OUR SELF-DELUSION
02 November 2001 ~ As a nation we have been careful to not classify our current problem as a clash of civilizations, that is, a war between the West and Islam. Our political leaders have stressed this repeatedly, and they've succeeded in convincing the majority of Americans that it's true. Internet message boards and chat rooms across the country are replete with emphatic affirmations of this notion made by ordinary citizens. Some of these deluded well wishers have even gone so far as to claim our campaign against terrorism includes all people, everywhere, who 'hate'.
This is a completely ludicrous idea, conceived in the tired womb of Political Correctness, hopelessly out-of-touch with reality. Yet we cling to it, for it satisfies our obsessive concerns with social libertarianism and makes us feel better about ourselves as we prepare for the ugly business of war. Essentially, this lie allows us to remain LIBERAL, POLITICALLY CORRECT, and WHOLLY SELF-RIGHTEOUS, while making plans and assembling the tools necessary to kill an enemy who hates and attacks us for reasons of religion, culture and civilization.
Recognizing that fact is vital for America. Without doing so, she will be most rudely awakened by the massive and sustained uprising of the Moslem world when her bombs begin to fall on Afghanistan. As Shiite Islamists around the globe (including the countries they own in the Middle East) go berserk and respond with a wide range of violent counter-measures (terrorism, war against Israel, oil embargoes, nuclear mischief, etc.), the fallacy of our thinking will become painfully obvious. We will then realize the hallucinogenic philosophy of Political Correctness has once again gotten us into serious trouble.
It's misdeed committed against us this time will be the same it's always been -- self-delusion. The nature of that self-delusion will be the false belief that just because WE, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, do not consider our war against terrorism to be a clash of civilizations, does not mean our enemy views it that way. And as long he doesn't, he will commit his entire being to our destruction and fight to the last drop of blood. Such a foe cannot be reasoned with, for he sees life in fanatical, absolute terms. The only concept he understands in this regard is total victory or death.
Therefore, and this is the lesson we are about to learn, there can be only one way to defeat him -- total annihilation. No matter how much America tries to ignore that reality, it will hound us relentlessly until we recognize and act on it. This is a simple equation of 'KILL OR BE KILLED'.
