We have not yet begun to fight. Literally.

Last week, Fred Thompson filled in as the host of Paul Harvey's News and Comment. During one broadcast, he commented on the conspiracy theory being floated by political geniuses such as Charlie Sheen and Rosie O'Donnell, claiming that the World Trade Towers were actually brought down by our own government. This, of course, in spite of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's confession of that same week claiming to have played a major role in the planning and execution of the attacks.

Thompson went on to note that many Americans "just don't like to think about how much our enemies actually hate us." This self-delusion is attractive, and alarmingly common. The majority perspective is, I believe, that the Muslims who call America the Great Satan and have vowed to kill as many of us as possible really aren't so bad. In fact, they are just like us in a lot of ways, and if we could just stop being so *American* for a little while and sit down to have a nice chat with them, we would probably be able to reach some sort of peaceful middle ground.

Ideas have consequences, and this idea is a dangerous one. One of the consequences of this logic is an inability to deal with the real and significant threat posed by Islamic extremists in an appropriate way.

Consider the current hostage situation with fifteen Britons being held captive by the Iranian government. John O'Sullivan suggests a "thought experiment" that might shed some light on this situation:

Imagine that the British ten days ago had stopped an Iranian ship in Iranian waters, took its sailors prisoners, paraded them on television offering apologies for their trespassing, and was now demanding an apology from the Iranian government itself for breaking international law….

Condemnations would pour from the United Nations and other international bodies. Britain's allies in Europe and the U.S. would publicly press for the release of the Iranians. Human rights bodies would point out that Britain's actions were in direct violation of the Geneva Convention. And other NGOs would attempt to drag British leaders such as Prime Minister Tony Blair before the International Criminal Court on war crimes charges….

Publicly Iran would shout defiance. It would use all the usual avenues of diplomatic protest to demand the return of its sailors. It might ask its terrorist allies in Iraq and elsewhere to launch bombing attacks on British institutions and personnel. And it would tell its captured sons and daughters through the media that they had been given a heaven-sent opportunity to embrace martyrdom.

Privately it might decide to avoid antagonizing Britain in future — and to antagonize, say, Spain instead. But it would not negotiate, still less compromise, with an adversary so friendless and universally condemned.

Back in reality, Iran has the hostages, the U.N. has essentially ignored the situation, and not a single building, vehicle, or flag, to my knowledge, has been set on fire protesting the great evils committed by the Iranian regime. Continue reading this post »