LOOKING INTO THE FACE OF REALITY

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert addressed his nation today and said "enough!" :

"There are moments in the life of a nation, when it is compelled to look directly into the face of reality and say: no more!"

Atlas Shrugs has photos of a rally of tens of thousands in NYC who are standing with Israel. There are moments in life when each and every one of us is compelled to look directly into the face of reality and say: no more!

And there are some (one of whom is discussed in the latest post at the Belmont Club) who will never willingly look at reality.

That's Robert Fisk logic and you take it for what it is: a declaration of hostility towards everything in the West. He's not neutral, just on the other side.

It's not his fault that the West can never draw the appropriate conclusions. Faced with categorical declarations that they will be exterminated, converted, enslaved and beheaded the most sophisticated thinkers in the West look for nuance. They don't really believe those threats, however explicit, however open. Even when huge skyscrapers come tumbling down it's understood in terms of installation art. Someone is sending a message. What could it be?

A message? What could it be? What could it be? Nevermind, looking at reality is a no-win situation for some; just another opportunity to take a jab at Bush; or denouce his evil policies that... what? Provoked Hezbollah and Hamas? Made them hate the Jews? Make Ahmadinejad want to wipe Israel off the map?

Most of the lefty blogsphere are just missing in action (or inaction as the case may be).

These "sophisticated thinkers" who think progressively and wear "reality-based community" t-shirts and scoff at the threat to western civilization; and sneer at the efforts of good people to do something about it, can't be bothered to actually face reality.

It would be far too scary.

It would be way too frightening to face the devastating insight of their own betrayal of reality and the good; all for the sake of a few shiny ideological shekels that trick them into feeling smug and safe and oh so intellectually and morally superior.

I feel sorry for them. I really do. Because reality always--always--has the last laugh.