Europe's Guilt

Don't let it become ours!

Responding to a capitulatory article in the British press, wretchard of Belmont Club responds,
Max Hasting's striking phrase "yet we shall defeat them only when our Muslim community at large perceives that its interests are identified with Britain's polity" is as clever a case for surrender as I've ever heard. What of Britain's interests, the ones which presumably include Hindus, ethnic Europeans, Chinese and Jews. Might one not make an equal argument for saying that Britain's policy should never rest easy until it satisfies them too? And should those conflict with the interests of "our Muslim community" then is it simply a matter of satisfying the most violent petitioners?
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Max Hastings is a brilliant writer but he's a European and as such he's acutely aware of how much of the Middle Eastern mess is Britain and France's fault. They created Syria and Iraq from maps. They promised the Arabs nationhood yet strove to subjugate them. Western Europe nearly exterminated the Jews then gave them a homeland in Palestine in recompense. France helped build Dimona and armed Israel. Then it went and helpled build Osirak. Hasting's weakness is to see the world through Europe's prism -- that supposedly sophisticated and moral vantage which poseurs adopt in lieu of thinking things out for themselves.

What he doesn't realize is that we are past Europe now; beyond both its sins and its conceits. Sam Huntington understood that the world had its own beefs against radical Islam independent of Europe's guilts. Israel, for example, wants to live. And they are a nuclear armed country with a population larger than Australia which is going to live, going to survive, whatever Britain and its "polity" make up their minds to do.

So when Osama Bin Laden swears he will convert the whole world to Islam, its wrong to regard it from the perspective of some world weary Briton. The Third World Christian, Hindu or Buddhist will not so gently go into this good night. If that creates problems for Britain, too bad. If America is not careful it will let Europe conn it into taking on the mantle of its guilt. That's the "We the West" part. When it comes to paying the bill for their folly let it not be the "You Americans" part.
Indeed!

Tonight at the gym I saw a small segment on CNN where they went into the street (in America) to find out about "muslim rage" and its roots.

Some expert or other told them that's where the problem was, in the streets.

Without much trouble they found a group of angry muslims standing on a corner, listening to a bearded American-born muslim whose name we are told translates as "father of the holy war" -- and that "he takes his name seriously."

The newsman asks why they are angry. I don't have a transcript but this is essentially how the exchange went:
[CNN]: Why are you angry?

[Mr. Jihad]: We are angry! We are tired of the media blaming all problems on the muslims! You are attacking islam! We will not turn the other cheek; we are not Christians!

[CNN, a little shocked]: Doesn't islam mean peace???

[Mr. Jihad]: Peace? Uh...oh yes! Islam is peace! Peace!

[martyrs-in-waiting chime in]: Peace! Peace!

[Mr. Jihad]: Islam teaches that when someone is laying their hands on you, you...(catches self from saying "strike off their heads")...uh, Islam teaches peace, but we are defending ourselves!

[human bombs]: Defending ourselves!
Interesting, isn't it, that an American-born person would identify as being personally attacked by our "policies" in the Middle East?

One wonders what justification there was for all the terror attacks -- including 9/11 -- prior to the Iraq war of 2003, which is apparently the current grievance. Rest assured some false grievance or other would be manufactured no matter what we do.

That's been the whole shakedown strategy of jihad for 1400 years.

Clearly, their identification is not at all with America, but with a pan-islamic transnationalism.

Such allegiances are antithetical to our whole way of life and system of values and government.

And must not be tolerated.

Stop mohammedan immigration now.