"Do not look for Europe to support any decisive action against Iran. But look for much of their intelligentsia, and much of our own intelligentsia as well, to be alert for any opportunity to wax morally superior if we do act.
They will be able to think of all sorts of nicer alternatives to taking out Iran's nuclear development sites. They will be able to come up with all sorts of abstract arguments and moral equivalence, such as: Other countries have nuclear weapons. Why not Iran?"
We, the West, are going to morally equate ourselves into extinction.
2006-01-03
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4 comments:
Tom Sowell on if we should bomb Iran's nuclear capabilities: "It is as if we were on the Niagara River and wanted to go ashore before it was too late, but did not want to turn on the motors for fear of disturbing the neighbors with excessive noise."
I think I agree with him, but I also do worry that excessive security concerns in the US can eliminate what makes the US worth defending in the first place.
We shouldn't have to do it. Iran's more of a direct threat to Europe at the moment than to us, but they don't have the self-preservation motivation to do anything about it. They'll wait and wait until Israel or the U.S. takes matters it into their hands and then they'll have the nerve to "wax morally superior" as Sowell puts if we do.
Europe is in big, big trouble.
I read the book "The West's Last Chance : Will We Win the Clash of Civilizations?" by Tony Blankley, over the Christmas Holiday:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0895260158/qid=1136402722/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-5787832-2998223?n=507846&s=books&v=glance
I highly recommend it. One of the things it addresses are the security measures that have been instituted during past miltary conflicts, in particular WWII. The measures being taken currently pale in comparison with those taken during past conflicts.
I think you need to keep things in perspective and keep in mind what's really at stake.
Of course, if you're inclined to believe in conspiracy theories as are some folks we know, then I may as well be talking to a house plant.
I take that back. Europeans do still have the motivation for self-preservation. However, it's materializing within the general population (i.e. Mosque torchings, general retaliation against Muslims, etc.), spurred by events such as the brutal murder of Theo Van Gogh.
European gov't officials would be wise to be proactive and take the lead in taking action, and actually they are in some EU countries, in cracking down on radical Islamic extremists before general public takes things into their own hands even further.
Read Tony Blankley's book. It addresses all of this. Everyone should read it.
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