Powerline on D’Souza
Posted by Peter W. Schramm
Scott Johnson reviews Dinesh D’Souza’s new attempt to be provocative; this attempt may have forced him over the brink, in my opinion. Johnson doesn’t think highly of it, either. Note that the Powerline guys have a new blog at AOL.
1:07 PM / February 24, 2007
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I have not read the book. Having said that, the premise as I understand it is not that far-fetched. A great many people in America dislike cultural leftism. I dont know why its so shocking to suggest that people abroad dislike it as much or more, and that they are prepared to act on their beliefs.
I think that DSouza has lost his nerve. Hes in a panic, and hes thrashing about for allies, but there arent really any to be found. So in his desperation, he actually reaches out to our enemies, to the enemies we were destined to have.
The Declaration of Independence was a declaration of war against the empire of shariaa. Its really that simple. We cant live out our fundamental creed without being at war with the fundamental creed of islam, which is a hostile political creed.
Way back, St. Thomas Aquinas said that islam was a political creed. EVERYTHING that has happened in islam ever since has done NOTHING but validate that assessment. Thats why it hasnt undergone any change, any divine reformation. Because theres nothing of the Holy Spirit about it.
In the Catholic Church, every time a problem arose, an answer to that rose within the Church. When the Church became too worldly, the Franciscans were born. When the Church needed doctrinal argument against various heresies, the Dominicans were born. When the Church stayed too long at Avignon, St. Catherine of Siena was the answer.
But theres been NO answer within islam to the creed of the corsair, jihad. NOTHING.
And we all know why....... though we would like to think otherwise.
I wouldnt say Islam as such; Id say certain radical Islamist ideas. In some circles, this counts as naive, I know. But such circles need to read and think.
We know there ARE moderate muslims. But its safe to say there isnt any moderate islam.
The ideas seem "radical" to us because they are viewed through a 2,000 year old Western prism. But theres no such thing as a "radical" per se, in islam. Because the issue isnt one of "radical" or "non-radical." Its rather orthodox, unorthodox. If you are a muslim, and if you take islam seriously, then you have to take jihad seriously. And that means violent propagation of the faith.
This understanding I didnt have prior to 9/11. I too subscribed to the radical narrative. But Ive read too much since then, and I cant pretend to or affect an ignorance of these matters.
Its just like our description of the war with the "Barbary Pirates." Those werent "pirates," they were jihadists. They werent doing anything that islam hadnt been doing since its inception. They took hostages, they practiced slaving and slave trading, they extorted ransom and tribute. They practiced razza, which translates as terror raiding. Do you know that over 15% of our federal budget PER ANNUM was used to pay muslim tribute? Beslan wasnt an aberration of history, it was par for the muslim course. What they did to the Eastern Orthodox Church then, AND WHAT THEY CONTINUE to do to this very day is cultural and religious rape.
The Pope quoted a man who knew far more about islam then were ever likely to in his speech at Regensburg. That man asked what was it that mohammad introduced to mans understanding of the divine, that man asked what was it that mohammad introduced that wasnt barbaric, cruel and inhuman. And that question persuaded a muslim to reject that creed, and embrace Christianity. That was the point that the Pope was trying to make, that islam is intrinsically irrational, irrational in its beliefs, irrational in their understanding of God. The questions posed before the sack and rape of Constantinople must be posed today, for the answer is the same. There is no answer, other than more threats, more intimidation, more jihad.
"We hold these truths to be self-evident...." Our foundational creed, based on the ability of man to perceive and live the truth, is fundamentally hostile to islam. Muslims may embrace our foundational creed, but islam cant.
If you watch DSouzas debate with Robert Spencer of Jihadwatch, at CPAC, I think youll see that my insight into DSouzas motivation is pretty accurate.
Hes scared to death. His fear was literally palpable up on that stage. He was trying to share his sheer dread with the audience.
Dinesh, Dinesh..., you forgot something, something very important, "These colours dont run" baby....!