Deathstruggle
Alan Dershowitz is generally morally obtuse himself, but even HE gets it:
"Only the morally obtuse or perverse cannot recognize the difference between a terrorist group that targets civilian population centers with anti-personnel weapons designed to maximize civilian casualties and a democracy that seeks to prevent terrorism by employing smart bombs designed to minimize civilian casualties. [UN Secretary General Kofi] Annan knows better than to suggest a moral equivalence. He is fully aware of the tactic employed by terrorists of launching their rockets from, and hiding behind, civilian shields, so as to make democracies have to kill some civilians to get at the terrorists... [E]ven worse than the one-sided condemnations that ignore Hezbollah and Hamas are the numerous statements that perversely suggest moral equivalence. The UN peacekeepers on the Lebanese border have turned out to be collaborators with Hezbollah, videotaping the Hezbollah kidnapping of three Israeli soldiers in 2000 and then refusing to release the video which could have helped in the rescue on the grounds that it might compromise their 'neutrality.' This is a real test for the UN. If it cannot or will not distinguish between terrorists who target civilians and a democracy that seeks to stop the terrorism while minimizing civilian casualties, it has become part of the problem, rather than part of the solution."
Alan Dershowitz
(From the Federalist Patriot)
The only solution is to destroy the multiplicity of terrorist organizations which engage in this behavior. That means ALL of them, because they can simply move their members from one group to the next, passing the baton. It also means replacing any regime which supports or advocates the use of such despicable tactics. Terrorism must become morally reprehensible to the majority of the world. It must become an act so cowardly and immoral in the eyes of everyone that nobody will give it support or even tolerance. That necessitates the total destruction of these groups and the their supporters. There is no middle ground. I know many of you believe we can return to the world of yesteryear where terrorism is a thing ``over there`` and doesn`t impinge on us, but you are sadly mistaken; these groups will be over here before long if we follow such foolish counsel.
To believe that this is about Israel, or about our being on their territory, is to grossly misunderstand the situation. This is about the return of the Caliphate and the resumption of world conquest by Islam by any means necessary. That is the goal, and we happen to be in the way.
To all my Libertarian friends, I pose this question; how much liberty will we have under Sharia law?
Do you really think that if we pull back to a ``Fortress America`` that our enemies will leave us in peace? No! Basic military strategy-give chase when the enemy is in retreat. A pullback by us at this point means retreat, and this is an enemy which will chase us to the ends of the Earth. Don`t believe for a minute that we can hide from this. This is a deathstruggle, and we had better start fighting to win.
Either that, or buy yourself a rug and throw away your Bick razor.
"Only the morally obtuse or perverse cannot recognize the difference between a terrorist group that targets civilian population centers with anti-personnel weapons designed to maximize civilian casualties and a democracy that seeks to prevent terrorism by employing smart bombs designed to minimize civilian casualties. [UN Secretary General Kofi] Annan knows better than to suggest a moral equivalence. He is fully aware of the tactic employed by terrorists of launching their rockets from, and hiding behind, civilian shields, so as to make democracies have to kill some civilians to get at the terrorists... [E]ven worse than the one-sided condemnations that ignore Hezbollah and Hamas are the numerous statements that perversely suggest moral equivalence. The UN peacekeepers on the Lebanese border have turned out to be collaborators with Hezbollah, videotaping the Hezbollah kidnapping of three Israeli soldiers in 2000 and then refusing to release the video which could have helped in the rescue on the grounds that it might compromise their 'neutrality.' This is a real test for the UN. If it cannot or will not distinguish between terrorists who target civilians and a democracy that seeks to stop the terrorism while minimizing civilian casualties, it has become part of the problem, rather than part of the solution."
Alan Dershowitz
(From the Federalist Patriot)
The only solution is to destroy the multiplicity of terrorist organizations which engage in this behavior. That means ALL of them, because they can simply move their members from one group to the next, passing the baton. It also means replacing any regime which supports or advocates the use of such despicable tactics. Terrorism must become morally reprehensible to the majority of the world. It must become an act so cowardly and immoral in the eyes of everyone that nobody will give it support or even tolerance. That necessitates the total destruction of these groups and the their supporters. There is no middle ground. I know many of you believe we can return to the world of yesteryear where terrorism is a thing ``over there`` and doesn`t impinge on us, but you are sadly mistaken; these groups will be over here before long if we follow such foolish counsel.
To believe that this is about Israel, or about our being on their territory, is to grossly misunderstand the situation. This is about the return of the Caliphate and the resumption of world conquest by Islam by any means necessary. That is the goal, and we happen to be in the way.
