Posted on 11/23/2004 3:31:14 PM PST by swilhelm73
Terrific piece in the London Spectator by Anthony Browne on the slaughter of Theo Van Gogh. The whole article is a must, must read, but here’s an extract:
“At least, though, the Left in the Netherlands has seen that there is a clash between liberal democracy and cultural relativism; that some cultures are simply not compatible with Western traditions of freedom and tolerance; and that the old distinction between evil right-wingers and cuddly left-wingers no longer makes sense. It is one thing to turn a Christian church into a mosque, quite another to get radical Islam to accept liberal democracy. Outside the Netherlands, however, the Left has yet to learn these lessons.”
Yes, yes, of course ‘the Left’ is too broad a phrase to describe what is a very broad church (and I’m often guilty of the same offense), but insofar as the author is talking about Europe’s ‘liberal’ consensus, he’s spot on. He’s also right to highlight the fact that the response of many in Europe's governing classeses to this challenge is to trample on the rights of the many in a gesture to the grievances of the extremist few.
“In Britain,” Browne notes, “the government wants to introduce laws supposedly to ban ‘incitement to religious hatred’ but which will inevitably be used by Islamic activists to silence criticism of their religion and culture.”
Note that this repellent piece of legislation is being proposed in a continent that likes to claim that, by re-electing Bush, the US is rejecting the Enlightenment.
The retreat from free speech is a process that has been taken furthest in Belgium, a country that is, quite simply, no longer a democracy, a country that should, in a just world, have no place in the EU, and should no longer have the privilege of hosting NATO.
Browne explains: “Democracy too is under attack, with Belgium’s largest political party, the Vlaams Blok, banned last week. Attracting a quarter of the vote in the Flemish region, the anti-immigration separatist party was disbanded because it fell foul of anti-racism laws; unable to beat it in public debate or at the polls, its left-wing opponents killed it in the supreme court. In western Europe in the 21st century, the Left is getting courts to ban political parties because they are too popular.”
What, I wonder, would Thomas Jefferson have thought about that?
Browne explains: “Democracy too is under attack, with Belgium’s largest political party, the Vlaams Blok, banned last week. Attracting a quarter of the vote in the Flemish region, the anti-immigration separatist party was disbanded because it fell foul of anti-racism laws; unable to beat it in public debate or at the polls, its left-wing opponents killed it in the supreme court. In western Europe in the 21st century, the Left is getting courts to ban political parties because they are too popular.”
Under this definition, they should have to ban the Koran first.
By curbing free speech and political parties, and demonising those who fight for gay rights and against domestic violence, the Left is telling the world that multiculturalism is incompatible with liberal democracy. snipJust as communism could only be upheld by totalitarianism, so multiculturalism is being upheld by curbs on free speech and democracy.
I fear a huge war in looming in Europe's near-to-mid-future, with Islam. When the murderous Muslims unleash their Islamic death and destruction in the UK, Germany and France, all hell will break loose. The US will shortly follow Europe into the morass.
Theocratic vs secular, secular vs secular, theocratic vs theocratic. The battle is being formed, and soon, joined.
Ummm, nevermind; I'm just tired and positing too wildly. Time for some sleep.
is this the country that wanted to replace its military with a phone message "we surrender"????
A simple Constitutional disagreement over the rights of States led to our first war between the states. Now we have an overwhelming religious, social and moral standoff that I cannot immagine can be resolved without force of arms (though at the same time I pray that I am wrong). Whichever way the wind blows, I can only stand up for what I believe in and hope that the worst does not come to pass.
Belgium is a pathetic excuse for a western country. Why does the international community continue to give that country hollow deference?
"...I believe the United States will have other more pressing concerns in regards to our own civil war, which I view to be in it's formative stages as we speak."
Please elaborate, s. Do you mean the Conservative vs Liberal Wars?
LOL
Our side: US Armed Forces, cops, gun owners, farmers, cowboys, construction workers and moneymen.
Their side: Moneymen, gang bangers, anarchists, metrosexuals, university professors, Hollywood, and the Dixie Chicks.
I know were I am putting my money.
This seems to be a pretty common theme with leftists worldwide.
They get their buddies in the courts to rule what they can't get the voters to swallow.
We'll see if these disenfranchised voters decide the cartridge box is now their alternative to the ballot box.
Just wait 'til they pull a 'Beltway Sniper' stunt, with 50-100 2-man teams wreaking havoc all over the Nation. Remember the Fall of '02 in the VA-DC-MD area?
The 1940s will happen here and in Europe, and it's going to get real ugly. Bookmark this thread.
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