Free Republic

On the tenth anniversary of 9/11, P.J. O’Rourke described the mass murder as “an act of idealism.” Not idealism as we colloquially use the term to refer to the ability to place other values over one’s immediate self-interest, but rather “the concept that mankind and society could and should be perfected.” That vision of a perfected society causes O’Rourke’s idealists to ignore the human costs of the coercion required to create their ideal society. The 9/11 hijackers were driven by an older theological vision of a world-wide caliphate under the harmonious rule of Sharia. But most modern idealists derive their...

What is the significance of the Geneva Accord, just signed by self-appointed Israeli and Palestinian negotiators? According to some Palestinians, it is a betrayal of their most cherished national aspiration, which is to return by the millions to their ancestral villages and orchards and houses in Israel. According to some Israelis, it is a piece of reckless freelance diplomacy that creates dangerous expectations about what Israel can realistically give away in any genuine negotiation. But according to the editorial board of The New York Times, the Accord is a "courageous feat" that defies "the usual extremists" on both sides to...