Another Useful Idiot
By Marc Schulman
AMERICAN FUTURE
Simon Jenkins now tops my list of useful idiots. Near the end of his op-ed in The Times, he says this:
<<< There never was a "terrorist threat" to western civilisation or democracy, only to western lives and property. The threat becomes systemic only when democracy loses its confidence and when its leaders are weak, as now. Terror attacks are for the police. For George Bush and Blair to demand a "long war" against Bin Laden and, by implication, a long suppression of civil liberty is ludicrous. Western civilisation is not some simpering weakling that cowers before a fanatic 's might, pleading for leaders to protect it by all means, however illegal. It has been proof against Islamic expansionism since the 17th century. It is not at risk. >>>
I'm not making this stuff up, folks. He really draws a sharp distinction between lives and property, on the one hand, and civilization and democracy, on the other. And, the fact that the spread of Islam was stopped at the gates of Vienna in 1643 necessarily implies that it will be forever stopped.
Really.
Earlier in his column, he opines that "[o]n any objective measure, terrorism in the West is a trivial crime," and then adds
<<< . . . incidents genuinely attributable to Al-Qaeda rather than domestic grievances are comparable to the IRA and pro-Palestinian campaigns. Vigilance is important but only those with money in security have an interest in presenting Bin Laden as a cosmic threat. >>>
Now I know where he's coming from: Marx. The corollary of this, of course, is (implied) moral equivalency.
Here's his thoughts (I use the word loosely) on Iran:
<<< The war-mongering of the neocon ascendancy — the calls for bombing and the constant listing of targets — seems to mirror the fundamentalist mullahs behind President Ahmadinejad. American policy in the Middle East is so counter-productive as to be the problem, not the solution. >>>
As to the EU-3's efforts at diplomacy . . . he has nothing to say.
If you're collecting examples of muddle-headed thinking, add this to the list. At the top. Jenkins is truly a useful idiot.
americanfuture.net
timesonline.co.uk |
