Romney does have a heart. For some things. For others not so much. With respect to Israel and the Palestinians Romney points out that culture matters (I love a culture that allows women with double Ds to wear bikinis – follow the link for a look).
General George Patton said something similar about Islam almost 60 years ago.
“To me it seems certain that the fatalistic teachings of Mohammed and the utter degradation of women is the outstanding cause for the arrested development of the Arab”
Winston Churchill was of a similar opinion.
How dreadful are the curses which Mohammedanism lays on its votaries! Besides the fanatical frenzy, which is as dangerous in a man as hydrophobia in a dog, there is this fearful fatalistic apathy. The effects are apparent in many countries. Improvident habits, slovenly systems of agriculture, sluggish methods of commerce, and insecurity of property exist wherever the followers of the Prophet rule or live.
A degraded sensualism deprives this life of its grace and refinement; the next of its dignity and sanctity. The fact that in Mohammedan law every woman must belong to some man as his absolute property, either as a child, a wife, or a concubine, must delay the final extinction of slavery until the faith of Islam has ceased to be a great power among men.
Individual Moslems may show splendid qualities, but the influence of the religion paralyzes the social development of those who follow it.
No stronger retrograde force exists in the world. Far from being moribund, Mohammedanism is a militant and proselytizing faith. It has already spread throughout Central Africa, raising fearless warriors at every step; and were it not that Christianity is sheltered in the strong arms of science, the science against which it had vainly struggled, the civilization of modern Europe might fall, as fell the civilization of ancient Rome.
— Sir Winston Spencer Churchill (The River War, first edition, Vol. II, pages 248-50 (London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1899).
So Romney is only out of the current mainstream. He is in the center of the historical mainstream. American and British.
Comments
8 responses to “One From The Heart”
Culture matters, and of course, the inferiority of one culture is often used as a justification for the occupation, enslavement, segregation, negligent genocide, or annhilation of a number of them.
I even agree with Gov Romney, that culture is a major factor . . but I don’t know how that puts him in the mainstream with a man who thought certain races were “foul” and others of a “higher-grade.” But I suppose thems the classical values!
AJ,
I suppose you take exception with Churchill and Patton too.
I don’t think the problem is race – that was just the conventional way of identifying culture until America proved they were not identical.
BTW the Palestinians are not occupied. They are at war with Israel. Quite a difference. If they wanted peace their situation would be quite different. But Islam is a culture of war. Brigands in fact. Look at who Mo was. And look at who they allied with in WW2. A study of the Mufti of Jerusalem might prove instructive. Also a look at the Muslim Brotherhood in that period might prove educational. Or not.
When Islam ran out of lands to conquer it eventually decayed. And you might also want to look at the period when Islam as a whole (there are individual exceptions) gave up reason.
You get your understanding from the popular press. Which explains your lack of education.
Perhaps there is a reading comprehension problem here. The point is, Churchill did believe that the (Hindus) were a “foul race” and it is speculated that the Bengal famine occurred because he refused to move food supplies during the war. I’ll let you decide the reason why this happened. To a lesser extent he seemed to feel the same way about the Boers, and the Irish. It is not taking exception with Churchill (although many, justifiably could; I just happen to not really care), its about taking exception to some of his beliefs and statements. Again, you’re looking back at the “historical mainstream” . . . would you, today, in the 21st century, say that you don’t think blacks are as capable as whites?
“I don’t think the problem is race – that was just the conventional way of identifying culture until America proved they were not identical.”
Um, no, he did not think very highly of his white counterparts in South Africa, Germany, or Ireland. He was very specifically referring to specific groups of peoples. Also, America proving that cultures are not identical . . what is this, some sort of dumb Bushism? People thought that all cultures were the same until 1940? Or 1917? Or something like that? So did America teach Churchill that all cultures are not identical?
“You get your understanding from the popular press. Which explains your lack of education.”
Aren’t you the guy still linking to websites about the birth certificate? Can you point out what in three sentence sentence was inaccurate? Yes, Islam has a culture of war, but that doesn’t change the fact that theft of Palestinian land occurred with the help of foreign international forces. I thougth most libertarians would find that revolting, but I guess its only bad when Democrats or the UN do it, but thems those classical values again! As far as who they allied with . . oh please. We allied with two countries that killed 50 million of their own people.
The ironic part is, I point out that the perceived inferiority of a culture / peoples is often used to justify bad acts, and what do I get in response? Two paragraphs on how bad Islam is (I don’t even disagree) as some sort justification for bad acts against Muslims.
AJ,
If you look at the data Blacks are not as capable as whites. In the same way whites are not as capable as Ashkenaz Jews.
http://www.jerrypournelle.com/reports/cochran/overclocking.html
That does not mean they don’t deserve equal rights.
AJ,
Do you know the history? Around 1880 Jews started buying land in Palestine. As they improved the country Lebanese, Syrians and Egyptians started moving in. Read Mark Twain on the subject of Palestine. The Jews continued buying land and improving it. The Brits installed the Mufti in the early 20s to give the Jews a hard time. He joined Hitler in WW2 and raised 2 divisions of Muslim SS to kill Jews. Post WW2 there was a war in ’48 to drive the Jews into the sea. The Arabs lost. The Jews, as is done in war to punish the losing side, annexed territory. In ’67 the Arabs lost again. And more territory.
The moral is – if you can’t afford to lose it is best not to start a war.
If the Palis had wanted peace they could have had it in ’68. Instead they declared the three no’s. What they are getting in return is no territory. Cry me a river. Jordan will do. The salt from your tears will feed the Dead Sea.
Evidently you are not well versed in history. My condolences.
The Jews started out buying land with cash. Later they were forced to buy it with blood. All fair and square. But the blood price was high. They aren’t giving it back. And the Palis are lucky they don’t take the rest.
Yes I link to BC sites from time to time. They amuse me. If you had been paying attention when I wrote those posts you would know that.
Further proof your reading comprehension needs attention.
Simon,
It’s not a matter of capability but one of opportunity and encouragement. Of the three groups Ashkenazic Jews are the ones most encouraged to succeedw and were they encouraged to succeed in horse ranching they would have a reputation as the best horse ranches around.
Christian fundamentalists insist on following the Bible, with nothing else added.
Jewish fundamentalists (Karaites) insist on following the Written Law, with nothing else added.
Moslem funamentalists insist on following the Koran and the Hadith, which means they’e not exactly fundamentalists; now are they?
Joan Peters’ book “From Time Immemorial” is the single best history of the economic and social development of what is now Israel, and parts of Jordan and Lebanon, prior to the 1948 war. It shot down a lot of the popular media accounts of the “poor oppressed Palestinians invaded by Jews” yadda, yadda, pfooy.