Extremists who would otherwise be properly seen in the fascistic mold were instead given a weird pass for their quite public and abhorrent hatred of non-believers and homosexuals, and their Neanderthal views of women. Beheadings, the murder of Christians, suicide bombings carried out by children, systematic torture — all this and more paled in comparison to hot and cold temperatures in American jails on Cuba. Suddenly despite our enemies' long record of murder and carnage, we were in a war not with fascism of the old stamp, but with those who were historical victims of the United States. Thus problems arose of marshalling American public opinion against the supposedly weaker that posited legitimate grievances against Western hegemons. It was no surprise that Sen. Durbin's infantile rantings would be showcased on al-Jazeera.
He also touches on the so-called errors we made that alienated Europeans who expressed sympathy for America in the aftermath of 9-11. Weepy, candle-holding Europeans became contributors to the insurgents all because we attacked Iraq and overthrew a dangerous dictator with ample blood on his hands:
When Western liberals today talk of a mythical period in the days after 9/11 of "unity" and "European solidarity" what they really remember is a Golden Age of Victimhood, or about four weeks before the strikes against the Taliban commenced. Then for a precious moment at last the United States was a real victim, apparently weak and vulnerable, and suffering cosmic justice from a suddenly empowered other. Oh, to return to the days before Iraq and Afghanistan, when we were hurt, introspective, and pitied, and had not yet "lashed out."
Remember that, will you? Europe felt sympathy for us after 9-11 when we seemed helpless like they are to defend ourselves. They were willing to send flowers to our funerals and pat us on the back, but that was it. Even the war in Afghanistan which everyone now says they supported was opposed by many in Europe and even some here who said we should try bin Laden in an international tribunal; that our campaign would be a quagmire after three weeks; who said the brutal winter would cripple us; who said the Taliban should be brought into a coalition government; and who said that we should declare a Ramadan ceasefire to avoid offending Moslems in a newly discovered ceasefire season that no Moslem would fight through out of respect (and I'll just note that the Arabs call the 1973 war with Israel "the Ramadan War."). But when we won, those same people complained that the war was not fought perfectly.
In August 2002 I touched on the same thing when I looked at how the Europeans were siding with Saddam in the growing confrontation with America and our allies (scroll down to August 25--this is my early site).
Europe is nothing to me. After decades of standing beside them in the face of the threat of nuclear devastation, now they walk away. They cried for us when we were victims in the days after September 11, but now that we fight and win they have dried their tears and condemn us. Europe would die at the hands of our enemies and still apologize for offending the hands that killed them, even in their last breath. We shall fight. And we shall win.If the price of European sympathy is inaction, then I don't give a damn. And good luck to them when their moment of crisis comes. The Europeans seem to be gaining a little sense. But not nearly enough yet. Europe as an entity is still nothing to me. My hope lies in Europeans.
My post has the contents of an open letter AndrewSullivan wrote to the Europeans, too. Sullivan should reread it.
