Wednesday, August 18, 2010

The Mosque Flap

Ah, the Mosque flap.  Am I a big fan of the so-called "Ground Zero Mosque"?  Well, no.  I'm not.  I recognize the significance.

On the flip side, that significance is purely symbolic.  And while symbols can be powerful and I'm not saying this one wouldn't be ... it's still just a symbol.

Ultimately, of course, this is not about rights -- that is, I haven't seen any major player on the so-called "right" couch this in terms of whether or not they have a right to build what they want to on private property.  Not Palin.  Certainly not Beck.  Can't think of a single thing I've heard that says that the government should stop them from building it there.  I've heard it couched in terms of "should", what it probably means, and general displeasure.  All of which it is perfectly legitimate to discuss.

I have heard calls for sensitivity and for Muslims to recognize what this looks like, whether it's true or not, and to reconsider and build it somewhere else.   But from listening to the Left, one would think that because many on the right vocally oppose it, that they think the Government should step in and do something about it.  You can bet your bippie that if the roles were reversed -- if radicalized Christians had murdered a bunch of people from a predominantly Muslim culture and then some Christians wanted to build a Christian Cultural Center right there, the howls from the Left would be deafening and many of them would expect the government to step in and stop it and come up with some rationalized excuse about affirmative action or "hate speech" or "cultural sensitivity" that sympathetic judging demands we bow to.   But that's not what's happening.

One thing that concerns me is that, in the name of tolerance, the Western World is the side that ends up doing all of the bending and compromising.   And the Muslim world sees that as evidence of the work and will of Allah, thus proving the superiority of their worldview.   Tolerance is a feature of Western Culture (and a lot of Eastern Culture as well).   But it is also a weakness when it comes to ideas and cultures hostile to them that demand concessions over, and over, and over, and over .... it ultimately will lead to the downfall of civilizations which practice it blindly.

One of the craziest things I've heard was a question from Her Highness Pelosi about who is funding the opposition to the mosqueFortunately, few if any are taking her seriously.   I think it does betray a general tendency on the left to assume that if any position they disagree with gets too popular, it must be because sinister greedy cigar-smoking fat-cat haters in the Republican Party are behind it.

So, yeah.  Actually, Pelosi is right about this part.  It is a local zoning issue in New York City.  Do I mind if it ends up costing the Democrats seats?   Honestly?  No.   Would the Democrats seize on a similar opportunity to cast Republicans in a bad light?  Absolutely.  They have before and they will again.  It's an unfortunate fact that we as a culture have gotten away from our principles and the court of public opinion is now more subject to emotion and shallow arguments than to reflection and the standards of the Constitution and the spirit in which it was written.   And I'd like to see us get back to the latter.  But we need time.  If the Mosque flap buys us time.... frankly... yay.   I don't want to see dishonesty about it, but ... we need time.  Because Pelosi's right about another thing.
" .... as we go forward to an election about the future of our country and two of the first three questions are about a zoning issue in New York City."
We are going into yet another election about the future of our country, and I am opposed to what her side, the side with the majority of the power, has been, is, and intends to continue ... doing to drag the country into a future of larger government, less liberty, and less prosperity.

11 comments:

tim said...

One word - caliphate.


" .... as we go forward to an election about the future of our country and two of the first three questions are about a zoning issue in New York City."


Yea, us voters aren’t smart enough to remember or focus on ALL the other issues and bullcrap you phuckwads have pulled on us. Right.

Dumb.

philmon said...

Eggzactly.

So, do you want to try to meet at some point on 8/28?

mkfreeberg said...

It's as if someone said, out loud, "Wow, so many crazy opinions about this Ground Zero Mosque thing, it's tough to pick the big kahuna from it all"...within earshot of Nancy. And she said to herself, I'll just have to settle that once & for all.

When she says stuff, I stop being embarrassed about Barbara Boxer. For just a second or two.

jeffmon said...

Nope, not a local zoning issue. The perpetrators have a 1400 year history of conquest. Tim is right. It is way past time to stop pretending that Islam is a religion.

tim said...

philmon,

Unfortunately, or fortunately, I will not be able to attend the 8/28 event as my business has yet again been saved at the eleventh hour yet again. Since we discussed this last time we have had some really good sales.

