take 'em, tiger

James Jordan · 01 Dec 2001, 18:37 · from urth-v0031.mbox · original

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From: James Jordan <jbjordan4 at home.com>
Subject: Re: (urth) take 'em, tiger
Date: Sat, 01 Dec 2001 12:37:54 -0600
Message-ID: <urth-v0031-urth.v031.n007.2 at digest.urth.net>
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At 03:37 AM 12/1/2001 -0800, Alice wrote:

>Wolfe's recommendations for immediate action: 1) declare war on nations th=
at
>harbor terrorists; 2) arm the plane crews; 3) seal the borders; 4) return
>non-citizens to their homelands; 5) root out terrorist organizations
>everywhere; and 6) stop pressuring Israel to go soft on terrorists.

#s3. & 4. seem extreme. As for #1., I prefer the analogy of declaring war=20
on the Barbary Pirates. Declare war on Al Qaeda and anyone similar, not on=20
nations qua nations, unless things change. That would cover #5. Iraq is a=20
special case; I think Bush has done correctly to say let the UN inspectors=20
back in now, or else....  I agree with #6, though I think Israel needs to=20
correct some things in her behavior also.

The main thing, I think, is not to be naive about Islam in general and=20
radical Islamism in particular. The American understanding of society is=20
rooted in Christian notions, that God is One but also a Community, so tht=20
there are multiple "heirarchies" and "spheres" in life (church, state,=20
family, media, business, etc.), and that love & reasonable persuasion is=20
the best way to function in community. Islam is purely monotheistic, with=20
one hierarchy from Allah to men to women & children & slaves, a hierarchy=20
based solely on power and not moderated by love and persuasion. Though many=20
Westerners are not Christian by personal committment, they have been=20
influenced by these Christian (and partly Athenian) ideas; and of course=20
many people in Islam have been influenced by Western ideas. But pure Islam,=20
and thus the Islamic militant revival, rejects those moderating ideas. What=20
they understand is power, and it is important for the West (America in this=20
case) to show Great Power, the "big footprint," in suppressing radical=20
Islamism. Neither kindness nor reasonable persuasion are going to work on=20
people who want to keep their women in total subjection -- and I think the=20
"liberation" of women is one of the main, if not THE main, threat/s these=20
particular people fear and loathe. (Consider the Taliban.)

FWIW

Jim Jordan

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