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Why Ask Why? Terrorist attacks aren't caused by any policy except that of the bombers themselves.
Slate ^ | 03 October 2005 | Christopher Hitchens

Posted on 10/04/2005 10:29:33 PM PDT by Lorianne

The return of murderous nihilism to Bali is highly instructive. It shows, first, that the fanatics of Islamism don't know how to stop. And it also shows that they never learn. How can Jemaah Islamiyah, which almost ruined Indonesia's economy by its filthy attack three years ago, possibly have tried to repeat the same crime in the same place? If we look for answers to this question, we shall find answers that completely discredit the current half-baked apologies for terrorism.

.... The prevailing view was that JI had isolated itself and that the trial of the perpetrators would expose them to popular contempt—which indeed it did.

But if JI were rational, it wouldn't have attacked the bars and clubs and beaches of Kuta and Jimbaran in the first place. Indonesia is a mainly Muslim society, whose government takes a stern line against the war in Iraq and even Afghanistan. Its people, who are astonishingly hospitable to all foreigners, depend in millions of cases on tourism to make the difference between indigence and the minimum wage. Its elections feature Muslim political parties, many of them quite austere in their propaganda. Why on earth, then, would a fundamentalist group wish to bring discredit upon itself and ruin upon its neighbors by resorting to random slaughter?

(Excerpt) Read more at slate.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: bali; christopherhitchens; hitchens; islamism; islamist; jihad; jihadists; terrorism; waronterror; wot; wwiv

1 posted on 10/04/2005 10:29:34 PM PDT by Lorianne
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To: Lorianne
The only people who think terrorists need a reason to maim and kill innocent people are idiot Leftists who've been smoking what they're selling for far too long.

It's up to us to make 'em kick the habit...


2 posted on 10/04/2005 11:01:14 PM PDT by Prime Choice (E=mc^3. Don't drink and derive.)
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To: Lorianne
To make a cosmopolitan point here, Hitchens' solidarity with us in championing the fight on terrorism is indispensable. The fact that he's calling out and confronting his former soul-mates nose to nose on this issue only makes his contribution that much more effective. If there's a more eloquent, courageous voice out there, I've yet to see it.

If Bush only possessed half his ingenuity and frankness, we'd be halfway home.

3 posted on 10/04/2005 11:02:35 PM PDT by eric_da_grate
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To: eric_da_grate
. . . Hitchens' solidarity with us in championing the fight on terrorism is indispensable.

Amen brother. Unfortunately, some on this site do not find Hitchens to be sufficiently "pure" and therefore not worthy of support. Hitchens is a brave man. He has torched many a professional and personal relationship by doing the "right thing" and supporting the War on Terror. God bless that atheist.

4 posted on 10/04/2005 11:12:25 PM PDT by Maynerd
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To: Maynerd
God bless the athiest indeed. Hitchens hasn't given up his basic ideals; he's simply been forced to conclude that they aren't being served by support of theocratic fascism. His ex-colleagues on the left would do well to consider this.

Part of the necessity of judgment is this - that it leads ineluctably to the conclusion that the Islamists are living in a thoroughly foul little fantasy world compounded of elements of a fantasized and unhistorical past and those of a vicious, murderous utopianism. The only single attraction this has for the left is that it isn't their sworn enemy, the West. What it is does not bear up well under close examination, and that is precisely what Hitchens has subjected it to, and found it wanting.

5 posted on 10/04/2005 11:32:19 PM PDT by Billthedrill
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To: Lorianne
They ask that question because too many folks today look at everything through the eyes of politics or science. They want to believe there is a political answer to the problem of terrorism, something that will satisfy the barbarians and make them go away happy and leave us alone.

The notion of good vs evil has become a laughable thing in this queer generation, so people can't see the Islamofacist terrorists as bloodthirsty, evil beings who aren't happy untill they make the blood of innocent people flow. They believe evil doesn't exist anymore, and every aberrant behavior can be explained through phychology.

