Although he is one of my favorite webloggers, I do not get over to Scott's weblog every day. But just for the record, I don't visit any weblog every day. It's not a statement of preference, it's merely a matter of time. School, work, home life, my own weblog, etc., I just can't read everything I want to.
Indeed, one of my oddest fantasies is that I might live to be a thousand years old, just so I can read everything I want to read before I die.
So I am grateful to the Council, for they pointed me to Pass Or Fail, which is an essay you should all read. For it will help you understand something important:
There is a notion that floats around in a lot of people's minds that America is hated because it is a "bully" that runs around imposing its will on people. That this creates resentment, and animosity. That it may even be the "root cause of terrorism," although no one ever says that about French or Russian or Chinese "bullying." Even though these nations have flexed their muscles more than once in defiance of the U.N., more than once in a "unilateral" fashion, and in ways that infuriated the so-called "world community."
It is only America, it seems, that is to be pilloried for acting unapologetically in its own interests, even when others disagree.
This notion that "unilateralism" causes terrorism and resentment is foolish, for it misses an even more important point: The perception of weakness is the real root cause of terrorism. Unwillingness to say, "we understand what you're saying, but we're going to do what we think needs to be done anyway" is not arrogant, it is not destructive, and it does not "cause" terrorism.
Indeed, it is when the terrorists think you are a paper tiger, that you will not finish what you've started, when they think that you will run crying for mama the first time you get a bloody nose, that they decide it is worth striking at you.
Scott's absolutely right. The threat we face is not "poor, helpless, disenfranchised victims of oppression fighting for freedom." The people we face are barbarians who wish to impose their will upon, and oppress, their own people. Who think they can drive us off merely by growling and kicking us in the shins.
It's when we make the mistake of thinking otherwise that we really get into trouble.
It is a sad commentary on our society that so many people believe we shoul dbe deferential to terrorists and try to "understand" them so that they maybe won't attack us.
The fact is that terrorists are bullies, and when you give into a bully, you only encourage him to continue bullying. The way to defeat a bully is to stand up to him.
As for "unilateralism" I prefer another translation: "standing up for yourself"
Nonsense. If the “perception of weakness” were the “real root cause of terrorism”, Osama bin Laden would be bombing the Maldives. Anger and frustration is the “root cause” of terrorism. Add sociopathology and you’ve got terrorism of the Al Quada variety. BTW, they have no people to oppress; they just want to inflict as much damage on us as possible (which further undermines your thesis about the root causes). Failure to respond to attacks (such as the Beirut attacks in the 80s) certainly encourages terrorism just as our perceived role in heavy-handed treatment of Muslims in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, the West Bank, Iraq, Indonesia, etc., does.
Figure out why Arab Muslims are angry and frustrated and why some blame the United States and you can begin to tackle the root causes of fundamentalist terrorism. In the meantime, you simply have to hunt down those who resort to terrorism and kill them. No matter how powerfully and successfully you do that, you won't end terrorism until you eliminate the real root causes.
Figure out why Arab Muslims are angry
The problem is they are angry for self-contradictiory nonsense fantasy reasons. We can't "address" their grievances any more then Alice could reason with the Queen in wonderland.
I thought they were angry because we don't worship Allah.
We are infidels that do crazy things like drink alcohol, have sex (my personal favorite!), show our female faces in public as well as our navels, our thighs and our tits during halftime!
Nonsense. If the “perception of weakness” were the “real root cause of terrorism”, Osama bin Laden would be bombing the Maldives.
The Maldives don't have what Bin Laden wants, Shep.
BTW, they have no people to oppress; they just want to inflict as much damage on us as possible...
Yes, they do have people they want to oppress.
They want to oppress all Arabs, and all Muslims, and see us as an obstacle in that path.
Which, by the way, we are.
This is the fundamental thing you are still failing to see. Bin Laden wants very badly to rule all Muslims, and to turn all non-Muslims either into followers of his version of Islam, or into hamburger.
It has nothing to do with U.S. "unilateralism," and everything to do with his own insane quest for power.
Oh, and by the way, Shep? We have not caused any of the "root causes" of poverty or oppression anywhere in the Arab world, except through failure to act as we did in places like Iraq.
It is only America, it seems, that is to be pilloried for acting unapologetically in its own interests, even when others disagree.
Israel. You forgot Israel. Israel is on the front lines of the war on terror everyday. And no one, not even America, gets the shit that Israel gets.
No one.
Ara's right.
You are absolutely right, Dean and Rosemary. They hate us because we're free. They hate the good for being the good. We must stop appeasing them and start fighting back. Weakness will destroy us. Only strength, only the will to defend freedom at all cost, will save us.
The Islamic terrorists hate us because our freedom equals decadence in their world view. They are on a mission to create a WORLD WIDE Islamic theocracy enforcing an Islamic menu of forbidden sinful behaviour.
They find their recruits in places where the Arab raw deal is preached. They believe they have poor societies because the West deprives them of their rightful place as rulers of the earth. They are like children who believe that Santa Clause will bring them their heart's desire if they are good. Terrorists are simple-minded for the most part, gullible, easily fooled and brainwashed with apparent ease. They have no wish to live in peace with western countries. They are the 21st century's scourge. They must be defeated. Understanding them will not change their minds. They want us dead or converted. period.
Jane, you can rest easy in knowing that there are plenty of Christians in the western world that are on a mission for a world wide Christian theocracy.
I also imagine that some of the Islamic world finds us stupid, evil, and gullible.
