Now an apologist and propagandist for the engine of empire and destruction that our nation has become. by Jahfre Fire Eater
(libertarian)
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
I am surprised by Dr. Williams rationalization but not in disagreement with his analysis of the likely outcome.
Anthropomorphizing a statistical entity does not really create a conscious, responsible being from that statistic. It just provides a convenient chimera on which to heap blame for one's own decision not to advocate stopping our participation in aggressive wars of empire.
My long-standing esteem for Dr. Williams suffered a blow at his utterly pathetic rationale in this article. Not that this will matter one whit to him but it matters to me. I have so few living heroes. Maybe I'm too hard on my heroes but then hey, words have meanings.
Dr. Williams rationalization is so incredibly lame I would have ascribed it to a Democrat college freshman on a fat poetry scholarship had I not read his column with my own eyes. After all, it is typically a collectivist's view that starts with the phrase "If everyone would just..." which is the very notion implied in Dr. William's rationale. I could be wrong though. He could really believe that through some emotional mental energy the individuals who make up the vast peaceful Muslim majority would rise as one and act as a single being. But he is an economist so I just ruled that out without assuming he would take that view.
We have enormous numbers of Americans who are so afraid that the Muslims are coming that they are willing, no, eager, to throw everything they have saved and everything their children and grandchildren have to look forward to into the black hole of inflation. They are eager to kill anyone who doesn't think like them. They see no downside to "spreading Democracy" by eliminating cultures and individual choice through war and espionage. The USA has become the empire that we feared the Soviet Union would become. At least its the "good guys" spreading their philosophy and religions at the end of a war machine and not the "bad guys". Tell that to the dead. Pay close attention to their response.
What Dr. Williams is participating in is an attempt to get these fearful Americans to act as a unified mob in support of the war on bogeymen. Even though he says he hopes his wishful thinking manifests, he immediately dismisses that as optimistic. I don't believe he wants that at all. I believe the intent of this article is to make hateful, fearful warmongers feel good about themselves. He wants them to know it is OK to hate the peaceful Muslims too. It is their own fault. We're absolved so lets kill 'em all.
I could end nearly all my articles with this quote but this time I just can't resist.
"It is no measure of good health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." J. Krishnamurti
Jahfre Fire Eater
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Posted By: Ivan from Oregon
Date: 2008-03-19 19:41:39
Jahre, while I agree with some of the sentiment of your argument, you're creating a red herring to substantiate it. Like you, I have been reading Dr. Williams' stuff for years.
His main point, I believe is stated as, "Whether most people of a country are peace-loving or not is not nearly as important as who's calling the shots."  When Chamberlain "gave" Hitler a part of Czechoslovakia (the Sudetenland) in 1938 as a futile effort to appease him, most of the citizens of that country saw him as "England" that betrayed them. What else should they think?
After the war, Roosevelt and Churchill "gave" the entire country to Stalin. I watched the Russians roll in - it was a dark day. We had been expecting Patton to roll in with the 3rd Army - he was ready just across the border, but was forbidden to go in. Do you not think we were blaming the English and the Americans for what we perceived was a "betrayal". I'm forever thankful my family was able to escape that "gulag".
I don't believe Walter Williams is trying to justify our illegal warmongering with some misguided societal argument. He should have made his point in a better way. In this country, we certainly did not have cause to intern the thousands of citizens of Japanese ancestry.
In your article you put words in his mouth: "After all, it is typically a collectivist's view that starts with the phrase "If everyone would just..."
I can't find anything that reads like that in his article. He's fumbling with a difficult topic that we're seeing in Europe, in Germany, France and others that have opened their borders to Muslim immigrants that live on the dole, refuse to "assimilate" in the sense of recognizing the laws of the country, and in fact openly state that by force or otherwise, the country is going to run "their way".
I was going to write a piece on this as well. I'm saving it for my book. It just amazes me how this "New" Republican party has no clue what the "Old" party stood for.
Walt concludes; " Muslims should be prepared to suffer the full might of the West in its efforts to fight terrorism. I'm hoping that the millions of peaceful Muslims take the proper action to avoid such an outcome. I'm not that optimistic. We're involved in a clash with a culture that has little regard for the Western values that hold the sanctity of human life and liberty dear."
We're peace loving here in the U.S. right? Oh, and we kill innocent Iraqis and 1.4 million babies a year too so don't lecture me about the sanctity of human life Walt! Liberty? When the House passes H.R.1959 you call this Liberty?Â
So tell me the difference Walt! Or are you now part of the "team" to get McCain elected by going after more Muslims whether they be radical or not?Â
Jahfre: I agree with you that it is a poorly written piece of rationalization. A small minority are the enemy and they are supported by another small minority, so we must be against the culture as a whole: That's his argument in a nutshell. Sounds like the same logic that lynched and justified hating the entire black culture. I, too, have had the utmost respect for W. Williams but like Thomas Sowell, he seems to have found it expedient to tow the line.
"Horrible acts can be committed in countries where most of the people are peace-loving and simply want to be left alone to attend to their affairs."
The amazing thing is that Dr. Williams applies this statement to every government BUT ours. I have greatly admired Williams, but now I am forced to conclude that noone living in the Beltway can be trusted.
Williams is a Washington beltway libertarian-that is to say a libertarian except when it really counts.
