If you weren't such an arrogant blusterer but a real reader of Sun zi, it might have occurred to you that there is more going on in the other's camp than you know about, or will know about. Isn't your hero as much concerned with brains as with balls (or are you really a smart guy who is using clever Chinese ambiguity and misdirection to make us think you are a twit)? And have you ever given much thought to the tight relationship between the two?
It strikes me that, whoever you are, you may not be unlike the average Pakistani out in the streets burning an effigy of the Pope and pounding his chest about insults to his (evidently meagre) manhood/religion. Ultimately, our concern is more with the westerners who would be cowed by such an idiotic, if brutally sincere and honest, performance than with the Pakistanis. If the western culture is confident in itself again, we will have the bigger problems solved. We won't get there, however, by accusing our people of balllessness. Rather, we have to find positive, but not simplistic, ways to incorporate pride.
It's not our goal, I hope, to become the next Middle Eastern tyrant, or the next Lenin; so your approach may not be ours. We want to find ways to return to a western consciousness of Being and history and politics at the highest possible levels of their differentiation, and yet in a way that is not inaccessible to reasonably intelligent readers who want to participate seriously in our national democracy. With such a demanding task you can surely appreciate that our blogging work suffers by fits and starts. However, I believe we have the faith to carrry on as long as we can. And if we don't, be sure it is a question of reason and faith, not balls.
I have read quite a number of the posts here and at NoDhimmitude, I have yet to read an actual plan of action.
If you acknowledge that Islam is incompatable with Western values, I think your readers should know what is your proposed solution.
The Muslims know exactly what to do since they are indoctrinated in their objectives and how to get there their entire religious lives.
What are you going to do when the Muslim population starts to tick over the 25% mark in Canada?
What are you going to do when Muslims demand autonomous Sharia law zones within Canada?
What are you going to do when Christian churches start burning?
What about when Sikh temples are bombed?
We already know what you are going to do when Jewish temples are fire-bombed - Nothing!
I have read your position on Afghanistan and I marvel that you wish to expend Canadian soldiers lives to prop up a Muslim country. What are you thinking??? What is your reasoning???
Well, retrack, it's flattering to hear you talk as if I could be the authority on whose plan the Canadian nation depends. But a democracy, which is what we are trying to preserve, doesn't work that way - with semi-divine heros or dreamy wannabes in combat boots thinking the future will depend on their individual heroics. It's not for me to define with precision the steps we should take - I do not have the authority or responsibility - but I certainly have opinions on all the questions you raise and I do write about them:
1)major changes/restrictions in our immigration and multiculturalism policies. I think we should choose only immigrants who clearly want to integrate with western values and traditions, not that these are fixed in stone and cannot be strengthened with certain kinds of additions (though certainly there is much in the world that we should reject).
2)absolutely no concessions to Sharia law
3)police and the law for arsonists, unless there is significant insurrection, and then the full power of the state including civil war if necessary.
But this is all pretty obvious. What do you expect to hear? What are you looking for? An invitation to join the secret militia that will save the world?
As for Afghanistan and other failed states, we have basically two realistic choices: significant engagement or quarantine. Engagement comes with costs, yes, but it wins us an opportunity, if we can use it well, to push for the kind of change we want (within reality), to divide and conquer in the Muslim world, to win and support Muslim allies, and to set the tempo of our enemy's decision making, as well as gain necessary intelligence about him that there is no other way to acquire. It also usefully polarizes questions at home, forces people to take sides and gets people thinking about our enemies in this world.
Quarantine, in any complete way, is something that will require more human resources in the field than we have now. It will cause more resentment than we presently cause, and it is unlikely to work very well since in the global village (which isn't going away) there will always be ways for terrorists and states to export their violence if they have the support of their quarantined community, which is likely unless we engage with a divide and conquer strategy.
You seem to think there is some sure way out of our problems. But for some problems there are no good or sure answers.
Letting the Taliban-al Qaeda take over Afghanistan will likely have negative consequences for the western world, as it did pre-9/11. But this is not to say that by engaging we are likely to achieve a major transformation of the country any time soon. Our actions are basically humble, reflecting a choice made between two evils. And while there is perhaps much about our present mission I would change, if I were God, I wouldn't pretend to have the superior knowledge and insight you seem to have about what we can or cannot do.
In any case, what I have previously written here are largely words of support for our troops. And anyone who would not support his nation's troops when sent on life-threatening missions is either a moron or a bastard.
5 comments:
What are you guys going to do?
