"At its most extreme, liberal denial has found expression in a growing subculture of conspiracy theorists who believe that the atrocities of 9/11 were orchestrated by our own government. A nationwide poll conducted by the Scripps Survey Research Center at Ohio University found that more than a third of Americans suspect that the federal government "assisted in the 9/11 terrorist attacks or took no action to stop them so the United States could go to war in the Middle East;" 16% believe that the twin towers collapsed not because fully-fueled passenger jets smashed into them but because agents of the Bush administration had secretly rigged them to explode.
Such an astonishing eruption of masochistic unreason could well mark the decline of liberalism, if not the decline of Western civilization. There are books, films and conferences organized around this phantasmagoria, and they offer an unusually clear view of the debilitating dogma that lurks at the heart of liberalism: Western power is utterly malevolent, while the powerless people of the Earth can be counted on to embrace reason and tolerance, if only given sufficient economic opportunities.I don't know how many more engineers and architects need to blow themselves up, fly planes into buildings or saw the heads off of journalists before this fantasy will dissipate. The truth is that there is every reason to believe that a terrifying number of the world's Muslims now view all political and moral questions in terms of their affiliation with Islam. This leads them to rally to the cause of other Muslims no matter how sociopathic their behavior. This benighted religious solidarity may be the greatest problem facing civilization and yet it is regularly misconstrued, ignored or obfuscated by liberals."
"In their analyses of U.S. and Israeli foreign policy, liberals can be relied on to overlook the most basic moral distinctions. For instance, they ignore the fact that Muslims intentionally murder noncombatants, while we and the Israelis (as a rule) seek to avoid doing so. Muslims routinely use human shields, and this accounts for much of the collateral damage we and the Israelis cause; the political discourse throughout much of the Muslim world, especially with respect to Jews, is explicitly and unabashedly genocidal.
Given these distinctions, there is no question that the Israelis now hold the moral high ground in their conflict with Hamas and Hezbollah. And yet liberals in the United States and Europe often speak as though the truth were otherwise. We are entering an age of unchecked nuclear proliferation and, it seems likely, nuclear terrorism. There is, therefore, no future in which aspiring martyrs will make good neighbors for us. Unless liberals realize that there are tens of millions of people in the Muslim world who are far scarier than Dick Cheney, they will be unable to protect civilization from its genuine enemies."
He's describing you to a "T" Nadir. This liberal gets it, why don't you?
15 comments:
Six: I have been reading a fascinating book, "The Sword of the Prophet," a critical examination of Mohammad and Islam. The information about Mohammad is earth-shaking, if it is true. It coincides wtih assertions made by others recently, including Arab democracy advocates that you and I have praised on this blog.
Mohammad was what we would call a warlord, a guy who commanded a group of soldiers who overtook all the areas that they could. They executed those who refuted Mohammad's re-telling and re-casting of the old and new testimats, with him as the real savior. Decapitation served as a favored method, including the decapitation of a mother breast-feeding her son. "Who will raise this orphan?", one of his followers asked. "Satan," Moh replied.
A real sweatheart. Perhaps Nadir can show where these stories are lies. The book references the koran as its source material. I have not yet had a chance to check these references, but I will, and I'll report back.
The Roman Empire of course did evolve into the Catholic Church, which in turn devolved/evolved into various European monarchies. These entities of course did wage campaigns of imperialism, using christianity as their bases. However, the leaders of these campaigns could find no direct support for their actions from christ's teachings. Conversely, the various wars of conquest led by the Islamic Empire which arose direclty out of Mohammad's conquest first of his home city Meca, and then the rest of Arabia, all took direct instructions from Mohammad's strictures, including battlefield strategies.
Very well done article. This guy is a real liberal on such matters as "taxing the rich." But he realizes that there is a real problem within islam, and that it -- and not Dick Cheney -- constitutes a dire threat to civilization, and quite excedes any comparasson to crazy christians living today.
However, none of you guys can offer scientific evidence or forensic evidence to disprove many of the conspiracy theories. Some of them are obviously bogus, but many have credence.
What most Americans believe is that the government isn't telling the whole truth about 9/11. I don't have evidence that the government is responsible for the attacks, but I know that there are enough questions and wholes to doubt the official story.
You can call me a crackpot all you want, but the fact that you guys take your government at its word when it is obviously not telling the whole truth means you are sheep.
Which is worse? The sheep who follows the herd blindly or the crackpot who stops and bleats "LOOK OUT FOR THAT CLIFF!!!!"
Paul,
I don't claim to be an authority on the history of the prophet Muhammad, but I do know he advocated spreading Islam by the sword. This is historical fact, and is indisputable.
What is your point? Why would I say that is a lie? It isn't.
Moses parted the Red Sea so the children of Israel could pass and then let the waves fall on Pharoah's army.
God violently destroyed Sodom and Gomorah. He encouraged Abraham to sacrifice his son (Issac or Ishmael depending on your persuasion).
