Editorials are posted and archived
on JN Online:
www.detroitjewishnews.com
Dry Bones
Sealing Out The World
n
TERROR ATTACKS ON
CHRISTIAN CHURCHES
IN IRAQ
HAVE RAISED. AS
LITTLE ANGER IN
THE WEST!
ere is one of the suggestions that you are like-
ly to hear over the coming months as
Americans increasingly worry about the loss
of lives and the waste of national fortunes in Iraq:
"Islamic terrorism has been heightened and will
remain a threat as long as an imperial America tries to
impose its economic, political and moral standards on
the world and particularly on the Middle East and
Islamic states in Asia. Reducing the threat will require
a more modest view of America's role in the world that
emphasizes concrete national interests instead of moral
purpose. To achieve those goals, we will need to
rethink (i.e., weaken or end) the support we give to
Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and Israel."
In short, the prescription will be to work
for energy self-sufficiency and to cut back on
our presence in the Mideast, leaving the
countries there to stew in their own histori-
cal juices.
While getting away from our national overdepen-
dence on imported oil and curbing any tendencies to
be a global bully is plainly vital, the rest of the ideas —
under quiet discussion in diplomatic, political and aca-
demic circles — are wildly out of keeping with the
American character and with the realities of the 21st
century.
Isolationism might have worked for us before World
War I, but it is no longer either a workable or desirable -
option. Without our steadying influence, what are now
internal civil wars will surely become regional conflicts
— think about Saharan and sub-Saharan Africa or
even India-Pakistan — with the potential to blossom
into a third global war. Nor can we expect the standard
of living to continue to improve nationally or globally
without a continuation of the trade expansion that our
economic power made possible.
And rather than reducing terrorism, a Fortress
America stand will strengthen the
hands of the Iranian ayatollahs and
the Osama bin Ladens who will take
our absence from the Mideast as a
vindication of their tactics and a spur
to widening their efforts outside of
the region.
The tragedy of 9-11 has already
forced us to reconsider our mindless
support of the Saudi Arabian monar-
chy and may inspire us to demand a
well-planned transition toward
democracy after a thorough revision
of public schooling there to break
the power of religious
extremism. Our backing
of the Egyptian and
Jordanian regimes has
already let us push them to work for
a responsible solution to the corrup-
tion and misery of the Palestinians
under Yasser Arafat.
Most importantly, our deep rela-
tionship with Israel has allowed
America to show that it remembers
both history and human rights, that
it does want the spread of democracy
in Middle East and that it values and
rewards loyalty,. The worst thing we
could do for the Mideast, the globe
and ourselves is to betray those
bonds. It is not our support of Israel
that causes Islamic extremism, but
rather the willingness of Muslim national leaders to use
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a distraction from
their own failures and corruption.
When you hear about the newest theories of a neo-
Investing In Blindness
American South. The message was that this is
has changed around them and it is now the
how Americans always behave towards people
Muslims, the bully boys in Hamas, who call
they don't like.
the shots.
Well, let's examine this idea. There are
The record of religious toleration by these
indeed people running around Baghdad with
Islamists has been something less than exem-
their faces hidden by masks — whose idea of a
plary.
hot time is blowing up churches, employing
Of course, everyone knows that as soon as
random terror and lynching people they don't
the Israel matter is disposed of, a new era of
like
by cutting off their heads.
understanding and peace will dawn for all
GE ORGE
That
sounds very much like the Klan. Only
humankind.
CAN TOR
they aren't Americans.
At least, that's what the Presbyterian Church
Reality
Some people are just slow to catch on. War
(USA) seems to believe. It knows who is causing
Check
has been declared on us, Jew and Christian
all the trouble in the world and so its General
alike, by zealots who are out to destroy the pil-
Assembly recently voted to divest from Israel.
lars on which our civilization rests. In doing so, they
Can't put anything past those boys.
have hijacked a great religion and are using it as their
I've got nothing against Presbyterians. Some of my
white
sheet, hiding their true intent behind pietistic
best friends are Presbyterians.
gibberish.
On the whole, however, I'd trust any evangelist on
In this great struggle, Israel is guilty of the unforgiv-
cable TV to have a firmer grip on political reality. At
able sin of defending itself efficiently by killing more
least, they don't pat you on the back with one hand
terrorists than they have killed Israelis.
and grip a rope in the other.
That's the only investment that matters for Israel
A few months ago, there was a semi-idiotic cartoon
these
days. Even a religious organization that has
in one of the Detroit dailies that drew a parallel
made
itself complicit to terror should be able to do
between the outrages at Abu Ghraib Prison in
the
math.
Baghdad and lynchings by the Ku Klux Klan in the
EDIT ORIAL
I
have never quite been able to figure out what the
Palestinian Christians think will happen to them
if their Muslim colleagues ever get their heart's
desire and wipe Israel from the map.
Do they really believe that once the Saturday people
are taken care of they will not come after. the Sunday
people, too?
One of the local Palestinian apologists told me there
would be time to work that out in the future. It was
not her concern right now
Well, maybe it's not my place to offer advice, but if I
were she, I'd be concerned.
The Muslim extremists have no compunctions about
targeting the Christians in their midst. Certainly the
bombed churches in Baghdad and Pakistan testify to
that.
Christians make up much of the educated elite
among the Palestinians, and some of them have been
heavily involved in terrorist acts. But the movement
George Cantor's e-mail address is
gcantor@thejevvishriews.com
AS TERRORIST
ATTACKS ON JEWISH
SYNAGOGUES HAVE!
.
isolationism as a cure for terrorism against America,
think about England's 11th century King Canute com-
manding the waves to cease. It won't work, and we
wouldn't want it to. ❑
❑
8/13
2004
23