The liberals want to try to dialogue with wild-eyed, 8th century barbarians who are unable to reason with anyone. Maybe T. Kennedy, J. Kerry, H. Dean and the rest of these geniuses will travel to Iraq and sit down at a table with al Zarquawi and have a peace talk. Don't you just wish?

6 posted on 10/04/2005 11:44:34 PM PDT by TheCrusader ("The frenzy of the Mohammedans has devastated the churches of God" -Pope Urban II, 1097AD)
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To: Lorianne; eric_da_grate; Maynerd; Billthedrill; Lando Lincoln; quidnunc; .cnI redruM; Valin; ...
More of eloquent scathing of Jihadists by Christopher Hitchens. He did what many on the Left forgot of doing: he used logic in analyzing Jihadists. The result is also logical: he became our ally. If only he used the same logic in analyzing other causes he used to champion. Oh well...


Nailed It!

 

Don't miss the Freepeer's comments;

. . . Hitchens' solidarity with us in championing the fight on terrorism is indispensable. 3 posted ... by eric_da_grate  

Amen brother. Unfortunately, some on this site do not find Hitchens to be sufficiently "pure" and therefore not worthy of support. Hitchens is a brave man. He has torched many a professional and personal relationship by doing the "right thing" and supporting the War on Terror. God bless that atheist. 4 posted ... by Maynerd

God bless the atheist indeed. Hitchens hasn't given up his basic ideals; he's simply been forced to conclude that they aren't being served by support of theocratic fascism. His ex-colleagues on the left would do well to consider this.

Part of the necessity of judgment is this - that it leads ineluctably to the conclusion that the Islamists are living in a thoroughly foul little fantasy world compounded of elements of a fantasized and unhistorical past and those of a vicious, murderous utopianism. The only single attraction this has for the left is that it isn't their sworn enemy, the West. What it is does not bear up well under close examination, and that is precisely what Hitchens has subjected it to, and found it wanting.    5 ... by Billthedrill

Thanks, guys
 

This ping list is not author-specific for articles I'd like to share. Some for the perfect moral clarity, some for provocative thoughts; or simply interesting articles I'd hate to miss myself. (I don't have to agree with the author all 100% to feel the need to share an article.) I will try not to abuse the ping list and not to annoy you too much, but on some days there is more of the good stuff that is worthy of attention. You can see the list of articles I pinged to lately  on  my page.
You are welcome in or out, just freepmail me (and note which PING list you are talking about). Besides this one, I keep 2 separate PING lists for my favorite authors Victor Davis Hanson and Orson Scott Card.  

7 posted on 10/05/2005 7:57:18 AM PDT by Tolik
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To: Tolik

Please add me to your favorite authors ping list. Thanks


8 posted on 10/05/2005 8:49:09 AM PDT by Lorianne
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To: Lorianne

Done. Thank you.


9 posted on 10/05/2005 9:59:34 AM PDT by Tolik
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To: Maynerd; Tolik
God bless that atheist.

IMHO, so be it!

10 posted on 10/05/2005 11:28:06 AM PDT by neverdem (May you be in heaven a half hour before the devil knows that you're dead.)
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To: Lorianne
I wish Hitchens was on our side on more issues. He's flat-out brilliant on the issue of terrorism. He keeps it very simple and points out the elephant hiding in the room. That is, once someone has decided they hate you, it doesn't matter why.

The question isn't "Why does Al-Quaida hate us?" The question is, "Why does Al-Quaida continue to thin we are pussies?"
11 posted on 10/05/2005 12:30:32 PM PDT by .cnI redruM ("They're thin and they were riding bicycles" - Ted Turner on NK malnutrition.)
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To: Tolik

bttt


12 posted on 10/05/2005 1:09:57 PM PDT by knews_hound (Out of the NIC ,into the Router, out to the Cloud....Nothing but 'Net)
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