Joshua fit the battle of Jericho and brought the walls down on his enemies.
Samson pushed the pillars committing suicide, but killing the Philistines inside the temple.
The Jews stoned adulterers. Christians burned witches at the stake.
The Spanish inquisition, the forced conversion of hundreds of thousands of indigenous people whereever Christians colonized and the genocide of many millions of people...
Christians bomb abortion clinics and hospitals. Jews bomb ambulances and civilian homes. Muslims walk into crowded clubs and restaurants with bombs strapped to their chests and detonate them.
Are you saying Muhammad is worse because he was violent? I say Islam, Judaism and Christianity come from the same violent roots. I have studied this. This is historical fact.
I also say that Christians, Muslims and Jews still act violently to propagate their religions and their political aims today.
So what is your point, and what does this have to do with 9/11? And why would I say any of this is a lie?
You guys try so hard to argue with me, you miss the facts that are right in front of you. It's pathetic.
Above I attempted to convey to Nadir two points:
1) Christianity no longer spreads via the sword, nor any longer contains a substantial number of people using christianity as a basis for subjugating other peoples, for denying them the right to practice other religions, no religion, or to redicule christianity. Meanwhile, Islam still suffers from such tyrants to a significant extent.
2) Although people calling themselves christians used christianity as described above, they never found in the words of Jesus any justification for such actions. None of Nadir's christian examples above enjoy umbrage in the New Testiment teachings of christ. Christianity was created by a pacifist whose signature action constituted one of submission. Islam, meanwhile, was founded by a warrior who visitted terrible, violent retribution on those who offended him. Whereas Jesus ended such barbaric Jewish practices as stoning fallen women, Mohammad commanded and implimented them. Thus these religions starkly differ on these matters.
Today's zionists -- whom I agree are by definition racist -- are fundimentally different than today's Muslim crusaders (and the ancient zionists). They do not desire to prevent other people from practicing other religions, no religion, or blasphemy, nor do they attempt to establish an extensive empire. If the Irealis achieve their goals, this will not interfere with muslims or anybody else in practicing any religion, and muslims will be free to travel safely in and out of Isreal, to live there, and to complete freedoms within Isreal.
If the muslim crusaders win, a large muslim empire will exist, and in it people will have zero freedom. In fact, such a muslim empire as sought by the various crusaders would violently restrict the practices of various other muslims. The Shia crusaders would prevent Sunnis practices, and vice versa.
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23367406-details/The+unholy+past+of+the+Muslim+cleric+demanding+the+Pope's+execution/article.do
Nadir: Here's a retarded London muslim who speaks before large, enthusiastic crowds calling for the execution of the pope, cartoonists, and anybody else who expresses themselves in ways that he deems an "insult" to Mohammad, Allah, or Islam. Please provide me similar examples of jews or christians exhibiting similar behavior.... in 2006, not in 1506.
I enjoy how this anti-civilization tyrant lives off of the British liberal dole.
"1) Christianity no longer spreads via the sword, nor any longer contains a substantial number of people using christianity as a basis for subjugating other peoples, for denying them the right to practice other religions, no religion, or to redicule christianity."
"We should invade their countries, kill their leaders, and convert them to Christianity." - your hero, Ann Coulter
"(T)he feminist agenda is not about equal rights for women. It is about a socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians." –Pat Robertson
"You know, I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it. It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war ... We have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability. We don't need another $200 billion war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm dictator. It's a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and then get it over with." –Pat Robertson, calling for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez
"2) Although people calling themselves christians used christianity as described above, they never found in the words of Jesus any justification for such actions. None of Nadir's christian examples above enjoy umbrage in the New Testiment teachings of christ. Christianity was created by a pacifist whose signature action constituted one of submission. Islam, meanwhile, was founded by a warrior who visitted terrible, violent retribution on those who offended him. Whereas Jesus ended such barbaric Jewish practices as stoning fallen women, Mohammad commanded and implimented them. Thus these religions starkly differ on these matters."
Jesus didn't create Christianity. Paul did. Jesus was a pacifist Jew. He didn't end stoning of adulterous women. He stopped one woman's stoning.
But I don't have anything bad to say about Yeshua. He was a great revolutionary. Radical and liberal, in fact. You would have accused him of being a socialist.
"If the Irealis achieve their goals, this will not interfere with muslims or anybody else in practicing any religion, and muslims will be free to travel safely in and out of Isreal, to live there, and to complete freedoms within Isreal."
Bullshit. Palestinian Muslims can't travel freely in and out of Israel now.
"If the muslim crusaders win, a large muslim empire will exist, and in it people will have zero freedom. In fact, such a muslim empire as sought by the various crusaders would violently restrict the practices of various other muslims."
The Muslims who are crusaders are extremists just like Coulter and Robertson. Most Muslims don't care what your religion is. They consider "the people of the book" to be their brothers because they worship the same god.
