I think we can all agree that HAMAS in its bone deep attitude about jews (based, they say in the Quran..so sorry) is what we in the west commonly think of as racist, anti-semitic and most likely genocidal towards those jews who will never accept sharia based realities.
This govt of HAMAS is the result of the insistence of George Bush and his (dare I now use the hated word?) neo con overlords. He and they demanded elections and they got them. The Palestinians chose a govt whose priority truly reflected theirs - that before anything else, the jews had to go. That does not square very well with American strategic purposes (certainly not limited to Israel) nor with the theory that democracies don't go to war with each other.
Is it the reasoning of today's 'liberal' (self described Henry Wallace progressives in actuality) that when promoting democracy does not fit our needs this month we oppose democracy? That's what I read at places like Firedoglake.
Likewise, human rights cannot EVER be achieved in places like Egypt where a Hosni Mubarak stomps on them partly in our name and then points at the Muslim Brotherhood as what will happen if the great unwashed get the vote (anyone channeling Andrew Jackson on that one?). Do today's progressive thinkers propose that Arabs cannot have human rights because they cannot manage a democracy with some sense, instead careening into the arms of jihadi freaks (even if they have the backing of Al Azhar)?
Instead we have a conflict between the ideal of how democracies behave and the instilled desire of the Islamic cultures to kill and force into submittal, 'Crusaders and Jews and polytheists' competing with our faith in human freedom and our need for security.
So when the inculcated value of an entire population is to eliminate others of what use is democracy?
ONLY THROUGH DEMOCRACY CAN THE INSTILLED DESIRE TO KILL
OTHER BE ELIMINATED. NOT TODAY AND NOT TOMORROW, BUT MAYBE THE DAY AFTER.
We have now gone from ~1290 to today in full contact with the Islamic culture and religion. American democracy has been at it since Jefferson suffered the enslavement of Americans and sent in the Marines, and whatever we HAVE done hasn't changed a damn thing.
So we had better listen to the ideals and warning of Lincoln's better angels.
Democracy and the extremes of what has been taught simply will have to muddle through. There will be wars. As we can see. But if, in almost a millennium, absolutely nothing has been achieved by the cynical application of Machiavelli then out of enlightened self interest, it's time to apply Jefferson over the longer run, and allow free thought, REAL FREE THOUGHT to work it's way into Islamic culture.
Maybe this will fail as well, but it's time to make the effort over the long haul
What's the alternative?
Is that all there is?
Just watch the fear and loathing among those who see longer range over there.
If this was to be easy, trained dogs could do it.
This govt of HAMAS is the result of the insistence of George Bush and his (dare I now use the hated word?) neo con overlords. He and they demanded elections and they got them. The Palestinians chose a govt whose priority truly reflected theirs - that before anything else, the jews had to go. That does not square very well with American strategic purposes (certainly not limited to Israel) nor with the theory that democracies don't go to war with each other.
Is it the reasoning of today's 'liberal' (self described Henry Wallace progressives in actuality) that when promoting democracy does not fit our needs this month we oppose democracy? That's what I read at places like Firedoglake.
Likewise, human rights cannot EVER be achieved in places like Egypt where a Hosni Mubarak stomps on them partly in our name and then points at the Muslim Brotherhood as what will happen if the great unwashed get the vote (anyone channeling Andrew Jackson on that one?). Do today's progressive thinkers propose that Arabs cannot have human rights because they cannot manage a democracy with some sense, instead careening into the arms of jihadi freaks (even if they have the backing of Al Azhar)?
Instead we have a conflict between the ideal of how democracies behave and the instilled desire of the Islamic cultures to kill and force into submittal, 'Crusaders and Jews and polytheists' competing with our faith in human freedom and our need for security.So when the inculcated value of an entire population is to eliminate others of what use is democracy?
ONLY THROUGH DEMOCRACY CAN THE INSTILLED DESIRE TO KILL
OTHER BE ELIMINATED. NOT TODAY AND NOT TOMORROW, BUT MAYBE THE DAY AFTER.We have now gone from ~1290 to today in full contact with the Islamic culture and religion. American democracy has been at it since Jefferson suffered the enslavement of Americans and sent in the Marines, and whatever we HAVE done hasn't changed a damn thing.
So we had better listen to the ideals and warning of Lincoln's better angels.
Democracy and the extremes of what has been taught simply will have to muddle through. There will be wars. As we can see. But if, in almost a millennium, absolutely nothing has been achieved by the cynical application of Machiavelli then out of enlightened self interest, it's time to apply Jefferson over the longer run, and allow free thought, REAL FREE THOUGHT to work it's way into Islamic culture.
Maybe this will fail as well, but it's time to make the effort over the long haul
What's the alternative?
Is that all there is?
Just watch the fear and loathing among those who see longer range over there.
If this was to be easy, trained dogs could do it.
Already known as a brilliant military strategist, little Ackmed became an instantaneous hero of the splodey-dope set when he timidly pointed out that keeping your sleeves trimmed or rolled up to the proper length might lead to a sixty percent reduction in detonator failures.
ReplyDeleteThat's a fabulous caption..now we need the right pic
ReplyDeleteThe god is arab or lets say a middle eastern haha.
ReplyDeleteenjoy of my cozen lord (western frind) ;) .
okay read ma lips...
ReplyDeletebut that could mean she is a zoroastrian...
and btw..
YOU'RE WELCOME
Great post, Epa.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of the better posts I have seen during our war against Jihadism.
One thing to keep in mind is that, when we use the word Democracy, we mean the people rule overseen by a Constitution which protects human rights.
The reality is, that is not what we have set up in Iraq, Afghanistan, or Gaza.
I don't know how it is that our leaders, who all went to Harvard and Yale, seemed to have failed 8th grade Civics.