Europeans Are Deep Sleepers

Disclaimer: the following is about politics. If that makes your head hurt, you might not want to proceed.

I must also state that I am not the author of the following dissertation, as you will probably figure out soon enough. The reason I'm posting this under my blog is because it is a very thought-provoking article, and one that falls decidedly right of center. While I tend to lean left on most (not all) issues, I find this to be a pretty water-tight argument. My biggest problem with lefty politics is the pie-in-the-sky dillusion that often permeates it. I think the author here takes a level-headed, reality-based approach to our current political landscape, while presenting a fair and respectful, though somewhat disturbing debate.

Enjoy!

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I make this conclusion because they need LOUD wake-up calls.

Is the current islamic uproar over cartoons a wakeup call to Europe?

In 1939, they needed Germany to actually invade Poland before they woke up and realized that appeasement was, just maybe, not the best route to go with an insane meglomaniacal gov't running Germany. The regular alarms before (see the Sudetenland) didn't even budge the rest of Europe from their slumber.

As for the conflict with Islam:

Europe has been able to rationalize away the conflict between the Islamic world and the U.S. -- The US has policies of hegemony, the US works hand-in-hand with Israel, the US has meddled in middle eastern politics and governments, the US pissed off the islamic world when it invaded Iraq, etc. etc. The point being that the reason the US was attacked by islamofacism is because of US misconduct, and NOT because of some cultural gap between civilization and barbarism.

If that's the case, then how do we explain the fact that Denmark -- freaking DENMARK -- is under attack throughout the muslim world? Embassies burned, citizens attacked, the whole nine yards. For what? Hegemony, invasion, support of Israel? Nope. Cartoons. Pen and ink drawings.

The war between islamic extremism and the West is NOT about US misconduct (not that this excuses US misconduct/poor choices, nor does it mean that many US actions have exacerbated the situation). It is about a cultural gap that is an unbridgeable gulf. It is about a civilization that has learned to respect pluralism and liberties, and basic human rights (and yes, the execution isn't always perfect, but the framework is pretty solid) vs. a barbarian culture that responds to any affront or matter of dislike one way -- with violence.

I am reminded of the old "Far Side" cartoon, with the veterinarian's textbook for treating horses. For each ailment, the prescribed treatment was the same -- "Chipped hoof -- shoot. Broken tooth -- shoot." The Islamic world is much the same -- "Support Israel -- death. Woman talking to man in public -- death. Write a book about islam (see Rushdie) -- death. Cartoon showing the prophet -- death. Take an extra penny from the "take a penny/leave a penny" cup at the store -- death."

I know that we cannot officially take this position, but the reality is painfully obvious -- the culture of Islam, which has become synonymous with the faith, is incompatible with the most sacred of Western ideals -- our rights and liberties.

What makes the West strong, and good, is those core rights and liberties. I am free to practice the religion of my choice. I am free to speak as I wish. I am free to publish cartoons as I wish. Rights are the same for all, without regard to gender. THEY are what make us special. THEY are what make us great.

They are also fundamentally incompatible with Islam. And how long will some of you insist that Islam is a religion of peace, and that these are just a few bad apples? Actually, the MAJORITY of the muslim world opposes Western free speech (see the cartoons and the uniform reaction among muslims, with only a handful of exceptions). Has it occurred to you that the outliers are NOT the violent extremists, but instead are the muslims who have lived in the West long enough to compromise their islamic culture so as to allow for things that islam itself does not tolerate?

The West IS at war with Islam. I doubt that we can ever say this, again, for the diplomatic reason that we need to do our best to win hearts and minds, and to try to win this war without making it a global war of extermination. But it is not inconceivable to me that someday, the pretense will be dropped. Perhaps that will be the day that Iran detonates nuclear devices in Tel Aviv, London, and New York. Perhaps it will be the day that all Westerners living in muslim countries are killed in a bloody purge. But it is well within the realm of possibility.

Islam does not value liberty (see above). Islam does not value life (see the reaction of violence to everything). With these core tenets,and the fact that their culture has them convinced that dying is not a bad thing, especially if it is in a holy war, there is NO real deterrent against them doing something suicidal, like setting off nukes in 3 Western cities, even though the reprisal will wipe out Tehran.

The emprical evidence is rather clear -- moderate islam is the exception. Violent islam, with no respect for the most fundamental Western rights (and indeed violent opposition to them), is the rule. And again, don't get sidetracked by discussing the islam of academic theology (religion of peace, etc.) -- islam is a culture, based on centuries of barbarism, that has coopted a religion to rationalize and support that barbarism.

The violence against countries like Denmark, which did no more than an act of CULTURE, demonstrates the incompatibility of the two cultures.

Western rights, liberties, and freedoms, are fundamentally incompatible with Islam. And now, Islam attacks
(note -- not "criticizes," but "attacks") the West for exercising those rights and liberties within their own borders.

When will Europe (other than Tony Blair) realize that the war against them began a long time ago? What will be the Poland of the new century?

The alarm is so loud that my ears are ringing. Can Europe hear it?