Grow some balls?
retrack,
If you weren't such an arrogant blusterer but a real reader of Sun zi, it might have occurred to you that there is more going on in the other's camp than you know about, or will know about. Isn't your hero as much concerned with brains as with balls (or are you really a smart guy who is using clever Chinese ambiguity and misdirection to make us think you are a twit)? And have you ever given much thought to the tight relationship between the two?
It strikes me that, whoever you are, you may not be unlike the average Pakistani out in the streets burning an effigy of the Pope and pounding his chest about insults to his (evidently meagre) manhood/religion. Ultimately, our concern is more with the westerners who would be cowed by such an idiotic, if brutally sincere and honest, performance than with the Pakistanis. If the western culture is confident in itself again, we will have the bigger problems solved. We won't get there, however, by accusing our people of balllessness. Rather, we have to find positive, but not simplistic, ways to incorporate pride.
It's not our goal, I hope, to become the next Middle Eastern tyrant, or the next Lenin; so your approach may not be ours. We want to find ways to return to a western consciousness of Being and history and politics at the highest possible levels of their differentiation, and yet in a way that is not inaccessible to reasonably intelligent readers who want to participate seriously in our national democracy. With such a demanding task you can surely appreciate that our blogging work suffers by fits and starts. However, I believe we have the faith to carrry on as long as we can. And if we don't, be sure it is a question of reason and faith, not balls.
Dear Mr. Truepeers:
I have read quite a number of the posts here and at NoDhimmitude, I have yet to read an actual plan of action.
If you acknowledge that Islam is incompatable with Western values, I think your readers should know what is your proposed solution.
The Muslims know exactly what to do since they are indoctrinated in their objectives and how to get there their entire religious lives.
What are you going to do when the Muslim population starts to tick over the 25% mark in Canada?
What are you going to do when Muslims demand autonomous Sharia law zones within Canada?
What are you going to do when Christian churches start burning?
What about when Sikh temples are bombed?
We already know what you are going to do when Jewish temples are fire-bombed - Nothing!
I have read your position on Afghanistan and I marvel that you wish to expend Canadian soldiers lives to prop up a Muslim country. What are you thinking??? What is your reasoning???
You are a silly fool.
Well, retrack, it's flattering to hear you talk as if I could be the authority on whose plan the Canadian nation depends. But a democracy, which is what we are trying to preserve, doesn't work that way - with semi-divine heros or dreamy wannabes in combat boots thinking the future will depend on their individual heroics. It's not for me to define with precision the steps we should take - I do not have the authority or responsibility - but I certainly have opinions on all the questions you raise and I do write about them:
1)major changes/restrictions in our immigration and multiculturalism policies. I think we should choose only immigrants who clearly want to integrate with western values and traditions, not that these are fixed in stone and cannot be strengthened with certain kinds of additions (though certainly there is much in the world that we should reject).
2)absolutely no concessions to Sharia law
3)police and the law for arsonists, unless there is significant insurrection, and then the full power of the state including civil war if necessary.
But this is all pretty obvious. What do you expect to hear? What are you looking for? An invitation to join the secret militia that will save the world?
As for Afghanistan and other failed states, we have basically two realistic choices: significant engagement or quarantine. Engagement comes with costs, yes, but it wins us an opportunity, if we can use it well, to push for the kind of change we want (within reality), to divide and conquer in the Muslim world, to win and support Muslim allies, and to set the tempo of our enemy's decision making, as well as gain necessary intelligence about him that there is no other way to acquire. It also usefully polarizes questions at home, forces people to take sides and gets people thinking about our enemies in this world.
Quarantine, in any complete way, is something that will require more human resources in the field than we have now. It will cause more resentment than we presently cause, and it is unlikely to work very well since in the global village (which isn't going away) there will always be ways for terrorists and states to export their violence if they have the support of their quarantined community, which is likely unless we engage with a divide and conquer strategy.
You seem to think there is some sure way out of our problems. But for some problems there are no good or sure answers.
Letting the Taliban-al Qaeda take over Afghanistan will likely have negative consequences for the western world, as it did pre-9/11. But this is not to say that by engaging we are likely to achieve a major transformation of the country any time soon. Our actions are basically humble, reflecting a choice made between two evils. And while there is perhaps much about our present mission I would change, if I were God, I wouldn't pretend to have the superior knowledge and insight you seem to have about what we can or cannot do.
In any case, what I have previously written here are largely words of support for our troops. And anyone who would not support his nation's troops when sent on life-threatening missions is either a moron or a bastard.
or both
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