Mid-day gloom and doom
posted at 2:00 pm on August 9, 2006 by Bryan
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The Lamont win shows where the Democrats are headed. Like Charles Lindbergh’s America Firsters before World War II, the Democrats will read Ned Lamont’s victory over hawkish Joe Lieberman as a sign that isolationism and appeasement are the way to stay out of those foreign wars. The problem with that theory is that in this age of globalization and interconnectedness, there really aren’t many truly foreign wars left. They will increasingly end up right here, either in the rising price of oil or in actual attacks against us.
The radicalizing Islamic world, which is lining up behind Iran and its proxy Hezbollah, suggests isolationism endangers our allies and appeasement is impossible. That in mind, here are two articles worth your time today.
John Batchelor: Prelude to War.
Why so gloomy? Read this article.
UK’s top Muslim policeman warns of Islamophobia. In it, we see the UK holding itself hostage to the “moderate” Muslim Council of Britain (slogan: “Working for the Common Good”), which argues through the top UK Muslim cop that even after the 7/7 bombings, the cartoon jihad “behead” placards on the streets of London, Richard Reid et al, there’s really no reason to suspect that young Muslim males might be more likely to engage in terrorism. And we also read the veiled threat from that same moderate council–that scrutinizing young Muslim males who are otherwise docile and happy subjects of the crown will radicalize them. It’s very much a damned if you don’t, and more damned if you do situation. But for Tony Blair’s leadership (which ends in a year), Britain’s Labour party would toe the Council’s line whenever and wherever asked. The Tories aren’t much better.
Right here in this country, under threat from Hezbollah and its masters in Tehran, Islamic groups have leaped to pre-empt the FBI’s investigation into Hezbollah’s activities here. They want a sensitive investigation. You can bet they already have the lawyers lined up, not to root out terrorists in their own midst, but to keep the FBI from finding out too much.
To answer John Batchelor’s question–why is the US waiting for Iran to attack us?–because we don’t know what else to do. After five years of fighting a couple of low-intensity insurgencies we’re too tired to fight a real war. We think our military is on the verge of collapse when it isn’t, and no one has the guts to tell the country what the dangers are and what’s really at stake. Culturally, we’re too divided and too many are attracted to the “peace now” mantra that it will take a shock worse than 9-11 to make us battle ready. And since a sizable portion of the electorate will blame Bush even after the mullahs strike us directly, there is no shock big enough to unify us.
Whoever we fight, wherever we fight them, we will fight them with serious and probably unhealable divisions in our own ranks.
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Not for lunchtime. Barf.
BillLalor on August 9, 2006 at 2:30 PM
Great articles & commentary Bryan. Thanks for the links.
So when will preemptive force be used next? If there ever was a case, it would sure seem like Iran fits the bill. Clearly, the will is not there though. I agree that we’re doomed to wait until we’re attacked again… and that no matter what the Bush-haters will blame him. I don’t think they’re capable of seeing beyond that.
I know it’s a separate and somewhat divisive issue, but I’m truly wondering if putting the anti-war crowd in power by not voting for the RINO’s that I think the GOP is going to support would actually be a good thing in the long run. With spending out of control, immigration
reformappeasement, Rx entitlements, etc… conservative values have largely been left behind. I’m afraid we may need to go backwards in order to make the more unified leap forward (to the right) that this country needs.MT on August 9, 2006 at 2:33 PM
I do see the sense in what you are saying MT,but I fear that we do not have the luxury of time for that particular strategy.
bbz123 on August 9, 2006 at 2:55 PM
Great stuff Bryan! One question I have, has anyone seen photos of the missing Egyptian students? I heard a national radio show this morning where the host had requested photos of these missing lads and the FBI told him that they weren’t releasing the photos for fear of vigilantes. So much for getting the public’s help!
Centurion68 on August 9, 2006 at 2:56 PM
Breaking news: One of the Egyptian “students” has been aprehended in MN NOT MT. It was in Minneapolis which coincenditally is where a Muslim is running for Congress.
LakeRuins on August 9, 2006 at 3:20 PM
Thankfully they were enrolled at a school that took some action when they bacame no-shows. What would your state univ/college have done??
Richsamg on August 9, 2006 at 3:38 PM
The Dem’s slogan for 2006 is “Bring The War Home”.
Hening on August 9, 2006 at 3:46 PM
Truthfully, part of this is President Bush’s fault. He has been a great president overall, but with one of the worst public relations teams ever. Compare his public relations (the “new tone”) with that of Hezbollah and their liberal allies.
Hopefully, Israel will attack Iran before we get attacked.
januarius on August 9, 2006 at 4:34 PM
Take a lot at this amazing (and scary link) straight from the FBI’s webpage:
http://www.fbijobs.gov/043.asp
Does that answer your question about the FBI being open to “sensitive” investigations?
januarius on August 9, 2006 at 4:46 PM
FOX News is now reporting 3 of 11 students have been found. Latest two turned themselves in to authorities in New Jersey. Pardon my non-New Jersey ignorance, but aren’t there alot of tunnels connecting NJ and NY?
