There’s no consensus in the United States on who the enemy is, or whether to freely say it’s Islam, or it’s a perversion of a form of Islam. Is it Wahhabism? Is it Salafism? Or is it basic Islam? Who should we ally with strategically? In other words, the approach has been very much strategic. There are people in the United States, including this administration, who are waking up to the fact that there is a battle of ideas going on, but they’re too shy to voice what the ideas are. Another point of criticism – and that’s not only towards this administration – but I’ve seen and heard it all over the place is just this desire to avoid Saudi Arabia as a culprit; the state that’s not only financing terrorism, but also financing the ideology behind the terror acts. I think it was a mistake to declare it a “war on terror”. Terror is just a tactic, and it shows how much . . . how strategic the whole approach is towards what’s going on. Another mistake on both sides of the Atlantic is that if we just appease them – if we just understand what they want from us and we give it to them, they might not be so bad to us. Or they might forgive, or they might . . . I think those are mistakes that were made. But again I’ll come back to the distinction between Europe and America. And it seems as if America is learning much faster than Europe. And by learning, I mean waking up to the fact that it is Islam . . . not necessarily all Muslims, but Islam as a set of ideas; and that that can mean military . . . I mean very disastrous military action. Which for every politician, it is a terrible decision to take to say, “We are going to war.” Or, “We are going to do something destructive.” Or, “We’re going to take an unpopular action.” And Americans seem to be much more courageous in making that decision. They did ________ in the Second World War and later than the Europeans who have . . . I think the Europeans leadership at this point s really self-restrained, and I say this because of the approach to Iran. Recorded on: 8/15/07
Discuss
Omar Sapayeen on January 17, 2008, 7:54 AM
Could you be more vague? In what sense is America or Europe "appeasing"? Who is "them"?
What are we giving to them?
Are you suggesting the war on terror should've been a war on Islam categorically? What 'terrible decision' do you think should have been made, that wasn't made by Europe and isn't being made by America? Is the former Iraq? The latter an invasion of Iran? Is it not clear from what we've seen in Iraq that the preemptive attack method has only worked to further inflame the terrorist organizations and give credence to their rhetoric that America is the great Satan trying to destroy all Muslims, everywhere?
You critique the West on being too cowardly to spell out what needs to be done. Other than expressing your own well documented hatred of Islam, you've deliberately been unclear as to what policy the West should adopt. Why is that?
Also, while I have a strong dislike for Saudi Arabia's corrupt and fanatical government, the solution is not to point it out as an enemy state and let bombs loose. The best we can do is to cut off our dependence on their black gold.
So far no American political leader has said that America needs to fight Islam categorically. The fringe right wing nut jobs such as Pat Robertson might agree with you, and the xenophobic hillbilly types who needed a new target to victimize since the civil rights movement…But amongst those with some actual substance, they all recognize that declaring war against a religion will not work.
The only thing I can credit you is on how you've managed to express such terrible hatred with such a mild-mannered voice.
Omar Sapayeen on January 17, 2008, 12:54 PM
Could you be more vague? In what sense is America or Europe “appeasing”? Who is “them”?
What are we giving to them?
Are you suggesting the war on terror should’ve been a war on Islam categorically? What ‘terrible decision’ do you think should have been made, that wasn’t made by Europe and isn’t being made by America? Is the former Iraq? The latter an invasion of Iran? Is it not clear from what we’ve seen in Iraq that the preemptive attack method has only worked to further inflame the terrorist organizations and give credence to their rhetoric that America is the great Satan trying to destroy all Muslims, everywhere?
You critique the West on being too cowardly to spell out what needs to be done. Other than expressing your own well documented hatred of Islam, you’ve deliberately been unclear as to what policy the West should adopt. Why is that?
Also, while I have a strong dislike for Saudi Arabia’s corrupt and fanatical government, the solution is not to point it out as an enemy state and let bombs loose. The best we can do is to cut off our dependence on their black gold.
So far no American political leader has said that America needs to fight Islam categorically. The fringe right wing nut jobs such as Pat Robertson might agree with you, and the xenophobic hillbilly types who needed a new target to victimize since the civil rights movement…But amongst those with some actual substance, they all recognize that declaring war against a religion will not work.
The only thing I can credit you is on how you’ve managed to express such terrible hatred with such a mild-mannered voice.
Khatera Rahmani on January 19, 2008, 9:18 PM
if this is a war of ideologies, (which in my opinion isn't) who is to say that western ideals are more moral or should prevail? I think its very naive to consider this just another crusade. Religion and state are intertwined in many Islamic nations, but thats not to say that Islamic ideals and representative governments cannot co-exist (yes even with Islam). If we look at American values, they are based mainly on Christan morals. It would be absurd to claim that Christan beliefs do not affect American laws and policies. I believe a free-Islamic state is possible. Devout Muslims take part in democracies all over the world – they are certainly capable of creating their own. She fails to mention that many of the "terrorism" the west is fighting today, was funded by the west a few decades earlier. Maybe the west should put away its moral compass- its caused enough problems as it is.
