The big day is rapidly approaching, and I'll soon be crossing Santa's flight path as I jet not so far from the arctic circle on Christmas Eve. If somebody told me back when I was a kid that I'd be sharing the troposphere with the jolly old elf on December 24th, I would have thought it was the coolest thing in the world. Now, all I can do is grumble that my travel agent couldn't get me a flight a day or two earlier...and imagine the worst: delayed take-offs, blizzards, crowded terminals, battles over the right to the armrest with my next-seat neighbor... oy vey.
Mary Eberstadt, whom I've blogged about before, notes that I'm not alone in dwelling on my fears in this typically thorough piece about scapegoats. Why on earth are some folks predicting doom and gloom at the hands of Mexican immigrants, Christianists, and George W. Bush? Yes, I can see the dangers of an open-door immigration policy, believe in the separation of church and state, and find some of Bush's policies worse than ill-advised. But as Eberstadt points out, the threat from these phenomena is nothing as compared to that of radical Islam.
Now before anybody starts throwing the H(ilter) word around, I should just type up a paragraph-long disclaimer about my conviction that the majority of Muslims are as reasonable and assimilable as the adherents of any other religion. Unfortunately, you don't have to look too hard to find some real scary talk--and scary actions--from other Muslim groups. And I'm talking this century, mind you...
I identify as a Catholic, a poor one, alas, but I would be the first one to condemn as unchristian any Catholic group hacking off heads in the name of the Pope, St Peter, or Jesus Christ himself. I'd like to think that most Muslims would do the equivalent. Furthermore, these days, in spite of the greatest provocations against the feelings of Christians, it's extremely rare to hear about any Baptist suicide bombers, for example. I have no idea why some believe practicing and and preaching Christians pose such as dire threat to American democracy, while on the other hand, some Muslim groups, whose rhetoric is like a cross between Pat Buchanan and Genghis Khan, are sacrosanct.
Even judging by personal experience, I've met some Muslims whose wonderful modesty, decency, and piety go unjudged by other, more "free-thinking" friends, who would brand a Christian who forsakes alcohol or revealing clothes a "religious nut"...or worse. Something weird is going on here, and it smells like denial.
One way to begin is to survey the main intellectual and political currents since 9/11, which investigation yields a fact both unexpected and significant. As it turns out, a flight from political reality has indeed been underway on both the left and the right in America in the years since that event, as well as accelerating into more advanced forms in much of Europe. To switch metaphors, in the wake of the 9/11 attack -- and later, related Islamist attacks on civilians, most notably in Spain and Britain -- many Western observers have responded not by absorbing what we now know to be true about our world, but rather by transposing those brute facts into other, safer, more familiar keys.
I'm not sure if I would, like Eberstadt, lump Buchanan-style demonizing of Mexicans with European anti-Americanism as different facets of scapegoating. To me, the common denominator, if there is any, is that Islam seems more of a distant, exotic menace. Too often, fighting with one's neighbors and peers seems more tempting than admitting a greater common threat--and deferring all the insecurities and grudges that are much dearer to the heart.
I'm afraid that I'm not exaggerating much when I suppose that there are some folks who would rather be beheaded by a jihadi than have a picture of their smilin' face next to that of George Bush at an Evangelical luncheon on the cover of the Washington Post. So why are such people similar to whitebread Jesus-fearing minute men? I think that Eberstadt nails it when she posits they both need a "scapegoat," which she defines in these terms:
One result of that transposition, the record shows, has been the creation of a world of political scapegoats for the unease and anxiety that are the unwanted companions now of Westerners everywhere. These scapegoats, perverse non-explanations for what really ails us, can be identified by features common to the breed everywhere: The passion invested in them by their antagonists is disproportionate to any real problem the scapegoat represents; they are invoked to explain more about the world than they do; they capture some part of the truth, i.e., have a degree of verisimilitude without which a scapegoat cannot exist; and -- also like scapegoats everywhere -- they pose no threat of retaliation for their overburdening. They are scapegoats in the classic sense: metaphorical beasts seen not in their own right and reality, but rather as communal vessels carrying a political and psychological weight beyond themselves for reasons of communal relief.
By all means, read the whole thing, if you haven't already. Hat tip to the Instapundit, hate to admit it. The guy blogs more in a day than I do in a month.
Tanuki said:
"find some of Bush's policies worse than ill-advised. But as Eberstadt points out, the threat from these phenomena is nothing as compared to that of radical Islam."
Perhaps there could be a connection between some of these "ill-advised" decisions and the radicalization of a small portion of Islam? Or, perhaps, as with most else the U.S. does, some simply wish not to see that certain actions may actually produce certain responses. You know, like bombing Iraq could potentially, and probably, lead to many more folks in the region to hate the U.S.? Duhhh....kb
"Now before anybody starts throwing the H(ilter) word around"
Why would anyone do this, yet? You haven't said anything Hitlerian, yet.kb
"I should just type up a paragraph-long disclaimer about my conviction that the majority of Muslims are as reasonable and assimilable as the adherents of any other religion. Unfortunately, you don't have to look too hard to find some real scary talk--and scary actions--from other Muslim groups. And I'm talking this century, mind you..."
