Via Andrew Sullivan, I found this amazing leap of logic by Charles Colson:
The jihadists claim that wherever freedom travels?”especially in America and Europe?it brings sexual license and corruption, decadence and depravity.”
CT managing editor Mark Galli made the same point in these pages soon after 9/11. Islamic militants are angry at the West, he said, for exporting “hedonism and materialism into their very homes through television, enticing Muslims to become religiously lazy and morally corrupt.” Galli quoted a 1985 communiqu? from the terrorist group Hezbollah: “Our way is one of radical combat against depravity, and America is the original root of depravity.”
Anger at Western decadence fueled the writings of the radical Sayyid Qutb, which so influenced Osama bin Laden. These people see themselves not as terrorists, but as holy warriors fighting a holy war against decadence.
We must be careful not to blame innocent Americans for murderous attacks against them. At the same time, let’s acknowledge that America’s increasing decadence is giving aid and comfort to the enemy. When we tolerate trash on television, permit pornography to invade our homes via the internet, and allow babies to be killed at the point of birth, we are inflaming radical Islam.
How dare we do anything that might inflame radical Islam! (And remember, this guy is no left-wing apologist.) What startled me the most about this is the idea that pissing off the enemy gives him aid and comfort. Seldom have I seen poorer logic — or a better example of defeatism at work. Until today, I never knew that tolerating Jews walking around as free citizens, by “inflaming” German Nazis, actually gave aid and comfort to Hitler! Or that allowing private ownership of farms, homes, and businesses gave aid and comfort to Joseph Stalin and Pol Pot!
Of course anger over American freedom fueled (and fuels) Islamic radicalism. That’s why they attacked us!
Actually (as I have argued before) what would truly constitute giving them aid and comfort would be to grant them the moral authority as Mr. Colson and others quite explicitly propose. Radical Islamists hate our freedom, and they want us to be like them.
Obviously, some Americans think they’re on the right track.
Comments
3 responses to “Imitation as a new strategy of appeasement?”
While I think Colson is unhinged, I think this idea of his is way cool (or should that be “kewl” – I tend to be behind the curve on stuff like that). He has framded a beautifully PC argument for being very non-PC. Let’s see how the leftists handle this.
Yes, we brought it on ourselves. I was the first to acknowledge and recognize that the homosexuals, abortion supporters and secular humanists; the feminists and the ACLU are all representative of this American decadence that gives aid and comfort to our enemies. Eliminate them, and we will begin to put out the flames of radical Islamism. Let it be so.
He has got a point in that we ARE corrupt and decadent. I certainly am.
But that’s OUR problem to sort out, not Bin Laden’s.