"Here's a retarded London muslim who speaks before large, enthusiastic crowds calling for the execution of the pope, cartoonists, and anybody else who expresses themselves in ways that he deems an "insult" to Mohammad, Allah, or Islam. Please provide me similar examples of jews or christians exhibiting similar behavior.... in 2006, not in 1506."
"If you're not a born-again Christian, you're a failure as a human being."
-- Rev Jerry Falwell
"I had a student ask me, "Could the savior you believe in save Osama bin Laden?" Of course, we know the blood of Jesus Christ can save him, and then he must be executed."
-- Rev Jerry Falwell
"I hope I live to see the day when, as in the early days of our country, we won't have any public schools. The churches will have taken them over again and Christians will be running them. What a happy day that will be!"
-- Rev Jerry Falwell,
"AIDS is not just God's punishment for homosexuals; it is God's punishment for the society that tolerates homosexuals."
-- Jerry Falwell
"The idea that religion and politics don't mix was invented by the Devil to keep Christians from running their own country."
-- Rev Jerry Falwell
"If we are going to save America and evangelize the world, we cannot accommodate secular philosophies that are diametrically opposed to Christian truth ... We need to pull out all the stops to recruit and train 25 million Americans to become informed pro-moral activists whose voices can be heard in the halls of Congress. I am convinced that America can be turned around if we will all get serious about the Master's business. It may be late, but it is never too late to do what is right. We need an old-fashioned, God-honoring, Christ-exalting revival to turn American back to God. America can be saved!"
-- Jerry Falwell
"The Jews are returning to their land of unbelief. They are spiritually blind and desperately in need of their Messiah and Savior."
-- Jerry Falwell
"I do not believe the homosexual community deserves minority status. One's misbehavior does not qualify him or her for minority status. Blacks, Hispanics, women, etc., are God-ordained minorities who do indeed deserve minority status."
-- Jerry Falwell (Actually whites are the minority on the planet.)
"The ACLU is to Christians what the American Nazi party is to Jews."
-- Rev Jerry Falwell
"Billy Graham is the chief servant of Satan."
-- Rev Jerry Falwell
"Mankind, East and West, Christian and Muslim, accepted the Jewish conviction that there is only one G-d. Today it is polytheism that is so difficult to understand, that is so unthinkable."
- T.R. Grover, The Ancient World
Why is polythesim unthinkable? Religious discrimination...
"The Jews, however, are beyond all doubt the strongest, toughest, and purest race at present living in Europe; they know how to succeed even under the worst conditions (in fact better than under favorable ones) by means of virtues of some sort, which one would like nowadays to label as vices-owing above all to a resolute faith which does not need to be ashamed before "modern idea...
It is certain that the Jew, if he desired-or if they were driven to it, as the antisemites seem to wish-could now have the ascendancy, nay, literally the supremacy, over Europe; that they are not working or planning for that end is equally sure... The resourcefulness of the modern Jews, both in mind and soul, is extraordinary..."
- Friedrich Nietzsche
Nadir: Keep all those quotes from Falwell coming. In contrast to the various powerful islamic leaders of today that horrify me, those quotes are reassuringly tame. Falwall wants to "mix" church and state only to the extent that preachers procalim who to vote for, and people use their christian beliefs to dictate their views on such matters as abortion and prayer in school. He's not advocating replacing the US Constitution with the Ten Commandments (or even the Sermon on the Mount).
Falwell wants to execute Bin Laden not for being a muslim or for drawing a cartoon of Jesus, but rather killing 3,000 people. And in order for Falwell to execute Bin Laden, he would do so with no example from Jesus for such a thing. Meanwhile many millions of muslims today, including some govt officials, call for the execution of people for ridiculing Mohammad.
You reckon that Ann Coulter and Pat Roberson pose an equivilant threat to the world's muslims as does Hezbollah, Hamas, etc. to people in the world who want freedom to practice any or no religion? Ann and Pat want to ban gay marriage; Hezbohs want to execute fags. Same thing?
You may be correct somehow in concluding that Jesus didn't end the practice of stoning women, for example. But the new testiment has him encountering this practice precisely once, and he stops it. Christians thus have from jesus a single example of his view here. Muslims on the other hand have many examples of Mohammad overseeing the execution of people for committing such sins as ridiculing him... and he came 650 or so years after the examples of Jesus (which were well-known to Mohammad).
You equate the travel restrictions on today's Isreali muslims (given that Isreal is surrounded by muslim populations devoted to eradicating Isreal) with the country that would exist were Hezbollah to succeed? Amazing mental gymnastics, Nadir. Do you also equate Velveeta with a raw milk parmassan? If all the muslims around Isreal stopped trying to eradicate Isreal, do you believe those restrictions would cease? If Isreal vanished, what would the "travel restrictions" be for Jews, Christians, and Hindus in Saudi Arabia?
I do not understand the point of your Nietzsche annd Grover quotations.
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