To all my Libertarian friends, I pose this question; how much liberty will we have under Sharia law?
Do you really think that if we pull back to a ``Fortress America`` that our enemies will leave us in peace? No! Basic military strategy-give chase when the enemy is in retreat. A pullback by us at this point means retreat, and this is an enemy which will chase us to the ends of the Earth. Don`t believe for a minute that we can hide from this. This is a deathstruggle, and we had better start fighting to win.
Either that, or buy yourself a rug and throw away your Bick razor.
posted by Timothy Birdnow | 5:41 AM
4 Comments:
If the terrorist's intend to reinstate the Caliphate, they're looking in the wrong place if they think the United States is standing in their way. They need to petition the Turkish Grand National Assembly for it was the first President of the Turkish Republic who constitutionally abolished the institution of the Caliphate on March 3, 1924, and the Turkish Republic still retains the right to reinstate the Caliphate--not us.
Do I personally think this "war" is about the Caliphate? To be honest, your blog is really the only one I've seen advancing this theory. So no, I don't. I'll grant you that it may play a bit part, but it's not their driving motivation.
As to your question of how much liberty do libertarians expect to have under Sharia Law, I'd say not a heck of a lot. Your question, however, assumes that we've been vanquished as a nation so we all will have to answer that question, not just libertarians.
Or, am I to interpret your question to show your general misunderstanding of the libertarian's non-aggression principle? If that's the case, then you may want to brush up on it. The one thing I'll fight to the death to protect is my liberty, Tim. Put simply, I don't perceive my liberties to be threatened by terrorists the same way that you do.
Sorry to be so slow in getting back with you guys; things have been crazy.
Don, the many terrorist groups don`t CARE about the niceties of legal authority, and I doubt the abolition of the Caliphate by the Turks means a whole lot to them-they`ll set up their own!
Don, if you check out Jihad Watch, or Always On Watch, or a number of the conservative sites I have blogrolled, you`ll see they all understand this point. Why did Al-Quada attack us on Sept. 11? Because the last great push by the Islamic world into Europe ended in the wee hours of Sept. 12, and Bin-Laden was sending us a not-so-subtle message that Islamic expansion was back. Why has there been so much rage against the existence of Israel? Because it is a ``crusader state`` in ``their`` land which means a step backward. Islam does not allow reversal-especially not so near their holy of holies.
It should be pointed out that ``Palestinians`` are decendents from servants and laborers imported by the Turks, and they were few and far between before the 20th century. Mark Twain described it thus:
Stirring scenes ... occur in the valley [Jezreel] no more. There is not a solitary village throughout its whole extent-not for thirty miles in either direction. There are two or three small clusters of Bedouin tents, but not a single permanent habitation. One may ride ten miles hereabouts and not see ten human beings.
In fact go here for a series of descriptions on the desolation of Palestine prior to Jewish resettlement.
What`s the point? Nobody gave a damn about Palestine until it was settled by Westernized Jews. Suddenly it became the most important place on Earth to Moslems. Why? Because it meant an incursion into conquered land, and that meant Islam was being reversed. They are all about moving forward.
With oil revenues, the fall of the Soviet Union, and falling birthrates in the West, many in the Islamic world see this as their moment to resume conquest, and they use terrorism as their tool.
Don, they`re just not going to let us alone; it doesn`t matter if we retreat to a ``Fortress America`` or not. This is a war of cultural extermination.
We`ve been attacked repeatedly, we`ve been invaded by terror cells, had our embassies attacked and seized, etc. They are at war with us, and have been for a long time. It really doesn`t matter if we believe it or not-the point is that they do. This isn`t going to end without a fight, and the sooner we get to it and finish it, the better. I`m not content to wait to fight them here.
Gen. George Patton once said that ``fixed fortifications are a monument to the stupidity of Man``
What would that make a Fortress America?
Don, you`re as sharp as they come, but I just can`t agree with you here. Only time will tell.
Thanks, Brandon; I agree with you.
Do your views apply to all terrorists or only those you do not count as "freedom fighters"? Their targets are often identical (innocent civilians).
When terrorists flew planes into buildings in the US on 11/9 (UK format date!), incidentally killing UK citizens as well, there were many in Britain who were shocked at the loss of life - but also wondered if those Americans who funded the IRA would now appreciate the consequences of supporting terrorists...
You`re right Discoveredjoys; the funding of IRA terrorisms was abominable, and Irish-Americans (such as myself) had absolutely no right to do that. They should have been prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
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