Comments on: The Enemy Whose Name We Dare Not Speak http://www.frumforum.com/the-enemy-whose-name-we-dare-not-speak Building a conservatism that can win again Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:50:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: sinz54 http://www.frumforum.com/the-enemy-whose-name-we-dare-not-speak/comment-page-1#comment-55258 sinz54 Sat, 24 Jan 2009 15:08:48 +0000 #comment-55258 The problem with Islamism, that we didn't have with fascism and communism, is that it is squarely based on a particular extreme type of a religion--Islam. (This extremism is popular with some 5-10% of the world's Muslims.) And for America, a nation whose Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and whose Declaration of Independence guarantees the duty of persons to "alter and abolish" any government they find oppressive, this issue of Islamic extremism becomes political dynamite. To elevate public criticism of any sect of any religion (even Islamic extremism) to national policy runs the risk of violating the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. And to these extreme Muslims, living in a country with a secular government (like America) is inherently illegitimate and oppressive. (They believe only governments based on Islam are legitimate.) They could well argue that the Declaration of Independence gives them the duty to try to change that government. The problem with Islamism, that we didn’t have with fascism and communism, is that it is squarely based on a particular extreme type of a religion–Islam. (This extremism is popular with some 5-10% of the world’s Muslims.)

And for America, a nation whose Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and whose Declaration of Independence guarantees the duty of persons to “alter and abolish” any government they find oppressive, this issue of Islamic extremism becomes political dynamite.
To elevate public criticism of any sect of any religion (even Islamic extremism) to national policy runs the risk of violating the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. And to these extreme Muslims, living in a country with a secular government (like America) is inherently illegitimate and oppressive. (They believe only governments based on Islam are legitimate.) They could well argue that the Declaration of Independence gives them the duty to try to change that government.

]]> By: senorlechero http://www.frumforum.com/the-enemy-whose-name-we-dare-not-speak/comment-page-1#comment-39830 senorlechero Fri, 23 Jan 2009 14:23:51 +0000 #comment-39830 Mr. Glattner. In your post you make many very good points, but your premise that Bush never identified the enemy is completely wrong. On numerous occasions President Bush identifed radical Islam as the enemy...not often enough or strongly enough for me, but he did, and is one of the very few world leaders to do so. The book Shadow War:The Untold Story of How Bush Is Winning The War On Terror, by Richard Miniter, describes why Bush did not beat the war drum publicly. He was too busy trying to WIN. Bush had many enemies on the left, and apparently many on the right as well. Mr. Glattner. In your post you make many very good points, but your premise that Bush never identified the enemy is completely wrong. On numerous occasions President Bush identifed radical Islam as the enemy…not often enough or strongly enough for me, but he did, and is one of the very few world leaders to do so.

The book Shadow War:The Untold Story of How Bush Is Winning The War On Terror, by Richard Miniter, describes why Bush did not beat the war drum publicly. He was too busy trying to WIN. Bush had many enemies on the left, and apparently many on the right as well.

]]> By: esurience http://www.frumforum.com/the-enemy-whose-name-we-dare-not-speak/comment-page-1#comment-53757 esurience Fri, 23 Jan 2009 07:10:08 +0000 #comment-53757 An additional way of reducing Middle Eastern states financing terrorism is of course to reduce the amount of revenue they can make from oil by investing in alternative energy. President Obama did say in his inaugural address that: "and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries." This is in sharp contrast to John McCain, who in the debates said it doesn't matter if we buy oil from Canada, it only matters when we buy oil from the Middle East. This ignores the fact that there is a world market for oil obviously, and demand for Canadian oil increases the price for Middle Eastern oil. None of this is to detract from the ideas mentioned in this article though -- they're all excellent and hopefully will be pursued. An additional way of reducing Middle Eastern states financing terrorism is of course to reduce the amount of revenue they can make from oil by investing in alternative energy. President Obama did say in his inaugural address that: “and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries.” This is in sharp contrast to John McCain, who in the debates said it doesn’t matter if we buy oil from Canada, it only matters when we buy oil from the Middle East. This ignores the fact that there is a world market for oil obviously, and demand for Canadian oil increases the price for Middle Eastern oil. None of this is to detract from the ideas mentioned in this article though — they’re all excellent and hopefully will be pursued.

]]> By: GreatGreyhounds http://www.frumforum.com/the-enemy-whose-name-we-dare-not-speak/comment-page-1#comment-46693 GreatGreyhounds Fri, 23 Jan 2009 05:05:43 +0000 #comment-46693 Somehow I don't see the Obama Administration implementing any rules to crack down on Islamic Money laundering to Terrorist Organizations... I'm sure the Administration would view those types of regulations as inflammatory to the Muslim World. Somehow I don’t see the Obama Administration implementing any rules to crack down on Islamic Money laundering to Terrorist Organizations…

I’m sure the Administration would view those types of regulations as inflammatory to the Muslim World.

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