper sticker excuse for ‘do your own thing’ and who gives a damn. Well, we should give a damn. Free this and free that doesn’t excuse our responsibilities in expressing those freedoms.
Pastorious eloquently responded to a similar post of mine on this argument by saying that whatever we dislike about the expression of our freedoms was the exhaust of a free society. Correct. But most exhaust spews out pollution. I think we need a self-imposed – yes, self-imposed not government or institutional imposed (what the hell ever happened to shame in this country?) catalytic converter on the expression of those freedoms. For example, you don’t yell fire in a crowded theater or families do not come in all shapes and sizes. They come only in twos. A Mother and a Father.
My point is that we should consider that even though Islam is a constipated religion, perhaps it’s showing us the level of classlessness that our society has devolved to. I don’t have to detail the level of classlessness that is displayed to us every day on TV, movies, political campaigns, and advertisements as examples of what I mean.
WC,
You may have noticed, I am pretty crass. I'm glad you put up with me, cuz I like your writing, and I like South Park and Howard Stern.
To me, "Just Do It," means, "Stop sitting around on your butt thinking about it. Just Do It." I'm pretty sure that is what Nike means by that ad slogan. However, it does have a double entendre that is for sure. But, I think anyone who works out, knows what the slogan means. And, as a writer, you ought to understand it as well.
A self-imposed catalytic converter sounds good to me, but the problem is that is up to the individual. Of course, communities can put pressure on members of their group to behave. Certainly, I feel accountable to my family and to those where I work, and to those in my Bible Study Group.
But, in America and in the West in general, we choose to be a part of these various groups, and part of our freedom is we can opt out anytime we like.
Sometimes doing so may make us decadentlosers, but we have the freedom to choose to be such.
By the way, think about technology. Think about how when an industry puts its mind towards inventing a certain class of switches, or processors. There are a whole lot of products and plans for products which wind up going nowhere.
Those are the equivalent of the losers in our society. Our society is involved in a variety of projects over time. People all choose to be a part of certain projects and they add their initiative and brains, and some of them come up with something, and some don't. Some just act as parasites on the process, etc.
There are a whole lot of people who contribute very little. And, there are a few individuals and groups who rise above the fray and contribute a great deal.
There is no avoiding this.
Pastorius
Good points. And I do enjoy your parries. Differecnes of opinion - that's what makes a good horse race.
I still hold that if Marx was alive today he would be very pleased but for the wrong reason - we do live in a classless society.
Pastorius brought up the most important word: individual. The recognition of the sacredness of the individual human being is what lifts us high above all of Islam, despite any "crassness" that results from it. If we dislike aspects of said crassness, we are free to criticize, avoid, and try to change them. And really, what's Howard Stern when measured against videotaped and televised beheadings?
Mulsim fundamentalism is not a rational response to anything, and it is certainly not a viable alternative to "Western decadence" -- a symptom of which, I might add, is the slavering fascination with Muslim fundatmentalism exhibited by many of the most "decadent" denizens of the Left. It's like living in one big production of "Cabaret" -- divine decadence dahling meets "Tomorrow Belongs to Me".
But even if we were to turn into somebody's vision of the "perfect Christian Conservative society" we would still drive the Islamic fascists nuts. For one thing, we'd all still be infidels. There would be churches all over the place. Plus, our women would still be driving to the polls to vote with their hair and ankles showing. Men and women who aren't related would still talk to each other in private. We'd still walk dogs. Eat pork chops. Give out kids piggy banks. Listen to love songs ("Baby, It's Cold Outside"?! -- wonder which line rattled Qutb's cage, maybe "hey, what's in this drink?"). Marry whom we please, not some distant cousin our parents picked for us. Drink beer. Go to the beach. In bathing suits. Arrest guys for beating their wives. Slow dance. Go to museums and look at nude statues. The list is endless.
That being said, I do sort of agree with WC about the doucebags...
Actually, it was "Anonymous" who said the thing about the "douchebags."
:)
Post a Comment