As I write this post, the death toll in the Brussels terror attack stands at 31 with additional scores injured. Those numbers probably will rise. The journalists and politicians dance around attributing the attack to those who carried it out. I see and hear lots of references to ISIS, "radicalized" persons, etc. Mayor de Blasio of New York came out with the typical liberal/progressive statement on "thoughts and prayers" and not giving up our way of life. I heard some military types come on and talk about the need to hit Raqqa, or some other ISIS center. And, of course, our Commander-in-Chief, the "leader" of the Free World, took less than a minute from his tour of Castro's Fantasy Island to issue one of his trademark, bored, not again, word salad statements on the attack.
I will write more on this later, but for now, let's just go over the basics being ignored. I provide below a random sample of links I have made on this topic before, but let's do it again.
Yes, we have to hit ISIS in Syria and Iraq and Libya and . . . you pick. Yes, better intelligence. Yes, improved scanning at airports, train stations, etc. But, but, but . . . that will not stop terror attacks in Europe, America, Africa, Asia, or Australia. The issue is Islam. The issue is letting Islam set up shop in the West and propagate its cult of hatred and murder from within our societies. Belgium, for example, is now a failed state. Netherlands, France, Germany, and much of Scandinavia are not far behind. Britain faces a dire future, too. The United States? Headed down that path. Why? Islam. Better said, progressive delusions about Islam, progressive delusions about Islam's 1400-year-old war on the West.
How many times do we have to say it, or in the case of Obama, not say it?
One more time: It is the Islam.
We Are Not at War, Just Under Attack
Is Islam like the Others?
Islamophobia
Islam and the West
The 99% Peaceful Muslims
Muslim Murder Machine
Paris, The Murderous Cost of Progressive Delusions
The religion of pieces.
ReplyDeleteWhat is 'the other plan'?
ReplyDeleteHoling them up in the middle east has been a bit of a rearguard action since the hordes were turned back at Tours. The west 'escaped' to the New World, but that's not permanent.
Is the alternative a 1990's era Iraq/Hussein style 'containment' action writ large to all islamic countries?
I agree with the analysis, I'm just wondering what a good prospective leader for America should be proposing here.
- reader #1482
Well, Trump suggested that HE would 'give the people a pep talk, we need to raise spirits . . .'. Is THAT what you have in mind?
DeleteLibertyGrace'sGrandma
Today's attack in Brussels should be called by its proper name: The Merkel Dividend
ReplyDeleteIndia and Israel cope passably with muslim minorities far larger than you find in any European country. Then again, they have a passably self-confident political class who identifies with their majority population rather than seeing the vernacular population as a foil which makes a fine contrast with their excellent selves. Belgium could deal with these problems. It refuses to do so.
ReplyDeleteOr, I should say, that Belgium's not refusing to deal with these problems. Their politicians and judges are refusing to deal with them.
DeleteFear not Dip; even as we speak the internet and the Twitteratti are uniting in their opposition to terrorism. There will be new hashtags, hand-wringing about the always not quite happening backlash against the peace-loving majority of muslims and maybe the odd march where the craven traitors who have created this problem engage their inner and outer poseur for the feel good publicity crowd.
ReplyDeleteStudents of history will know about the 5 days in May 1940 when Churchill and Lord Halifax fought for control of the British Cabinet over whether Britain would make peace with Hitler and effectively sanction the annexation of western Europe, or fight. Churchill prevailed; but I cannot help but think that now the latter-day Halifaxs would easily win that contest. Appeasement is the new western political creed, and if you say otherwise then you are dangerous and must be silenced. Cultural and civilizational suicide writ large, with a hashtag.
I guess these are all some sort of "problems of conceit"... ie, we perceive no existential threat, so as a society we are happy to play by silly rules made up by the idle elite. Immediately after 9/11, we did feel existentially threatened, but since have dismissed the threat and apologized for acting in our own self-interest.
ReplyDelete- reader #1482
"I cannot help but think that now the latter-day Halifaxs would easily win that contest."
ReplyDeleteAgreed. Few seem to notice the observations that "Belgium is home to a significant number of Islamist extremists and that some of them are connected to militant cells across Europe. In particular, it turned the spotlight on Molenbeek, a neighborhood in Brussels that became known internationally as a hotbed of violent Islamic extremism after the Paris violence."
The fellow captured the other day was hidden with the aid of dozens, if not hundreds, of Muslims in Brussels. Where are all those "moderate Muslims, again?"
Increased security? Since the Jihadists will target anything and anybody one would have to guard everything if one is going to fight them by standing on the defensive. It should be obvious that the West must take the offensive against the Jihadists. Since this war is one of ideology as well as force, it is necessary to take the initiative in the ideological battle as well as the physical one.
ReplyDeleteThe image of a renewed Caliphate is an attractive one for Muslims. They would be the masters, strutting around amidst the wretched dhimmis, living off the jizya paid by the non-Muslims as a condition of being allowed to live. That will make up for the miserable life they lead under sharia law and ruled by fanatical, religious dictators. Many Muslims say they want sharia, but for most, when they get a taste of the real thing, the sweet turns bitter in their mouths.
That is what the Iraq Campaign was all about, at least as I saw it. There were good reasons to fight the Jihadists there; Afghanistan is the sideshow. In Iraq we could fight them on their own region, not in New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles. Tactically, we could pit skilled soldiers and Marines against them, not depend on airline passengers and stewardesses to fight them. Strategically, it seized the initiative from the Jihadists. We made them react to our moves, not we to theirs. Thousands of them were killed in Iraq. Ideologically, we could confront their message with one of our own, liberty and prosperity in the modern world. This last would be the hardest job, and it wasn't particularly well done during the Iraq Campaign, because no agency was tasked for it, too much pc, and an unwillingness to recognize that jihad is indeed good Muslim doctrine.