So we are pretty much even in the arrogance department. That is where the perception of weakness arises, from cultural arrogance.
Ara's right.
Uh huh. Which is why he's already publicly stated that he'd vote for Howard Dean if Dean were the Democratic nominee in November.
What-evah.
Well, Shep, America is hated by a lot of brownies like us, for 2 main rasons. (1) the Islamists hate the USA, because the USA and what it has to offerinterms of knowledge about what a free society is, plus of course, the better economy etc, is a slap in the face of islamists, who try to convince folks in poorer countries that they better be good muslims, or else!!! (2) leftist , and jealousy inspired propaganda. In most t hird worls countries, the media, textbooks etc, are just plain, marxist, or post-marxist inspired propaganda - where the USA and the free Western European sociaties are portrayed as economically advanced, but, morally decadent societies.
So, given this kind of religious and secular indoctrination, folks back in the mid-east or in countries dont know any better, and learn to instinctively hate the USA. But, guess what, when you find any folks in those countries, who have managed to think for themselves, or have managed to get some unbiased info, you will find a person who has, or wants to immigrate to the USA , i order to make a better life for himself.
A lot of good points have been made. I'll just add my two cents.
Bin Laden is most definitely suffering from some heavy delusions of grandeur. And God knows what he reckons is right for this world in no way mirrors what anyone I know thinks is a good idea.
But going down the "we're good and everyone else is a baddy" route is definitely a non-starter. It's arrogant and wrong. It's the same as giving someone your opinon and telling them it has to be their's, too.
I argued this with someone the other day. There are countries on this planet who don't look up to us, don't want our style of government or society. And they don't want to blow us up or have us all killed. And that's ok.
This is why there is more to all this than the sort of easy slogans that make campaigns. Otherwise, why were people in decidedly non-Muslim countries like Brasil and China cheering when the Twin Towers went down?
Also, nothing is as two-dimensional as we would all like it to be. I once audited a course on the Holocaust when I was in grad school (the prof asked me to sit in as I was writing my thesis on Yiddish and he thought I might have enjoy it and participate). One of the kids in the class (there's no other word for him, I'm afraid) was named Max. Max was jewish and very full of righteous hate for the Nazis - I hope we all are. But Max troubled me. Max said he almost regretted that all of his family made it out of Europe before they could be shipped off to one of the camps. He seemed to feel this made him less of a Jew somehow. Sad.
Anyway, he said one day in class that he couldn't wait to finish college and "go up to Israel" (this will have special meaning to any Jews reading this) and do military service - where he would follow orders without question and do whatever he was commanded to do.
When I pointed out the danger of that attitude and where it had gotten one nation once before (I mean, come on, the irony here was so thick you could cut it with a knife), he rounded on me and all but called me a Nazi and said I had no idea what I was talking about.
I, for one, did lose family in the camps. Dachau, to be precise. And no, I'm not a Jew.
What's my point? Just this - setting up one nation or one group as being "good" or "right" and anyone who doesn't agree with them as "bad" or "wrong" brings about situations that end in tears for everyone.
Ara, you will probably argue that Israel is a special case (BTW - I've never posted to your site, but I do read it and I like your style and most of what you have to say) because of what has been done to Jews particularly in the 20th century and how the State of Israel came about.
But at the same time, I can't help but think about all those Palestinians who got caught in the middle and ended up being forced out of their homes as punishment for what other, slimy jerks with a less than honorable agenda perpetrated.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's a mistake to consider us, Americans, as always right and good, or Israel as the innocent victim. It's all much too complicated for any of that to be the truth.
And before anyone comes down with the Wrath of God on my head and labels me an Anti-Semite, I'm not. I just know how policy develops and can end up. Or have we all forgotten about our (the US's) involvement in Laten America in the 50's, 60's, and 70's? I can't see George Washington sleeping well at night over all that.
Ok, that was it. Hope you all read it as it was intended.
PS - I was typing while doing other stuff, so apologies for the spelling and not-so-coherent style. I'll avoid that in future.
j swift
Yeah, I guess you are right. I've heard about those secret cells of Christians all over the world teaching terrorism and death to their converts in an effort to take control of some government or other. Killing all those innocent people and voting against leftists - Christians have a lot to answer for in bringing this holocaust down on us all.
I am a Christian. Because we speak out on and oppose some issues we are accused of plotting a theocratic take over of the US government. Dissent, apparently is the purvue of only the ACLU, People for the American Way, PETA, Ed Asner and the Hollywood leftists, or the local Democratic party apparatus. Like Kerry says: The fear is exaggerated. You make a silly parallel.
"Oh, and by the way, Shep? We have not caused any of the "root causes" of poverty or oppression anywhere in the Arab world, except through failure to act as we did in places like Iraq."
Sure Dean. And we don't support the corrupt and oppressive governments of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, etc., which deny political freedom and liberty to millions of Muslims. Our policies in the Middle East have been and are beyond reproach. Even our shit doesn't stink.
I'm proud to be an arrogant Western imperialist warmonger.
Correct shep. The people of Saudi Arabia are not to blame for basing most of their economy on oil production, it is the fault of the US, of course. Don't you remember all of those US colonies, such as Transjordan? Horrible, wasn't it. /sarcasm
It's a double standard. If we send humanitarian aid to any country, we are bribing them, and trying to influence their political system. If we don't send aid, we are imperialistic bastards who won't lift a finger to help anyone, and who only care about money.