Captain Ed has an amusing response for people who have the “chickenhawk” charge leveled against them. He and a few others have organized the 101st Fighting Keyboardists. One wag in the comments section added the “Chairborne Division.” “Chickenhawk” is what anti-war people call those who support the war, but who are not in the military, or if they are older, whose children are not in the military. I think an excellent response to those who agree with Michael Moore that the “insurgents” or as people in the reality-based community like to call them, “terrorists,” are equivalent to our own historical Minutemen, is, “Pick up an AK-47 and fight in Iraq alongside your ideological brethren.” The fact is, in America anyone is entitled to express their opinions freely. The chickenhawk charge is a cheap way to try to cut off debate and declare a moral victory.
I Support the War
The fact is, I do support the war, as I support the coming war with Iran. If I could join the military, I would. If my daughter, about to turn 16, wants to join when she’s of age, she has my blessing. We have an all-volunteer military force, and there is absolutely no danger of a draft in spite of what scare-mongers on the left may say. The last thing the military wants is a draft. They’ve learned that the loss of unit effectiveness and cohesiveness isn’t worth the presumed benefit of the extra names on the roster. Since I would not be welcome in the military because of my health, I give as much as I can to organizations that support the military and the war, and those that support the dissemination of truth about radical Islam. Two examples are Any Soldier and MEMRI. I was also part of the group that created The Gitmo Cookbook, to help show that our military is not running a concentration camp in Guantanamo Bay. (Profits for that go to the USO.)
Why Do I Support the War?
This article by Dan Simmons includes a very prescient description of what is in store for us if we refuse to face the reality that Islamists mean what they say. When they say they want a global caliphate, they mean it. When they require that non-Muslims obey Islamic religious law, like not drawing pictures of Mohammed, they mean it. They don’t have the means to fully enforce it yet – hence the demonstrations in London where they carried signs demanding beheadings, instead of actually beheading people, but they do what they can. Ask Theo van Gogh. Google “honor killings in Germany.” I understand that all Muslims do not agree with the radical Islamists. All Germans did not agree with Hitler, but that did not stop World War II.
The adamant refusal by so many people to take them at their plainly stated words, while at the same time finding hidden meanings and conspiracies in nearly everything their own countrymen on the opposite side of the political spectrum say and do, is perplexing. The actions of the Islamists clearly fit with their words. Furthermore, they are not ignorant savages. The enemy is sophisticated and is easily using our own society and technology against us. They understand public relations. They are waiting out the current administration and hoping for someone more amenable to their long term goals in 2008. Aside from waging war through terrorism, as Iran has done through Hezbollah for nearly 30 years, they use our own free societies and the concept of multiculturalism against us. The demands for Sharia law are increasing in Western countries. Canada has a separate court system for Muslims. There does not need to be a global conspiracy or a fully networked group of people in order to overthrow the West. There only needs to be a shared philosophy.
It is astounding to me to see the lack of support for a war against enemies who have publicly, repeatedly declared their intention to destroy us. To those who say that the United States government is evil, that civil rights are in jeopardy, and that the Bush administration is the enemy, I would recommend a sense of proportion and of priorities. As the Dan Simmons article says, “Your enemy is he who will give his life to kill you. Your enemies are they that wish you and your children and your grandchildren dead and who are willing to sacrifice themselves, or support those fanatics who will sacrifice themselves, to see you and your institutions destroyed. You haven’t figured that out yet – the majority of you fat, sleeping, smug, infinitely stupid Americans and Europeans.” I understand that people of good will can honestly disagree about this. I know that people who say, “if the United States would just stop attacking Muslims, they will leave us alone,” are sincere. Then there are people who say the war is misapplied; they feel it’s more of a “police” issue and if Osama bin Laden could be found and brought to justice, the problem would be solved. At this point both sides have developed their own set of facts. The media chooses not to report on the newly translated Iraqi documents and many other things that don’t forward their agenda. My own brother stands on the opposite side of this debate. I believe the people who believe those things are making a serious category error. If you believe that we can go back to the way things used to be, before 9/11, (or 1998, 1996, 1988, 1983, or 1979…) then look up and learn the meanings of sharia, dhimmi, jizya, hudud, pbuh, kharaz, zakat, qadi, mahram, and burqa. You will need them. Learn what they did when they had control of Fallujah.
A friend of mine asked me why I’m writing this post. I don’t expect to change anyone’s mind, and I don’t want to debate the issue. The Time Traveler in the Dan Simmons article said, “It was important to me to come back to this time early on in the struggle. Even if only to remind myself of how unspeakably blind you all were.”
I’m writing this so that future generations, if they happen to read this, will know that all of us didn’t sign the suicide pact.
Daily Reading
Memri
Jihad Watch
Dhimmi Watch
Regime Change Iran
The Religion of Peace
Anti-CAIR
A Few Sources
“Facing Down Iran”
“The 25-Year US-Iran War”
“Mideast’s Undeclared War”
“Loud and clear: No respite in the ‘long war’”
Iran playing offense – US playing defense is an insupportable strategy
“Islam’s Imperial Dreams”
“Iran’s bluster isn’t a bluff”
“Iran Is at War with Us – Someone Should Tell the U.S. Government.”
“The Iran List”
“Islamists develop professional media capabilities to wage public relations Jihad – groups urged to monitor media and respond”
“US ‘losing media war to al-Qaeda’”
“Prepare yourself for the unthinkable: war against Iran may be a necessity“
