Is Victor Davis Hanson Asking The Right Question?

My point isn't to really question this excellent essay at Real Clear Politics by Victor Davis Hanson. Thought for thought and word for word, I don't know as I've read anything better on the Internet than much of the work of Hanson.

So now Europe is being thrust right into the middle of the so-called war against Islamic fascism. Once threatened, it will either react with a newly acquired Churchillian maturity to protect its civilization, or cave, in hopes that even more Chamberlain-type appeasement will satisfy the Islamists.

It should be a fascinating spring ahead.

However, the thought which came to me after reading the essay was how we have been thinking of the world for generations, and continue to, even in the face of a now seemingly border-less read global radical Islam.

What will Europe, the US, or even a Russia or a China do? All good questions. Yet, there's one the world doesn't seem quite ready to entertain. And it may be the most important question of them all.

Twenty years ago, excepting Ireland and a few hot spots, the world thought of terrorism linked to Islam chiefly in terms of small strips of land in and around Israel. Just over four years ago that changed significantly in the wake of 9/11. But look at what has changed in just the four short years since in terms of a radical Islam.

From bombings in London and Bali, to an assassination in Amsterdam, we now find ourselves where a large part of the world is, or has most recently been caught up in incredible violence, criminality and intolerance. And all generated in, not protests of some cartoons, not really. In reality, this is all being generated as a fruit of radical Islam.

We know some of the cartoons were fabricated before being carried from Denmark to the Middle-east. Is it accurate to see this violence as a mere confluence of events? I think that's a rather short-sighted view.

Look at the world as it is this very moment, with fire and death in Pakistan, spreading from Denmark, England, and so on ... and how long ago was it that Paris burned over an entirely different matter? A month, two?

With this last incident knowingly incited by who knows what organization, other than some Danish Iman's, radical Islam is proving itself capable of almost global action. Should we really continue to look at all this piece meal, resulting from the dissatisfaction of this particular population, or that? That could be a terrible mistake the world will soon regret.

Instead, if the world can begin to see and understand radical Islam for what it now seems to be - a growing, global, oppressive terrorist presence capable of coordinated disruptions, attacks and cross-continental killing - then the question to be asking isn't what will Europe, or the US, or anyone else do next - the question becomes what will radical Islam do now - and then next?

Given the rate of change of which radical Islam has shown itself capable, perhaps as a result of it's almost virulent nature, if we don't soon begin, as a free world community, to ask the question above, the question of what Europe or whomever else might do next could very well become moot. And, unfortunately, much sooner than most people think.

Comments

[Harv N HouTx]

Bomb them back to the 7th Century. They ARE looking more and more like the 3rd Reich. They have NO place in our society and should be dealt with accordingly. We (the world) must be UNITED in the fight against this scourge. Radical Islamic Fascist punks. Excellent story.

[AuntJ]

Very good point Dan. When Hitler was trying to take over everyone and have his pure Aryan race, many around the world either looked the other way or said, thats not our problem. Nowadays, everyone abhors what Hitler stood for and did. To me, radical Islamists are not any different. They want everyone who isn't a Muslim or who doesn't convert, to die; some don't even want the converts, just all us infidels to die. Alot of people just don't get it - the radicals don't care what country you are from, they don't care if your country speaks out for Islam, they won't even care if, when they come for a person and are standing face to face with them, if that person says, but I support your right to do this, if they are an infidel, they must die. Thats the way I see it.

[tk]

Maybe, just maybe President Bush will now understand that not all people in all countries are crying out for western democracy. The first Europeans landed here in America at the start of the 1600's and didn't fight for our rights until 1776. And in 1789 our new constitution gave no vote to women, 3/5 vote to free black men and we still retained slavery. So are we to believe the tribes of the middle east who were handed out states drawn up by the British and have retained the their tribal ways are now,after some 80 short years or so are going to converted to western democracy in a few years. I think not. The worst is yet to come and I for one have no interest in helping the Europeans solve their dilemma.