If we'd stayed in Iraq, with a significant force, we could have pursued this task, encouraged moderates, sat on the Iraqi Shia when they tried to dump on the Sunnis and vice versa (to prevent something like ISIS from growing up), and threaten the enablers of terrorist jihadists in the region. All those possibilities were thrown away by Mr. Obama. Convincing any Muslims to reject Jihadist ideology is going to be a hard slog on that account.
Absolutely agreed!
DeleteIt would have been very hard for the Bush administration to account for being succeeded by someone so eager to tarnish the sacrifice of our soldiers that they'd turn tail and run at the first opportunity. Seven years wasn't likely to be enough from the outset. It's almost criminal what Obama's done to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory there.
- reader #1482
And to be clear, I don't blame Obama, because he was accurately representing the plurality or even majority of Americans. I blame Americans for falling for the whole 'end the war', 'bring our soldiers home' ripe.
Delete- reader #1482
This is so well-put. When I saw American Sniper, all I could think about was the blood and treasure squandered because we are a nation of ignorant children with no concept of the value of what was handed off to us in our history. Tragic folly.
DeleteYes, the problem is Islam, for which jihad is a central doctrine. I've been reading the Yusuf Ali Qur'an, and note that much of it sounds like a warlord's pep talk to the troops rather than God's controversy with his people (yes, I am familiar with the Old and New Testaments, and am biased in their favor).
ReplyDeleteI am all for religious liberty, for I am a beneficiary thereof. I understand the reasoning in decisions like Brandenburg v. Ohio, even if I am out of sympathy with white supremacism. But in my lifetime I have seen both the immoderate Left and Islam get uppity, the former seize power (after successfully marching through our instutions). Maybe it is time to dust off the recognition that the Bill of Rights is not a suicide pact.
the left believes in the bill of rights only as it suits their purposes.
Deletefreedom to peacefully assemble? that's what they tell us the 'occupiers' were doing.
but attend a Donald Trump rally? the left does not believe that should be a protected right, because the content is not to their liking... as usual, 'freedom for the speech I like' is the rule of the left
- reader #1482
Before you speak, listen. Before you write, think. Before you spend, earn. Before you invest, investigate. Before you criticize, wait. Before you pray, forgive. Before you quit, try. Before you retire, save. Before you die, give.
ReplyDeleteSir,
ReplyDeleteYou may wish to peruse this...for more info on the Brussels attacks. More info..opinions..etc.
It's in Baen's Bar. I'm sure you are familiar with it.
http://bar.baen.com/index.php?t=msg&th=122274&start=0&
leaperman
Taking a page out of the RNC playbook, we could all declare ourselves Muslims tomorrow, and that would not stop the attacks. We would then not be the 'right kind' of Muslims. This isn't about religion, it is about power and conquest.
ReplyDelete~M1
Our institutions were created for just such an event. The cataclysmic failure of our institutions is due to the other murderous ideology- liberalism and its sacraments Political Correctness, Globalization and Appeasement. In the Liberal mind if we just hand the Jihadis a victory medal, maybe they would just go away. (Let's give everyone a trophy.)
We have the institutions to destroy these mutants, we just don't have the political will. Hillary and Kerry have destroyed faith in the State Dept., Obama have destroyed the FBI and justice Dept., and our military with 14 carrier battle groups can't attack the enemy for fear of harming the environment.
Six or seven years ago, I asked a prominent radio host what, exactly would be different if we had signed a surrender document? What more would the enemy demand that we haven't already given them?
I repeat these two questions today to this fine group of thinkers.
They could demand lots more, and will if they get the opportunity. Our debonaire, dancing President says ISIS is not an existential threat to the US. Maybe not now, though it's a threat to those it bombs or guns down (San Bernardino)but it will become such eventually if it's not crushed first. Here are what they could demand:
Delete1. That Muslims rule the USA, all two million of them lording it over the other 318 million of us.
2. All we non-Muslims pay jizya to the Muslims, a poll tax graduated according to ability to pay.
3. The US Constitution and all our legal system be replaced by Islamic law, administered by Muslim ulema.
4.All non-Muslims live as third class citizens, or dhimmis, subject to threats and violence whenever some Muslim prayer leader has a bad hair day, and to the choice of covert or die if he cannot pay the jizya. They would live under their own religious laws, so long as those did not offend Muslim sensibilities. No display of crosses or crucifixes allowed.
5. Kill all the Jews.
6. Kill all the atheists, Hindus, Buddhists and other polytheists.
7. Kill all the Muslim apostates, Muslim sectaries (non-Sunnis), and anybody smoking, listening to music, drinking alcohol, and women showing their faces or ankles. Maybe they'll be merciful and only give the women fifty lashes after raping them for being obvious wantons.
Basically the West has developed an addiction to playing Russian Roulette with Islam in a way that is played out in microcosm between Israel and its adversaries.
ReplyDeleteHAMAS/PLA are free to commit all of their efforts to finding ways to kill as many Israelis as possible, while Israel is required to sit around and hope HAMAS never comes up with the technical capacity to do major damage.
Israel's been playing this dangerous game for a long time now and the rest of the west is obsessed with getting their turn with the gun.
- reader #1482
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