I rarely read Clayton Cramer's blog because he's just so ... out there. But then the Statesman quoted him yesterday in its roundup of reaction to Barack Obama's nomination. This is the passage that caught my attention:
... there are a lot of moderate to even conservative Democrats who recognize that civilization comes first. Barack Hussein Obama seems not to fully understand the seriousness of the battle between civilized behavior and those who use power tools to torture people to death.
Well, here's what Clayton Cramer and his fellow fearmongers don't understand: Yes, terror exists. But for every fanatic who wages jihad and seeks martyrdom, there are millions of peace-loving Muslims who shun extremism. Increasingly, they are marginalizing the extremists in their religion, just as Christians are doing here in the United States. And speaking of civilization, to most of us, it means quality health care and education, decent jobs with living wages, and being able to hold our heads up in the world because our nation is leading with integrity and truth, not starting wars based on lies.
Clayton Cramer seems to live in some slasher movie, where power-tool wielding terrorists lurk behind every corner and only testosterone-fueled American he-men can keep them from invading our homes. Fortunately, reality is far different - and the reality is, most Americans will choose clear-eyed, pragmatic, and ultimately optimistic leadership over fear-based bluster and bombast.
A final thought before I ignore Clayton Cramer for another long spell: Isn't it interesting that the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry backed this fringe-dweller in his primary against moderate Tim Corder? I've never been a fan of IACI, but to see the pro-business group cynically align itself with Cramer's brand of nuttery is just disturbing. Of course, the more fractured and frustrated the Idaho GOP and its allies become, the better for us all. We need two-party government in Idaho, and the GOP's slow-mo implosion may just give it to us.
"for every fanatic who wages jihad and seeks martyrdom, there are millions of peace-loving Muslims who shun extremism." So less than a thousand committed terrorists? Hahah, you're not just politically retarded.
Posted by: John Nevard | August 08, 2008 at 10:39 PM
"for every fanatic who wages jihad and seeks martyrdom, there are millions of peace-loving Muslims who shun extremism."
The percentages might be a bit questionable, but I'm sure everyone can agree with that statement, even our troops who face the extremists every day in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"Increasingly, they are marginalizing the extremists in their religion"
Well, that is happening mostly where the west is able to bring military and police force against the extremists, thereby making it safe for the moderates to express their moderate views rather than parrot the party line because otherwise they could lose their heads just like the infidel.
"just as Christians are doing here in the United States."
This comes down to doctrine. I can't think of a terrorist act committed by an ostensibly Christian person in the last 100 years that was NOT condemned by the majority, mainline Christian clergy. The Atlanta abortion clinic bomber and Timothy McVeigh have been rarities compared to Moslem terrorists. You won't find a bishop of any Christian sect praising the murder of ordinary citizens for fanatical reasons the way Imams and Ayatollahs have.
The west has to help the moderate Muslims create a doctrine that will permit them to live in peace with non-Muslims without a legal system that makes the non-Muslims second-class citizens.
Posted by: Windy Wilson | April 14, 2009 at 11:56 AM