The Roots of Muslim Rage

The Atlantic Monthly ^ | September, 1990 | Bernard Lewis

[Col Sanders]

The question is not why Muslims are mad at us, but rather why the governments of these nations have portrayed us to their subjects in such a way as to make them mad at us.

Governments are overthrown all the time. Governments do not make People. People make governments. They adopt them and throw them away at will. Most governments are less than 60 years old.

Arafat, Fayd, and even the Eqyptian leadership would like to restrain the Muslim hate. King Fayd of Saudi Arabia is afraid the militant Muslims will over throw his government. Most Saudi Arabian citizens support the terrorists. They are bright educated and rich. They also hate us and would like to destory our culture. Palistinians watch CNN more than you do. They hate us. We do not have a leader problem. If we killed all the leaders they would just get new leaders. We have a 200 million follower problem.

When Russia no longer wanted a Czar they overthrew him. When Russia no longer wanted the Soviet Union, they overthrew that government too. In 1933 when Germans no longer wanted a Republic they overthrew it and brought in Hitler and his Natzis. We overthew British rule when it was the most powerful nation on earth. Nations keep leaders becuase they want them. Not the other way arould.

Nations always get the governments they want. You must get it through your head that some nations do not want freedom. Many people do not want freedom. The educated Germans of the 1930's wanted Hitler more than they wanted freedom.

We don't have a leader problem.. We have a follower problem.

If all we do is kill the leaders the followers will just get new leaders.

 

Most intelligent and well written post I have seen around here in about a year.

Only thing I would change is that people do not necessarily get the government they want, but they get the one they deserve.

 

[harpseal]

I will say it again. We are in World War III and we do not yet realize it or its implications. What the events of September 11, 2001 have given us is a choice of possible strategies most if not all of which lead to a war of the entire Muslim world against the West. If we do nothing or delay too long it will recruit more Muslims to the cause. If we strike back hard it will recruit more Muslims to the cause.

Something in the middle seems the way to go but there are no guarantees. Any strike will cause a reaction. The longer it is delayed even by mecessary logistical planning and support the more "outragous" the Muslim street will see it.

Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown

[Travis McGee]

The key players are the long term operators who come and go in the west, the businessmen, clerics, and NGO leaders who are secret intelligence officers and messangers and couriors.

These guys need to start getting the quiet .22LR hello whereever and whenever we find them. No arrest, no trial, this is WAR.

Without these key players, the angry jihadists are muscles without a brain, and will be rolled up and interned, deported or killed over time.

[harpseal]

I agree on these key players needing to get that hello in the medula oblongata but this seems to be where the Terrorist cell security seems to be the best. The muscle cells seem to have not been as concerned but I do not think that the hard core are that way and given the possible numbers I don't think they will have too many problems recruiting more muscle.

Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown

[beckett]

These guys need to start getting the quiet .22LR hello whereever and whenever we find them. No arrest, no trial, this is WAR.

I think Bush and his team adopted the term 'war' early on because they anticipated the need to issue an EO authorizing just the kind of wet operations you suggest. I hope we soon see bodies turning up in some of the tonier office buildings throughout the Muslim world.

[Thorondir]

You keep on using a blanket universal statement in your clearly limited understanding of "religions". The subject "religions" encompases many varied things, most of which do not fall into your neat and erroneous scourge-of-the-earth pidgeonhole.

"Opiate of the people", perhaps? I think I see your color ... once again.

Liberalism must be crushed!

[mel]

Bump

[SunkenCiv]

Note: this topic is from September 26, 2001. Earlier that month the world learned the roots of US rage. Thanks Torie.