To Ron...

A new commenter responded to my post Libertarian Isolation is Not the Answer. I pretty much disagree with everything he said, but it was WELL said, and I certainly appreciate his participation. In responding, I found my comment getting so long, I decided it was more appropriate as a post. Here it is:

Ron,

We'll just have to disagree that Falwell was in the business of fomenting violence, murder, beheading, stoning, crucifixion and terrrorism against all people who were not proclaimed Christians.

He wasn't a hero of mine, but the comparison is ludicrous.

I realize that "hate" has come to mean "saying anything that some cannonized group disagrees with", but I'm not buying. Falwell wasn't guilty of hate, he was the target of it.

Vile people cheering and celebrating his death...as I saw with my own eyes on Democratic Underground and the Daily Kos...indulged in such an orgy of hate that it turned my stomach. And it is these people's opinion of him we are supposed to credit? These intolerant haters who vilify every virtue and embrace every malignancy? I think not.

As for our foreign policy causing the radicalization of Islam, the horrors of the Islamic conquest of Africa, Thailand and Indonesia have nothing to do with our "being there".

Saudi Arabia was funding radical, expansionist, imperialist Islam while Americans still dreamed of Arabian Nights, Ali Baba, Lawrence, and beautiful horses at the mention of Arabia. Our involvement has only brought the sick nightmare to our attention. It's not what caused it.

Imperialism and conquest is the nature of Islam. Muhammad's entire life was dedicated to it, and it is enshrined in his religion. Any other interpretation is wishful thinking and naivete.

We do, however, give aid to radicals with a kid-glove foreign policy of respect and restraint. Culturally they see it as weakness. They disrespect it and attack it...seeking domination. The more we pander, the weaker we appear to them; the weaker we appear, the more they will attack.

Power, conquest and domination is all they understand. We need to crush them. And they'll behave for a while. THAT's how you deal with Islam.

And until it "transforms" or dies out, crushing them periodically will be in our day-planner if we have any intention of making the world a safer place for decent, civilized people.

Personally, I'm no longer concerned with the poverty, stagnation, ignorance, injustice, hunger, disease, brutality or any other self-imposed misery in Islamic countries. I have but one concern: Smash them into submission so they have neither the capacity nor the will to threaten their betters. And do it repeatedly, until the futility of it becomes so clear to them they decide to change.

I was for liberation...until I realized they don't want it or care about it. They want power...individual, tribal, sectarian. And they want Sharia law, apparently. Let them have it. But shut them up in the stone-age enclaves they prefer, murdering each other with the only tools they're capable of making with their home grown science & technology, i.e. rocks and clubs, safely removed from the civilized world.

Oh...and steal their OIL.

The Gunslinger