In an essay about the Paris attacks, Richard Fernandez writes:
The dilemma the West now faces is that it cannot survive on the basis of the platform which its elites have carefully constructed since WW2. They are being beaten to death with their own lofty statements. They must either continue to uphold the vision of open borders, multiculturalism, declining birthrates, unilateral disarmament and a growing state sector at all costs ”” in other words continue on the road to suicide ”” or retreat. As recent events at American campuses have shown, when faced with the choice of saving the Left and saving the actual world, the odds are that “the world’ goes over the side first.
In attempting to survive on its own terms, the Left will tear itself apart. In its agony it will destroy much else. It may be that Europe will rediscover its culture; it is possible it will develop the will to defend itself; it is conceivable it will hold off extreme fascist movements; it could even plausibly reconstruct its demography. But it cannot do this without an upheaval that will leave nothing unscathed.
Does this ring a bell? Here’s a quote:
“Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules.”
That’s right! It’s item #4 from Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals.
I suppose there is some sweet irony to be savored here — indeed, a “meta-irony”, in that a rule about turning an enemy’s own rules against him has itself become the very rule that the enemy retaliates with — but the context is rather too depressing.
Paging Douglas Hosfstadter…
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Paging Charles Martel
Nice piece. I have stated many times that the Cold War didn’t end, it paused and reloaded and is now back in modern form. Then we faced two enemies-the Soviets and the western Left. Today, we face two enemies-Radical Islam and the western Left. Islam is different as it is perversion of religion to aid in conquest of the world. The Left of today has been successful in debasing our institutions, be they governing, academic or media and even reaching into civic groups and families.
Instead of having a culture war waged on us here at home as we have for 50 years, it is now time for traditional America to return the favor. Universities are as good as any place to fight it out. The Campus is good at drawing cameras. With a little continuous pressure on the Left and their “crybullies”, they will themselves be forced to confront rule #4. In other fields, this technique can be called a “force multiplier”.
Most of this will be unpleasant for society as a whole. But it will be Justified.
“Turd in the Punchbowl” … maybe. Or, perhaps “Can’t see the forest for the trees” or maybe even “Don’t lose sight of” …
Fact is … I’m finding myself kind of lonely, or as Malcolm albeit in another context phrased it, “It’s a dandy explanation, of course, and ought to settle the question – but as I head for the door I find myself turning back again, troubled, Columbo-style, by a nagging little detail.”
Before I get everybody out of whack maybe I better just blurt it out what – with Paris in mind – is nagging at me.
Turkey. And nope not the US holiday variety. & NATO.
http://warontherocks.com/2015/11/what-paris-taught-us-about-the-islamic-state/
(I suspect Waka Regulars will recognize an excursio when they see it but for any newcomers I’ll simply say, ‘When one sees JK topping a comment …)
In the previous post’s comments I placed a link to 20committee. Another context and another time but in this instance from 20committee’s comments – yes there was a time Mr. Schindler fielded comments.
http://20committee.com/2014/09/25/what-if-everything-you-know-about-terrorism-is-wrong/#comment-23288
(It’ll all be over soon friends – hang in there. Or skip on.)
***
Y’all remember ‘our media’ so recently trumpeting “Success re-taking Sinjar” … with a little help from the Kurds [YPG]?
But while ‘our media’ didn’t take notice there was another little nagging blip on the radar – Turkey held a little election with Erdogan’s party [AKP] getting close to what it sought – an unassailable majority.
One problem for the AKP, with fourteen votes shy of that majority the AKP needs (and will likely get) help from the “acceptable portion” of the Kurds [KRG].
Problem is (at least as far as the AKP is concerned) not all Kurds are “acceptable” the Maoist variety for instance [PKK]
Which takes us back to the Kurds who “helped us re-take Sinjar” [YPG].
Fact is: in order for the YPG to muster enough forces some number of PKK had to join in the fun.
Turd in the Punchbowl time – Erdogan’s AKP really really dislikes “unacceptable” Kurds – and actually when it’s down to the nut-cut: equates the YPG with the PKK.
Indeed the AKP dislikes the PKK/YPG so much that … even tho’ the YPG portion is Sunni …
http://worldaffairsjournal.org/blog/michael-j-totten/turkey-chooses-isis-over-kurds
And along comes some number of terrorists rumored (at this point) holding not only Syrian but also Turkish documentation laying siege on Paris.
But but JK, France is NATO!
Yeppers. And so is Turkey.
Stock the popcorn-bunker friends – things are about to get really complicated.
http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/world/usturkey-deal-turkish-democracy-not-islamic-state-is-on-the-brink
http://warontherocks.com/2015/09/turkish-winter-is-coming/
http://warontherocks.com/2015/11/post-election-turkey-and-the-u-s-plan-to-take-raqqa/
AKA f*ck ’em if they can’t take a joke.
Thanks for those links, JK. I’ve been traveling all day but will have a look as soon as time permits.
Interesting times we live in.