And the questions should be is why? Where did they come from? Did they just pop out of thin blue air? Usually actions result from something. And, just to cut off the inevitable interpretation as some sort of apologetic for the actions, which it isn't in any way, shape, or form, perhaps we should try and look at what's behind such thinking. Is this really anything new? I mean, with the exception of 9/11, and the previous attempt at blowing up the World Trade Center several years earlier, which, mind you, was carried out by a fellow who was denied entry into the U.S. by the Immigration Sevice only to have this decision tossed out thereby having him shuttled into the U.S. with the help of the C.I.A. (another story never discussed in the non-existent "liberal media"), and with that terror which has increased as a direct result, and predicted, even by those in power, is there really that much more? I don't really see it at all. True, since 9/11 the media has helped to create this new perception, as a more insightful fellow (whose name I won't mention) recognized would probably happen about 20 years ago, because, well, Reagan said that this would be the next scare tactic to replace the diminishing "Soviet threat" with. Perhaps this rage has been there for a LONG time, but the west, who has for the most part either been in total denial, or has kept the public insulated from this growing dissatisfaction is just now paying attention to it for once. I mean, look at ghow often the media doesn't talk about bin Laden's reasoning for his anti-Americanism. He's been saying since the beginning that the U.S. presence in his country, Saudi Arabia, is not wanted by the people and is viewed by the people as an invasion of the country with the two holiest sites of Islam. Well, that seems to be something which might be important for people to know given that this is exactly the reason he's been giving from the start for his current position on the U.S., who, remember, cultivated him, too, like Saddam, for many years. These are things which should be on the tube every day, but are rarely mentioned at all. Why? But it IS telling that the one TV station which does get into this, al Jezerra, has been bombed, had a smear campaign run against it, etc...in an attempt to dissallow the people, especially of the west, NOT to know these basics. Once again, why?kb
"I would be the first one to condemn as unchristian any Catholic group hacking off heads in the name of the Pope, St Peter, or Jesus Christ himself."
Had you been around back in the day when there was lots of hacking, burning, and torture by the church would you have been the first to condemn it? Really? With your tendency to view any criticism of the U.S. as amounting to "anti-Americanism", would not you possibly be hostile to the critics of the church as well and call the critics "anti-Christians"? If not, why not? What's the difference?kb
"I'd like to think that most Muslims would do the equivalent."
Do you think they don't?kb
"Furthermore, these days, in spite of the greatest provocations against the feelings of Christians, it's extremely rare to hear about any Baptist suicide bombers, for example."
Suicide is viewed as a sin by Baptists. I would guess that there has probably been a Baptist or two dropping bombs and killing many from the comfort and saftey of some jet fighter thousands of feet up somewhere. Does this mean he's not as bad because he can do his crimes and terror from a safe distance whereas the poor do it from a close distance? Which is worse, the pilot who kills 120 civilians in a bombing, or a "radical Muslim extremist" who kills 12? And if the suicide bomber is, in fact, worse, please give the details as to why.kb
"I have no idea why some believe practicing and and preaching Christians pose such as dire threat to American democracy"
Because much of what they say is diametrically opposed to democracy. Perhaps they're not direct threats because up to now they've been pretty much exposed as lunatics and even the average Christian can see how ridiculous they are. What's scary as of late is the the Bush contingency is probably the closest to allowing these types get anywhere near the centers of power.kb
"while on the other hand, some Muslim groups, whose rhetoric is like a cross between Pat Buchanan and Genghis Khan, are sacrosanct."
They are? Who views them this way? Which groups are you referring to? WHat is their positions on X? And, most importantly, what reasons do they give for having these positions? And, are there any reasons how or why they could have come to this position? And is there anything the U.S. has done to help cultivate these feelings? Or, perhaps, did it jump come from thin air? Are they just naturally bad? Is it genetics? I hardly think so, though it WOULD be Hitlerian to surmise as much. I mean, if anyone wants to try and make that argument. And there are STILL people around repeating the OLD propaganda that they "hate us" because they're "jealous" or the "hate democracy", and all the rest of the nonsense. This gross propaganda was exposed almost immediately even by the Wall Street Journal, but one still hears it floating around, especially from the more conservative elements. Of course they STILL think Saddam had something to do with 9/11 and that there were Iraqis on the places, too, so what should we expect in this case?kb
"Even judging by personal experience, I've met some Muslims whose wonderful modesty, decency, and piety go unjudged by other, more "free-thinking" friends, who would brand a Christian who forsakes alcohol or revealing clothes a "religious nut"...or worse."
I don't know anyone who would call a Christian who doesn't drink alcohol a nut for this reason. Now, I WOULD probably call someone a nut who illegally invades another country, or even considers doing so, in order to make sure that the oil of that country stays in control of the west, and has to lie to the population in order to cover it up by concocting a world terrorist threat, while at the same time helping to create it and make it bigger. I mean, some may consider this intelligent, but then I ask, what would that make them?kb
"Something weird is going on here, and it smells like denial."
I agree 100%. Denial is one of the worst features of many within the U.S. and them taking responsibility for their actions. Denial, hypocrisy, projection, etc...are ALL features of the state. Now, this isn't to imply that other states don't do it as well, but this isn't our primary concern. Our concern should be with our actions, not theirs. If not, then this too is just another example of our projecting, not claiming responsibility, and trying to pass the buck for our action onto "the other". It'S sort of like the alcoholic man who beats his wife and then rationalizes that it's her fault. Has nothing to do with his drinking. May even say she caused him to be an alcoholic, and on and on....Not much deeper than this.kb
Anyway, if one wishes to get at least a possible glimpse as to where some of this anti-American anger REALLY comes from, and wishes to look at possible REAL reasons, you know, NOT the "they're jealous of our freedom" crap, see for starters Chalmers Johnson's 'Sorrow of Empire'. I would recommend taking ANY book which attempts to cultivate the "clash of civilizations" propaganda and nonsense a flea market and try to get 5 cents for it. You would still be receiving 10 times as much as it's value.kb
Posted by: kb | December 27, 2006 at 07:19 AM