Friday, July 29, 2005
Hope In An Unusual Place
Mark Steyn was his usual eloquent and direct self in July 30 issue of the Spectator. He takes on all those that say terrorism is a crimnal matter and does not rise to the level of war. He takes a swipe at "the dole" while he is at it.
But this passage is the one I found most interesting.
This gives me great hope -- we won the cold war and we will win this war. But more, this war can and will be won faster and more easily than the Cold War was. "Why?" you may ask. Because this is a Cold War absent mutually assured destruction. This is a Cold War where military action can play an important, perhaps decisive role. This puts Iraq into a great perspective -- I'll trade Sudan for Iraq any day when it comes to winning on the global scale. I haven't felt hopeful in a while.
But this passage is the one I found most interesting.
You can laugh at that if you wish, but the Islamists? most often-stated goal is not infidel withdrawal from Iraq but the re-establishment of a Muslim caliphate living under Sharia that extends to Europe; and there?s a lot to be said for taking these chaps at their word and then seeing whether their behaviour is consistent.I love that passage because it puts things in a perspective with which I am most familiar. Do you see the Cold War pattern in that? Do you recognize the echoes of the "domino theory?"
Furthermore, there?s a lot more of the world that lives under Sharia than there was, say, 30 years ago: Pakistan adopted it in 1977, Iran in 1979, Sudan in 1984.... Fifty years ago, Nigeria lived under English common law; now, half of it?s in the grip of Islamic law. So, as a political project, radical Islam has made some headway, and continues to do so almost every day of the week: since the beginning of the year, for example, some 10 per cent of southern Thailand?s Buddhist population have abandoned their homes ? a far bigger disruption than the tsunami, yet all but unreported in the Western press. And whatever one?s opinion of the various local conflicts around the world ? Muslims vs Buddhists in Thailand, Muslims vs Hindus in Kashmir, Muslims vs Jews in the Holy Land, Muslims vs Russians in Chechnya, Muslims vs Christians in Africa ? the fact is that the jihad has held out a long time against very tough enemies. If you?re not shy about taking on the Israelis and Russians, why wouldn?t you fancy your chances against the Belgians and Spaniards?
This gives me great hope -- we won the cold war and we will win this war. But more, this war can and will be won faster and more easily than the Cold War was. "Why?" you may ask. Because this is a Cold War absent mutually assured destruction. This is a Cold War where military action can play an important, perhaps decisive role. This puts Iraq into a great perspective -- I'll trade Sudan for Iraq any day when it comes to winning on the global scale. I haven't felt hopeful in a while.
