A few weeks ago, I commented on the assault on free speech in Canada. Now, an Australian journalist has put it better than I ever could. There seems to be a mild death wish on the part of Western Civilization. I worry about it.
Tags: Canada, human rights, Islam, political correctness
I have long pondered this issue, Dr. K. Actually, it isn’t a new problem. This is, I think, the same intellectual nonsense we faced during the Soviet period.
Remember how Reagan was, according to all of our thinkers, a despot who wanted to incinerate babies, and the leaders of the Soviet Union were peaceloving types who wanted their children to survive? When you would point out Soviet duplicity, you would be told that was all a pack of lies courtesy of McCarthy or the New Right. After all, they have children, too.
I remember hearing that the geriatic liche, Andropov, loved jazz, and was therefore someone with whom we could deal!
I am a “reciprocicist” in that I expect the same critique to be applied to all parties. Thus, if you are going to attack America’s history during the Cold War, I want the same level of distrust and suspicion to be directed toward the actions of the Soviet Union.
But we never saw that then from the New York Times, or on campus.
I think it is the same thing today. Instead of the Soviets, it is the Muslim world. The intelligentsia doesn’t really understand the history or sociology of the Muslim world, so they try to use a Western mindset. Add to it the self-loathing that the Left possesses, which is mixed with hypocrisy: Al Gore needs to save the planet from carbon dioxide emissions while flying around in private jets.
The “game plan” is to look at *everything* we do in this country with a mixture of suspicion, regret, and guilt. Then we look at the actions of our opponents in the best possible light, assuming the best, and bizarrely blaming ourselves for their actions.
Seriously, Dr. K., compare this to the “talking points” during the disarmament debates. The nuclear winter debates. There are so many similarities it is shocking.
Western culture appears to be ashamed of its own success. The bad news is that there really are people out there willing to kill themselves to harm us, something the Soviets never wanted to do, even as they hammered a shoe on a lectern at the UN and lecture us.
Since we don’t teach history, I have more fear now for the future than I did during the 80s. But hopefully I will be wrong.
Just to add to the above…
The Soviets never dreamed that we would try to pass laws that would allow them to preach against the US inside our own nation. They never dreamed that they could sue people for saying nasty things about them, while at the same time enjoying the freedom to say nasty things about us.
All in the name of “freedom from feeling disliked or distrusted.”
As for Canada’s issue, what can I say? They are not being reciprocal. Not until any Muslim who preaches hatred toward non-Muslims is also prosecuted.
Steyn’s comments on this rock. And the youtube of the Canadian publisher fellow is “must see.” He sounds more American than any of our current Presidential candidates.
Here is an example of what I meant:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=508263&in_page_id=1770
Now, ask what would happen in the UK, right now, if a Muslim customer tried to buy a Muslim book, and the Christian bookstore employee refused to touch it because it was unclean?
Reciprocity, anyone?
My first thought was that we should file a complaint about the Canadian Human Rights Commission…with the Canadian Human Rights Commission.
This incident reflects a LOT of self hatred. I don’t think the human penchant for self destruction gets enough credit. I was perusing some US suicide statistics, and saw that each year 30% of teenagers report seriously considering suicide. Something like 7% actually attempt it, and a little more than 1% require medical attention from an attempt. Only .005% actually complete the act (2000 a year, which is more than we lose in Afghan/Iraq, so I expect Harry Reid to propose legislation banning teenage suicide.)
I suppose teenagers are partly on the hunt for attention, but I think there is an underlying penchant for ‘destruction as a solution’ in some quarters.
I’d prefer reading in my native language, because my knowledge of your languange is no so well. But it was interesting! Look for some my links:
I’d prefer reading in my native language, because my knowledge of your languange is no so well.