I was impressed by the Fred Thompson interview on breitbart.tv (link iffy) because Thompson seems to be playing “long ball.” The Democratic Congress seems to be playing “short ball,” as if the War in Iraq were a thing in itself.
It’s not even remotely. In fact, it’s almost irrelevant whether we get in or out of Iraq. We’re in anyway. We’ve been in for hundreds of years without evening knowing it.
Ayatollah Khomeini knew, of course. When he returned victoriously to Iran in 1979, telling a nonplussed Peter Jennings that coming back to his home country meant nothing to the soon-to-be Supreme Leader. Like most of us, Jennings did not realize at the time that Khomeini was not interested at all in temporal nation-states. Only Allah’s Kingdom was of concern to him – spreading it as far and wide as he could.
Now if you believe … I mean really believe … in the primacy of eternal life over our humdrum reality, then Khomeini had a point. And it follows you can treat anyone who doesn’t go along with you in the tawdry material world as despicably as you wish (just as he, Bin Laden, etc., etc.) have. But if you don’t, you should be thinking about the hundreds of millions of people (far more than ever followed Hitler) who lean in Khomeini’s direction and try to figure out what to do about them.
That’s what I mean about “long ball.” It’s a very hard game, particularly for a politician who is running for office. But, in the age of nuclear proliferation, it has never been more necessary.
I have a number of retired military in my family. I served many years ago. Everyone in the military or retired from it, that I speak to, is well aware we are in a “big war”, as they term it. A few politicians know this. Joe Lieberman is the only Democrat I see who recognizes the problem. I think Giuliani does and has realized this since the first WTC bombing. I wonder how many others do.
on drudge, there is a link to a story about the Kurds stoning a young, 17 year old girl, to DEATH for having the wrong sort of boyfriend.
That infuriates me. I truly wish we could just forget the whole ME mess, and let those BARBARIANS go back to herding goats.
However, We can forget/ignore Zimbabwe… but we cannot ignore the ME because of the oil. And the money made from that oil is fueling an attack on us – on my civilization – so that my grandchildren can live in a world were 17 year old girls are stoned to death by her neighbours. For having the wrong kind of boyfriend.
This barbaric disgusting murder occurred in Kurdistan, the part of Iraq we are supposed to be proud of, because it is so ‘civilized’, so pro West. Well.
The long war. We – every industrialized nation, including India and China – depends on oil We in the West spend something like 10% of our income on food. Well. That benighted disgusting pack of BARBARIANS sit atop most of the world’s oil.
And until we can find an alternative to OIL – we are doomed to this “Long War.” And that is the truth.
Does anyone sane, think that those BARBARIANS will hesitate for one second to use nuclear weaponry.. or poison gas (ie, chlorine gas already) for reasons of ‘morality’???
What is so “hard” about the war with Islam? They want to kill us. All of us. At some point they will suceed in launching a catastrophic assault. Whether it will be nuclear or a poison agent matters not. At that point we will loose our arsenal on them. It is a monstrous arsenal. We will kill mamy many many of them. Not being the supermen they claim to be they will surrender. That will be the way the war with Islam will end. Will it be terrible? Yes. It will be very very terrible. But given who they are and the power at our disposal there is no other way. Unless, that is, we choose slavery.
I think, ricpic, that we can do precisely what you suggest. In fact, I’ve often wondered if simply erasing Saudi Arabia, for example, would not be best for us in the long run.
However, the biggest problem, in my view, comes not from overseas Muslim fanatics, but from those whose ancestors emigrated from Muslims countries and settled into western countries. These people become fanatical, as well, yet they are protected because they are already in western countries. Plus, remember that they vote! Politicians are very aware of their votes.
Saudi Arabia is a huge problem, especially for the U.S., as it funnels monies to many U.S. polticians and basically buys their votes. Destroying Saudi Arabia would erase this problem, but it might be better simply to prohibit foreign governments or foreigners from transferring large amounts of money to U.S. institutions. As long as the Arabians has huge financial reserves, a fanatical sort of religion, and Americans capable of being purchased, this will remain the greatest danger.
Saudi Arabia has been buying influence by hiring retired State Department people and foreign service officers for many years. Brent Scowcroft, who was Bush I’s NSC chair and who has written a number of anti-Bush II editorial pieces has been employed by the Saudis through the Carlyle Group since he retired from government service. I think the Saudis have exhausted their usefulness to our side and are a liability. The royal family, all 7,000 of them, are just funding the extremists and keeping their French Riviera bolt holes until the situation goes one way or the other. I give George W credit for ignoring Saudi interests and placing our national interests first.
The Democrats are actually, consciously or unconsciously, following the Saudi line. At this point, after all that has happened, I am agnostic about whether the Saudi royal family is an ally or a liability. Let them fend for themselves.
Yep, Roger. This is from “moderate” Bill Richardson today on HuffPo:
I first called for de-authorization of the war in Iraq in January, and I have repeated that call all around the country — because I believe immediate de-authorization and removing all of our troops from Iraq this year is the only way to end Bush’s war….Congress has the ability to end this war under the War Powers Act — let’s not wait or waver while more people die. And de-authorizing the war should mean removing all our troops. Every last one.
[emphasis mine]
Ricpic,
I have been saying what you wrote for several years now. It is inevitable, regardless of the outcome in Iraq. Dhimmitude, however, will never be a real threat; America truly is exceptional.