After seeing the video of Christopher Hitchens' takedown of Ron Reagan over at the Political Teen, I was greatly interested in what Mr. Hitchens had to say in his article at the Mirror: WE CANNOT SURRENDER.
He puts it very clearly and eloquently:
I remember living in London through the Provisional IRA bombing in the 70s. I saw the very first car-bomb explode against the Old Bailey in 1972. There was no warning that time, but after a while a certain etiquette developed.
And, even as I detested the people who might have just as soon have blown me up as anyone else, I was aware there were ancient disputes involved, and that there was a potential political solution.
Nothing of the sort applies in this case. We know very well what the "grievances" of the jihadists are.
The grievance of seeing unveiled women. The grievance of the existence, not of the State of Israel, but of the Jewish people. The grievance of the heresy of democracy, which impedes the imposition of sharia law. The grievance of a work of fiction written by an Indian living in London. The grievance of the existence of black African Muslim farmers, who won't abandon lands in Darfur. The grievance of the existence of homosexuals. The grievance of music, and of most representational art. The grievance of the existence of Hinduism. The grievance of East Timor's liberation from Indonesian rule. All of these have been proclaimed as a licence to kill infidels or apostates, or anyone who just gets in the way.
These sorts of "grievances" allow no room for negotiation, compromise, or even a "separate-but-equal" status (however noxious that solution might be). Any person who cannot even dimly see this obvious clash of worldviews is playing the ostrich. Any person who insists on giving moral authority to the terrorists that is equal to America's Founding Fathers, or even to our government today, is no friend of the cause of freedom and democracy.
We are not perfect. We never were. But on our worst days, we are still better than the terrorists, for we allow room for discussion and compromise - and we see our failures and work to overcome them.
(Thank you, Varifrank, for reminding me of Mr. Hitchens' article)