Centurion68 on August 9, 2006 at 4:57 PM
Hate to say it, but we only win the wars we kind of enjoy waging. Dealing with Kaiser Bill, Adolph and Tojo was fun; dealing with Ho wasn’t. So how do we make this approaching fight fun?
dhimwit on August 9, 2006 at 5:16 PM
Centurion68,
I love the line from the article you linked to that states:
The FBI is so committed to “diversity” that they will not admit that these students DO pose a terrorist threat. What makes the FBI so sure?
In my link in the above post, I don’t mean to bash Sikhs, but to point out this crazy obsession with diversity and “hate crimes” in the FBI is compromising our security.
januarius on August 9, 2006 at 5:20 PM
I think we have erred in trying to fight a “nice” war. And we are tired, but we are resolved and I for one am still VERY VERY VERY ANGRY about 9/11! I am concerned about this Aug 22nd stuff with Iran. The more I read the more I am convinced that something is going to happen in or around that date. Then we will once again be forced to make a choice: Fight or Isolate. Neither is attractive, but the latter merely postpones the inevitable. *sigh*
labwrs on August 9, 2006 at 5:49 PM
Ahmadinejad to 60 Minutes‘ Mike Wallace
When one drops on his head, it will be too late to exchange thoughts, hold dialogues and have cultural exchanges…
Entelechy on August 9, 2006 at 5:58 PM
Until whoever left the Fox link open, closes it, here is what I intended to link to (but got defaulted to the Fox link)
60 Minutes interviews Ahmadinejad:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/08/09/60minutes/main1879867.shtml
Entelechy on August 9, 2006 at 6:00 PM
Entelechy,
My mistake. I was trying to link to the Fox News article and messed it up. Not quite sure how to fix. Allah, help!
Centurion68 on August 9, 2006 at 6:16 PM
If I may, Centurion, let me help you out with this link nonsense. I, too, sucked at links once, and was helped out by a fellow Hot Air breather.
Step 1. Write your whole post.
Step 2. Open your intended link in a separate window.
Step 3. Highlight the URL of your intended link, right-click it, and hit copy.
Step 4. Highlight the clever portion of your post which will provide the link.
Step 5. Hit link on the toolbar just above.
Step 6. Erase everything inside the “Script Prompt”, right-click inside that window, and paste what you copied from the other window.
Voila!
Kid from Brooklyn on August 9, 2006 at 6:51 PM
Centurion68, not to worry - all we know is easy :)
Kid from Brooklyn, thanks for your step-by-step.
Entelechy on August 9, 2006 at 7:11 PM
Kid,
Thanks! I bow to your wisdom on this one. Now how do I get rid of the messed up link?
Centurion68 on August 9, 2006 at 8:34 PM
Centurion, leave it to Hotair team to fix. We do not have editing privelages here.
Now, would someone Please tell me what unwarranted profiling is? If my memory serves me right, even black leaders saw the need to profile in order to stop future terrorist attacks. Has that changed?
DannoJyd on August 9, 2006 at 9:03 PM
As far as the antiwar liberals are concerned, if another attack happens on American soil they will be hard pressed to remain in office. Americans know which side has been obstructing the Presidents efforts, and they will be as mad at those liberal politicians as they will be at anyone of the Islamic faith.
DannoJyd on August 9, 2006 at 9:06 PM
I, too, believe that this country needs, and will be the victim, of another terrorist attack. I also believe that it will most likely be worse than 9/11 when you finish with the body count. I believe that nobody will want to admit that it was our own fault. DHS, aka Don’t Help Shit, is a waste. As someone that wears a DHS patch on their uniform I know that to be the truth. We have lost the war on our borders. We have allowed the enemies of our country to enter, both legally and illegally. It saddens me to admit that the country I love, the country I served for over 20 years in the US Army and the country I hoped to protect working on the border is lost. We will no longer be the great country we once were.
immigration inspectr on August 9, 2006 at 10:07 PM
Kindly enlighten me: which efforts of the President have been obstructed by “antiwar liberals”?
honora on August 10, 2006 at 4:15 PM
Honora, how about Reid on the Patriot Act?
Maybe Murtha, Kerry, and McKinney in their Bring The Troops Home effort will suffice.
Remember Dick Durbin naming our troops as torturers?
Now I would like to see examples of democrats leading efforts to support/fight the war on terror. Got any?
DannoJyd on August 11, 2006 at 9:45 AM
I actually found 1 democrat who supports the President…
From Real Clear Politics
Ed Koch sure has that right.
DannoJyd on August 11, 2006 at 11:22 AM
DannoJyd: first don’t confuse supporting the efforts against terror with support for the President, they are 2 different things. Second, with the Republicans in control of the exec and leg branches, it’s hard to find Democrats “leading” anything, but I believe the Democrats have overwhelming voted for all the legislation that supports the war(s).
In reference to the second above: the Patriot Act has been renewed, the troops have not been brought home–again with D support for the President. Which leaves the Durbin quote–does it count that he was right??? And I don’t believe Durbin has come out against the war???
Perhaps I am parsing your words too finely–by obstructing I am thinking successfully blocking–and and by antiwar liberals I am thinking people who are voting against the war in terms of appropriations.
And frankly, if Bush can’t take this amount of criticism, wow. Compared to what Johnson and Nixon went thru, this is nothing.
honora on August 12, 2006 at 12:59 PM