Strategic geopolitical confusion [Tony Blankley]

The Washington Times ^ | July 19, 2006 | Tony Blankley

[La Enchiladita]

In a remarkable week, nothing was more remarkable than the following announcement (reported, but not sufficiently, by the American media) from the government of Saudi Arabia:

"Viewing with deep concern the bloody, painful events currently taking place in Palestine and Lebanon, the Kingdom [of Saudi Arabia] would like to clearly announce that a difference should be drawn between legitimate resistance and uncalculated adventures carried out by elements inside [Lebanon] and those behind them [i.e. Iran and Syria] without consultation with the legitimate authority in their state and without consultation or coordination with Arab countries, thus creating a gravely dangerous situation exposing all Arab countries and their achievement to destruction with those countries having no say."

Of course, the statement ended with the routine commitment "to protect the Arab Nation from Israeli oppression and transgression."

But for Saudi Arabia to condemn Muslim attacks on Israel -- and in the middle of an Israeli-Muslim war no less -- is profound evidence of how much the world is changing in the face of rising Islamist radicalism in general and expanding Iranian hegemonic objectives in particular.

[La Enchiladita]

...listening to and participating in war debate this last week, I am struck by how few politicians, pundits and journalists even now accept the proposition that the West (and India, Africa and Asia) are facing such a remorseless threat.

[La Enchiladita]

Pundits, gather 'round and make Tony proud!

;^)

[Kay Syrah]

It is curious that so many "experts" and commentators who have comprehended the reality and significance of globalism in the economic realm (even though it is not a vertically commanded process -- indeed, precisely because it is not vertically commanded) are so obtuse in seeing the same phenomenon expressed in the realm of terror and cultural aggression.

Paging George Will.

[Recovering_Democrat]

In a remarkable week, nothing was more remarkable than the following announcement (reported, but not sufficiently, by the American media) from the government of Saudi Arabia:

Blankely is right. The reactions of the Sauds, Jordanians and Egyptians are obvious bits of good news in this mess: they don't want the whack job Iranians doing "this s**t" either.

But instead, the LameStream Media rushes out to get treasonous sound bites from Jane Harman and Chris Dodd.

[EDINVA]

tonight, inadvertently, I saw Charlie Gibson from the Israel/Lebanon border ... and the BIG STORY was about what a rotten job the US was doing getting its citizens out of Lebanon. With each passing day I am coming to despise the drive-by media and democrats ever more.

[magua]

The world is changing but drive-by media and democrats are stuck on stupid.

[Berlin_Freeper]

In short what Saudi Arabia is sweating is an unchecked Iran creating problems in other nations. And that means eventually everyone is is danger including Saudi Arabia which other players in the torrent zone want to see dethroned. Saudi Arabia has enemies and the threat of Iran eventually hooking up with them is real.

[EDINVA]

problem is, they're not just harmless stupid, they are dangerous stupid!

[SeaBiscuit]

"It is curious that so many "experts" and commentators who have comprehended the reality and significance of globalism in the economic realm (even though it is not a vertically commanded process -- indeed, precisely because it is not vertically commanded) are so obtuse in seeing the same phenomenon expressed in the realm of terror and cultural aggression."

"Obtuse" is putting it mildly, purposely blind, blatantly bias, stupid leftist anti-American aholes is more like it.

[glorgau]

Bush's fault! ;-)

[JohnBovenmyer]

Bush's fault! ;-)

Exactly! And you are the first I've seen to give him credit for this. Could it be that US diplomacy is actually doing some good for a change?!

[libertylover]

It is curious that so many "experts" and commentators who have comprehended the reality and significance of globalism in the economic realm (even though it is not a vertically commanded process -- indeed, precisely because it is not vertically commanded) are so obtuse in seeing the same phenomenon expressed in the realm of terror and cultural aggression.

It's because liberals don't use any logic. With globalism liberals can focus their hate against successful companies and successful countries. To them, if a company is successful, it can only be because it "exploited" its employees. In the terror realm, Hezbollah fires rockets with an entire city as the target, meaning any ole Jew will do. Israel fires rockets at a house occupied by Hezbollah leaders who make sure there are also women and children in the house. To a liberal, these are both equally evil because they don't use any logic.

[DustyMoment]

. . . nothing was more remarkable than the following announcement (reported, but not sufficiently, by the American media) from the government of Saudi Arabia:

"Viewing with deep concern the bloody, painful events currently taking place in Palestine and Lebanon, the Kingdom [of Saudi Arabia] would like to clearly announce that a difference should be drawn between legitimate resistance and uncalculated adventures carried out by elements inside [Lebanon] and those behind them [i.e. Iran and Syria] without consultation with the legitimate authority in their state and without consultation or coordination with Arab countries, thus creating a gravely dangerous situation exposing all Arab countries and their achievement to destruction with those countries having no say."

Perhaps, the House of Saud is starting to get a clue. They know that if this war expands, they and other Arab nations wishing to remain (more or less) neutral could be dragged into it.

The current situation is so dangerous that, in the future (if there is one for the ME), they may want to strictly control the rogue Arab states and their state-sponsored terrorist organizations.

[ClaireSolt]

Sometimes Blankley seems smart. Today he is really lame. President has put together a worldwide war on terror by showing the leaders of other countries that terror threatens all established governments. I have been able to see that for five years. Surely, the Saudia Arabian statement is clear evidence of his success in getting that message across. There is all kinds of cooperation flowing from that agreement while pundits confer at cocktail parties and wonder what's going on.

[AmericaUnited]

The reactions of the Sauds, Jordanians and Egyptians is very predictable, considering that radicals (under Irans's influence) have been agiating for the overthrow of each of these governments.

[expatpat]

You have hit the nail on the head. Almost every country and everybody is threatened by these Islamofascist thugs.

[duckln]

Tony is right on the button.

We are being mislead fighting this group, that group, this guy and that guy, calling them 'terrorists'. Implying that they have a central command. There is much more to it.

Fact is that radical Islamists have infested themselves world wide with fundamentalist clerics. They have been unaccountable for the venom they have been spewing for years.

Hoards of Muslims, have been taken in by all the vitriol, to their own detriment. I just read where the Saudis are making 'progress' taking the hate out of their text books. Fat chance.

One of the first things we should have done was to edit the books ourselves on a crash basis and 'drop' them all over the middle east.

[PerConPat]

Thanks for posting this typically brilliant article from "Our" Tony. His insights are ignored at one's peril. Watching him professionally and unemotionally slap the uninformed around is one of the great pleasures that I derive from following the pundit media. Krauthammer, Blankley, and Hitchens, when he wakes up on the Right side of the bed, top my list of favorites.

[La Enchiladita]

This commentary was a little over my head, so I'm interested to see what FReepers have to say. Tony is brilliant as well as humane, head and heart working together. I try to check his column every week, so he can connect dots for me and sum it all up.

I put up with the chumps on McLaughlin Group just to hear what Tony has to say.

;^)

[PerConPat]

...I'm interested to see what FReepers have to say.

The following quote from Tony's article sums it up for me:

... what we lack most is a functioning political-media process that permits the nation (and potential allied peoples) to comprehend the world realistically. The current debate on Lebanon exemplifies the mental and moral confusion which obstructs the formation of rational policy.

Of course, the selfish Left's thirst for power always blinds them to reality. How can anyone who thinks that one man should work so that another may share in the reward have anything of merit to offer in these perilous times? Those of us on the Right have a moral obligation to discredit them and to brand the Leftists for what they are- power mad pigs who are willing to sell civilization down the river just for another chance to drive the train of government.