Western Denial and the Islamic Threat

Another Black Conservative has an interesting post this morning, in which Dick Cheney criticizes Obama for his denial of the war declared on us by Islamic extremists.   Cheney said, in part:

"As I’ve watched the events of the last few days it is clear once again that President Obama is trying to pretend we are not at war. He seems to think if he has a low key response to an attempt to blow up an airliner and kill hundreds of people, we won’t be at war. He seems to think if he gives terrorists the rights of Americans, lets them lawyer up and reads them their Miranda rights, we won’t be at war. He seems to think if we bring the mastermind of 9/11 to New York, give him a lawyer and trial in civilian court, we won’t be at war."

Cheney makes a good point, but it applies to more than just Obama.  Many western politicians, political leaders and media types are in denial about the Islamic threat.  They seem to think that by redefining the terrorist war on the west, they can make it go away, or at least transform it into something less frightening.  The reality of an external threat is highly inconvenient to those who already despise their own country.  9/11 generated a lot of patriotism within the United States, making the goals of the hate-America crowd much more difficult.  Denial then becomes a key counter strategy of the disloyal left and right.

Denial can be deadly, however, as 9/11 proved.  Denial takes many forms.  For many liberals, Islamic terrorism is merely unlawful activity to be fought and punished by the police and courts of law.  For nutcases like the 9/11 Truthers movement ("9/11 was an inside job"), there is no threat at all, except for the one posed by our own federal government.  If 9/11 represented a declaration of war by Islamic extremists, then they would be honor bound to do something about it.  They would have to acknowledge that pacifism doesn't work, that our wars in the Middle East are morally justified, that multiculturalism is a lie, that their own personal value systems are culturally based and not the law of nature as they previously believed.

So, they just deny the existence of terrorism altogether.  There is no external threat, just a massive, intricate and widespread conspiracy by a high cabal right here in our own government.  This is denial on a massive scale, substituting an absurd fantasy for an unpleasant reality.

Others try to provide justification for the terrorists' actions.  They are merely reacting to "American Imperialism," or are annoyed by our carbon emissions, our support of Israel, our national arrogance.  Again, it is denial.  Since Muslims have murdered 280 million people since Muhammad invented the wretched religion, what "Imperialism" were the Muslims reacting to?  Was it Hindu imperialism that caused the Muslims to murder 40 million Hindus (the latest installment being the Mumbai, India massacre of one year ago)?  School children imperialism that resulted in the terrorist murder of 300 children in Beslin, Russa?  Perhaps it was European imperialism that caused the Muslims to invade Europe in 1683 and make it all the way to the gates of Vienna before Christian forces stopped them?

History shows that wars with Islam were the result of Islamic aggression and Islamic imperialism, and not that of their victims.

Wise men and women do not attempt to reorder reality to fit their ideology.  They amend their ideology to fit reality.