I’d really like to be there, especially since my sister is getting an award Friday night from the 9/12 Project.

Anyways, have a good time and make sure to sing the National Anthem in front of the Lincoln Memorial. I hear the Park Police love that.

Next time for sure.

philmon said...

Rock on, tim, I completely understand. My step-son is trying to keep his head above water with his small business as well.

philmon said...

I was wondering about the name, "Cordoba".... can't say it without thinking of Ricardo Monteban.

But other than that, knowing it is a Spanish word, I was curious as to why an Islamic Center might be named "Cordoba". Sure, the Moors conquered Spain ... hmmmm ... as Paul Harvey said, there's "the rest of the story".

(Geez, Paul Harvey. Now I'm really showing my inner grumpy old man.)

And of course some of the rest of that story is here.

Yeah, it's definitely intended as a symbol of conquest. But it's not real conquest unless we subjugate our laws to Islam, which is, of course, what they're after. And the way things are going here with especially our political class and the academic elites ... that shouldn't be dismissed lightly.

Ultimately, though, we're going to need a Western Culture Revival ... that is, a return to teaching our kids and family and friends what is good about Western Culture.

You know, if you won't even stand for yourself, someone who does will be happy to swoop in and take your place.

The inestimable Ann Coulter had a great article the other day, not on this -- but it did have what I consider a relevant bit that applies to multiculturalism:

Not being an easily frightened nativist like Harris-Lacewell, I think we should look at other countries' laws, then adopt the good ones and pass on the bad ones.

For example, let's skip clitorectomies, arranged marriages, dropping walls on homosexuals, honor killings and the rest of the gorgeous tapestry of multiculturalism.

Instead, how about we adopt foreign concepts such as disallowing frivolous lawsuits, having loser-pays tort laws, and requiring that both parents be in the U.S. legally and at least one parent be a citizen, for a child born here to get automatic citizenship?


I mean, I personally see Islam as a religion, in that it's a codified system of values for one to live by that supposedly determines whether or not you are a GoodPerson™. But it's proof positive that all religions were not created equal.

I would also be willing to bet that our Founders, when talking about Religion, weren't really thinking beyond Christianity with the exception of Judaism when they used the word "religion".

Not saying that Muslims and Confucianists and Buddhists are not welcomed here. But the idea that we were not founded as a basically Christian nation with a basically Christian culture is wrong-headed.

The whole idea of "tolerance" springs from that culture.

philmon said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
tim said...

Saw Coulter on O’Reilly last night, she used the whole Liberal “other country’s laws” argument brilliantly. She said we should recognize those laws of the middle east that won’t allow churches to be built there and apply it here for the GZ mosque.

Since Islam encompasses every aspect of it’s followers lives,
declares itself as the only true religion and all others are infidels who must be slaughtered, does not allow the Koran/Allah to be questioned and does not separate itself from laws and government, I classify it as a cult, a death cult.

How the freak Liberals find Muslims to be kindred spirits I’ll never understand, they’d be the first to be decapitated. They think we conservatives are unreasonable because we don’t dig homosexuals getting hitched, while the Muzzies hang theirs. Not to mention all those other liberal stereotypes like drug use, atheism, promiscuity, artistic expression, protesting, anarchy, lack of family values… you’d think the libs would be the loudest voices rising up against Islam. Islam is basically FAR, extremely far obviously, Right, yet there’s the libs…makes ya’ wonder what exactly are their principles and values, besides just taking the opposite side as conservatives.

Cylar said...


How the freak Liberals find Muslims to be kindred spirits I’ll never understand, they’d be the first to be decapitated.


You're not the only one confused by this. I often want to ask the atheists, homosexuals, and hyperfeminists - "Do you guys have any idea at all what the Taliban want to fracking DO to the likes of you? As soon as us gun-toting Christians are out of the picture, you fools will be the first up against the wall."

I think for now, the secular Left simply thinks that it and radical Islam have found a common enemy. What these people do not understand, however, is that "the enemy of my enemy" is not necessarily my friend.

Often the enemy of your enemy will simply turn on you and destroy you once your common foe has been dealt with...having no further need of you after that. Does the phrase "Cold War" ring any bells?

philmon said...

Happens in the movies all the time. The evil dude's lap dog is disposed of as soon as he's no longer needed. And the lap dog never sees it coming.