Wake up, the West is losing

The Sunday Times (UK) ^ | 5/29/05 | Sarah Baxter

[Drew68]

Moralism re-defined by a blood-thirsty cult? I don't think so.

Moralism and moral energy are not the same. The Taliban had a great deal of moral energy in the sense that they believed their actions were moral and expended a lot of energy enforcing these morals.

The west lacks moral energy because constant leftist whining has made many westerners ashamed of their culture and this has manifested into a fear of criticizing other inferior cultures.

This is what I think the author meant and I agree with this assessment.

[Firefox1]

"In Selbourne’s view Americans are at a loss to understand why they are so hated, so they are turning their fire on their leader."

This is a point I too have been making. Some of the rhetoric from the 'anti-war, it's our fault' crowd has included such meaningless yet effective statements such as, 'They hate us because of our policies'. I'm willing to listen to any argument but, what specific policy of the US is causing hatred in the Islamic world? If it is our policy of spreading human rights, freedom, and democracy (as best we can) then, this is not our problem it is theirs. Westerners have to grow up and realize this is 'big boy adult time.' A large portion of the Muslim world is beginning to violently oppose the very ideas of freedom. We should of course talk when we can but also fight when we must. It's that simple.

[eyespysomething]

When David Selbourne flew into America recently, he had good reason to feel he had arrived in the land of the free. His new book, The Losing Battle with Islam, was featured at New York’s Book Expo, the US publishing industry’s trade fair last week, after it failed to find a British publisher.

Ping.

[Drew68]

He is pessimistic about the outcome of this religious and cultural war. “We’re up against a terrific foe. The United States and the non-Muslim world are in a desperate predicament. We’re damned if we do and damned if we don’t take them on.”

. . .

In other words, if we lose the battle, forget Bush, we have only ourselves to blame.

Ultimately the West will win and crush Islam because we are the superior culture. This PC crap will eventually fall by the wayside (it already is starting to unravel) and we'll start getting mean.

The West knows how to make war and kill by the millions. We've done it a couple of times before. This restraint we've imposed on ourselves will evaporate with repeated terrorist acts. The Islamic world will see our wrath and future generations of muslims will curse the name Osama bin Laden.

Even the liberals don't want to live under the green banner of Islam.

[jocon307]

"In other words, if we lose the battle, forget Bush, we have only ourselves to blame."

It's NOT Bush's fault!

Great post. It's articles like this that make FR the best of the web every day.

[Antoninus]

Islam is a religion on the rise, winning converts among the poor and needy, from Africa and Indonesia to inmates of American jails. “It’s the politics of the underdog, the marginalised. If it’s the socialism of our time, with an ethic that appeals to the oppressed, it will have the same force.”

The only difference between Islam and Christianity in this regard is that the Western World is actively supporting one while actively opposing the other. The irony is almost too much to bear.

[ClaireSolt]

No wonder the British intellectuals ran him off. As the first comment said, this man is confused. He bemoans that we used to have a unifying idea of civil community. Say what? When? Also, there is nothing like a common ennemy to unite people to clarify their common interests.

[hoagy62]

'Boomers', as in the Navy slang for nuclear ballistic missle submarines.

We have more of them in operational status than any other country in the world.

Just ONE Ohio-class SSBN has enogh warheads aboard to take out all the Islamo-fascist capitals in the world.

[Eastbound]

I'll have to think about that. My view of morals, morality, moralism, is a bit more narrow and has common attributes across cultures, more universal and grounded in absolutes (from a religious perspective). Thanks for the reply, Drew.

Neil, comment?

[Eastbound]

"The Islamic world will see our wrath and future generations of muslims will curse the name Osama bin Laden."

BTTT!

[DumpsterDiver]

'Boomers', as in the Navy slang for nuclear ballistic missle submarines.

Thank you. My guess was that it was something that would make a loud noise.

[onedoug]

Duh...

[Dad yer funny]

bookmrk ping and thanks,good post Cicero

[Vision]

[jocon307]

DUDE! WHAT YOU SAID!

[ndkos]

Actually I would agree with almost all this guy says in this article. Islam will be advancing because as Hillaire Belloc says, it contains many moral truths that the modern atheist/pagan religion of today does not (as all heresies do). Its flaws will seem small to people today because of all the anti-Christian nonsense that has come and still comes from the intellectual establishment of the past 40 years or so.

Historically, Islam and Christianity have been two religions that have both had great success converting pagans, but almost no success at converting Muslims to Christians or Christians to Muslims. That's why there are still Christians in Iraq to this day. They have spent over 1,000 in exile under Muslim rule.

But I also think that Christianity will be on the rebound with Islam. Maybe not just yet but in 25-50 years from now I would think it would be very likely.

And I have no problem with the state spending money on social programs like he does. Just the social programs should be rooted in Christian morality, or better yet, run by Christian groups. When it comes to public schools, PBS, and the National Endowment for the Arts it could not be money worse spent!

[FreeRep]

You are right, as Winston Churchill understood at the time, and Chamberlain (todays whining leftists) did not, was that Hitler was driven by what Churchill called 'currents of hatred so intense as to sear the souls of those who swim upon them." That was also what drove the men who drove the planes into the World Trade Center.

[Malesherbes]

We (and our reluctant allies) had better wake up fast. We are caught between militant Islam and a dangerous China.

[my_pointy_head_is_sharp]

You must be a newbie troll. You couldn't be THAT stupid, could you?

[CHARLITE]

Thanks for this great find. It is discouraging, but this kind of warning is important.

I still believe that America will survive. I just can't see how right now, other than to have faith in "the God of our fathers......" and faith that this ghastly evil named "Islam" will finally be destroyed, once and for all.

Char