Khatera Rahmani on January 20, 2008, 2:18 AM
if this is a war of ideologies, (which in my opinion isn’t) who is to say that western ideals are more moral or should prevail? I think its very naive to consider this just another crusade. Religion and state are intertwined in many Islamic nations, but thats not to say that Islamic ideals and representative governments cannot co-exist (yes even with Islam). If we look at American values, they are based mainly on Christan morals. It would be absurd to claim that Christan beliefs do not affect American laws and policies. I believe a free-Islamic state is possible. Devout Muslims take part in democracies all over the world – they are certainly capable of creating their own. She fails to mention that many of the “terrorism” the west is fighting today, was funded by the west a few decades earlier. Maybe the west should put away its moral compass- its caused enough problems as it is.
Chuck Braman on March 9, 2008, 1:24 PM
Who is to say that Western ideals are more moral or should prevail? Anyone who values reason over faith, knowledge over ignorance, science over superstition, industry over manual labor, self-interest over self-sacrifice, freedom over enslavement, prosperity over poverty, life over death.
In the case of the individual who asked that question, I would hope that they would prefer to have the right to express their views on a forum like this as opposed to being censored, or worse.
Muliculturalism is wrong. Anyone who cares about their own welfare should be defending and spreading Western ideas and values and those cultures that are not familiar with them should learn and adopt them.
Regarding America's political system, it is based primarily on the ideas of John Locke, not Jesus. As to American culture itself, it is primarily a secular, Aristotelian culture. The influence of Christianity has not been dominant in the West since the Middle Ages.
Chuck Braman on March 9, 2008, 5:24 PM
Who is to say that Western ideals are more moral or should prevail? Anyone who values reason over faith, knowledge over ignorance, science over superstition, industry over manual labor, self-interest over self-sacrifice, freedom over enslavement, prosperity over poverty, life over death.
In the case of the individual who asked that question, I would hope that they would prefer to have the right to express their views on a forum like this as opposed to being censored, or worse.
Muliculturalism is wrong. Anyone who cares about their own welfare should be defending and spreading Western ideas and values and those cultures that are not familiar with them should learn and adopt them.
Regarding America’s political system, it is based primarily on the ideas of John Locke, not Jesus. As to American culture itself, it is primarily a secular, Aristotelian culture. The influence of Christianity has not been dominant in the West since the Middle Ages.
Omar Sapayeen on April 28, 2008, 2:51 PM
What exactly is "western culture"? Does it include the concept of the 'white man's burden' and colonialism? The notion that western countries have the right to govern eastern countries and leech from them their resources and labor? Is white supremacy or western supremacy still a part of western culture? By what measure of reason does the US feel it has the right to be the UN's arm in enforcing international law (eg Iraq) while at the same time vehemently denying its own obligations in terms of following other laws (eg environmental treaties)?
What IS western culture exactly? What are western ideas? Equality? Freedom? Racial segregation or apartheid? Colonialism? The holocaust wasn't dreamt up in the East.
When exactly is Queen Elizabeth expected to return the Kohinoor diamond which she'd stolen from India?
Omar Sapayeen on April 28, 2008, 6:51 PM
What exactly is “western culture”? Does it include the concept of the ‘white man’s burden’ and colonialism? The notion that western countries have the right to govern eastern countries and leech from them their resources and labor? Is white supremacy or western supremacy still a part of western culture? By what measure of reason does the US feel it has the right to be the UN’s arm in enforcing international law (eg Iraq) while at the same time vehemently denying its own obligations in terms of following other laws (eg environmental treaties)?
What IS western culture exactly? What are western ideas? Equality? Freedom? Racial segregation or apartheid? Colonialism? The holocaust wasn’t dreamt up in the East.
When exactly is Queen Elizabeth expected to return the Kohinoor diamond which she’d stolen from India?
Alexander Scholz on June 1, 2008, 11:03 PM
What does she want? War on Iran and Saudi Arabia?
What's going on is not a battle between ideas but of finance markets and resources. Why covering these reasons? Perhaps otherwise one have to face the fact that the West has no superior moral position.
From where did she get the impression that Europe is giving to Iran or whoever what they want just to comfort them, make them less dangerous?
Alexander Scholz on June 2, 2008, 3:03 AM
What does she want? War on Iran and Saudi Arabia?
What’s going on is not a battle between ideas but of finance markets and resources. Why covering these reasons? Perhaps otherwise one have to face the fact that the West has no superior moral position.
From where did she get the impression that Europe is giving to Iran or whoever what they want just to comfort them, make them less dangerous?
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