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August 15, 2010

The Inevitable Victory Line Is Ringing Hollow

Justin Katz

I've got to agree with David Pryce-Jones:

... [President Obama] admits we are in a fight and the reason we'll win "is not simply the strength of our arms — it is the strength of our values. The democracy we uphold." This in the week he's just been rejoicing about imminently in Cairo removing the strength of arms from Iraq, with Afghanistan to follow as soon as possible. Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, the Iranians going nuclear — and we are to meet them with approval for a mosque at Ground Zero and babbling about upholding democracy? This speech sent a shiver of fear down my spine.

I fear our nation has been so long without an existential threat that we've ceased to believe in them.

Comments

You really have to ask yourself just what it is that Obama is doing. In the face of such obvious agression by Hizbollah, Hamas, and Iran, not to mention the shift in Turkey's allegiance, it would appear that Obama is totally clueless about what it means to protect America. Then, he sides with the Muslims, and against the majority of Americans, once again, giving the finger to the American people. Is he so tone deaf, politically, that he doesn't know what's going on?
I don't think so. I think he knows exactly what he is doing. He does not like America, and he is remaking it in his vision.
What continues to astound me are the many seemingly intelligent people that ever fell for this fraud, Obama. Never has there been a president that we knew so very little about. What a mistake. We are now finding out. Too late.

Posted by: Mike Cappelli at August 15, 2010 4:59 PM

"[O]ur nation has been so long without an existential threat that we've ceased to believe in them."

I would imagine this is a good thing, no?

Posted by: Ron at August 15, 2010 6:59 PM

I see the keyboard warriors are at it again 90% of whom don't have the balls to enlist, but will be so cavalier with the life of someone else.

Posted by: Sammy at August 15, 2010 8:08 PM

I don't understand why anyone feels we are not threatened. The mistake we make is trying to re-visulize WWII. It is not likely that we will engage large standing armies again soon, they are too easily destroyed. How about reading the news? North Korea is issuing threats. and has the ability to make good on them! India is playing "chicken" with our ships at sea, and has been for years. I don't know what more we need to realize the "Muslim Terrorist" threat, wasn't 9/11 enough. More Americans killed there than Pearl Harbor. China regularly threatens Taiwan.

I miss the "Cold War" with a known enemy and known rules.

Posted by: Warrington Faust at August 15, 2010 9:04 PM

Oh yes, Iran just launched some more submarines. Not long distance, but sufficient to their purpose.

Posted by: Warrington Faust at August 15, 2010 9:06 PM

Ron,

Long without existential threat: good.

Disbelieving that such things are real: bad.

Posted by: Justin Katz at August 15, 2010 9:07 PM

We make distinctions within the Christian world, distinctions that we fail to make regarding Islam. Timothy McVeigh, a Christian blew up a building in Oklahoma; Southern Baptists have murdered abortion doctors, but no one leaps to blame Christianity.
We exhibit national blindness when we see the Islamic world as a single, terrifying monolith.
Feisal Abdul Rauf of the Cordoba Initiative is a Sufi, practicing the mystical form of Islam. Sufism's goals and outlook couldn’t be farther from the violent Wahhabism of the jihadists. To Osama bin Laden and the Taliban, he is an infidel-loving apostate. Sufi leaders risk their lives for their tolerant beliefs. This was demonstrated on July 2, when the Pakistani Taliban organized a double-suicide bombing of the Data Darbar, the largest Sufi shrine in Lahore, Pakistan’s second-largest city. The attack took place on a Thursday night, when the shrine was at its busiest; 42 people were killed and 175 were injured.

Men like Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf should be recognized as allies. Those who through ignorance or political calculation, attempt to conflate them with the extremists are our true enemies.
OldTimeLefty


Posted by: OldTimeLefty at August 17, 2010 2:23 AM

OldTimeLefty

Thanks for the well reasoned comments containing what is now in short supply about Islam..facts. There are some who do jump to quick associations of guilt using your example of Southern Baptists and murdered abortion doctors. There are those who would demand any Christian to denounce acts perpetrated by outlandish sects and cults who call themselves Christian as though they are in some way tainted as members of the same group. And those who speak and think in that manner are bigots. Bigotry and stupidity knows no boundary, ethnicity, religous belief, race or social class. We have been getting quite a large dose recently from pundits and politicians concerning the construction of an Islamic center in NYC with the notable exception of Mayor Bloomberg and President Obama.

Posted by: Phil at August 17, 2010 8:29 AM

Anybody arguing that the amount of hate, killing and suffering incurred in the name of Christianity is anywhere near equivalent to that incurred in the name of Islam is truly one stupid individual.

Posted by: Mike Cappelli at August 17, 2010 9:37 AM

Mike Capelli,
Congratulations, you have somehow defined a cut off point whereby we can blame one religion for the sins of some of its adherents and excuse another religion whose adherents bomb and murder. What's the magic number? Please let us know so we can apply quantitative analysis and adjust our moral concepts accordingly. I'm sure Justin would like a copy.
OldTimeLefty

Posted by: OldTimeLefty at August 17, 2010 10:28 AM

OTL, (out to lunch)
Since you need everything spelled out for you, I'll merely suggest you look at Muslim countries and the rights their citizens enjoy, versus those of Christian countries.
Perhaps we should ask the women what they think.

Posted by: Mike Cappelli at August 17, 2010 11:27 AM

Mike Capelli,
A wonderful lateral arabesque which circumvents my question to you which is, "what is the cut off point whereby we can blame one religion for the sins of some of its adherents and excuse another religion whose adherents bomb and murder?" Rather than answer the question you 1)attempt to ridicule by name calling - the verbal equivalent of the juvenile stunt of sticking your tongue out, and 2)divert the issue by bringing in a red herring.

I have only two words for you - Grow up.
OldTimeLefty

Posted by: OldTimeLefty at August 18, 2010 1:30 AM