DARK CAVES OF THE MIND

The economy obviously matters a lot; and for some people, it's all that matters with regard to the upcoming election. But, in my humble opinion, the BIG PICTURE, even more important than the economy, is the world crisis whose focal point is in the Middle East. This is the crisis that must be solved--philosophically, ideologically, and politically--because, in the long run, it is critical for the survival of western values; for the survival of America and for our children.

Yes, there are two basic economic philosophies to choose from in the Presidential race: the free market and economic liberty vs the stagnant policies of socialism, symbolized (however inadequately) by Mitt Romney and Barack Obama respectively.

But the key battle in this fight is the one that is being fought between Western values (with the concept of America as the beacon for human liberty) and Islam, the latest historical iteration of the anti-freedom, soul-killing, anti-human evil that has plagued the world since the beginning of time.

I got into blogging in the first place because of 9/11. That horrific act of Islamic fanaticism is what drove me into political activism, and changed my life forever. I will not forget it, nor can I; particularly when 11 years down the road we are still in grave danger of losing the philosophical and military battle to the jihadists.

Osama bin Laden may be dead, but Al Qaeda is alive and kicking--and so is Iran; and so is the Muslim Brotherhood; and so is Hezbollah, and so is a thousand other off-shoots of Islam's murderous and soul-crushing ideolgy around the globe.

On 9/11/12 the United States was attacked once again by religious fanatics who submit to Allah, the bloodthirsty and vile god of a medieval and backward religion determined to take over the planet. The highest vision of humanity embraced by the adherents of this religion is to take all humans back to the cave and let loose the savagery that humanity is quite capable of exhibiting, were it not for the God of Abraham and the rise of civilization. If we refuse to enter the dark caves of the mind that Islam has prepared for us, they intend to kill us all.

For me, the absolute worse aspect of the Obama Administration has been its conduct of foreign policy and its submission to evil. Obama and his minions have definitely "re-set" the button all right, and practically ensured American decline and irrelevance to the major events that will determine the future of the world.

It seems to me that our position could not be much worse off than it is now--except that I keep finding out new and improved ways this pathetic Administration seeks to make America weak.

It is said that you should never attribute to malevolence what can be attributed to incompetence, but it is hard to see mere incompetence in the way Obama and his faithful leftist base have conducted international policy over the last 4 years. Indeed, there is a obvious malevolence in Obama's consistent disdain for American values and exceptionalism; in his outright hatred of Israel; in his submission to Islamic thugs; and in his indifference to American interests and exertion of military strength.

Obama, and to some extent Bush before him, have strangled our military might in the name of the gods of multiculturalism and political correctness. It seems impossible under multicultural rules of engagement to ever win a war again; and thus, the battle is ensured to continue indefinitely; slowly with the minimal level of attrition necessary to keep it out of the public awareness. Islam has a name for this strategy. It is called hudna, and it is why Iran will get nuclear weapons; why the West will be overrun with Sharia, and why freedom and the U.S. are in decline.

Both the incompetence and the malevolence come as a direct effects of Obama's overweening narcissism, which has been fed and nurtured at every turn by his adoring sycophants in the media and intellectual community of the left. If Obama were half as smart as everyone there thinks he is, we'd all be a lot better off. But sadly, he is not even half as smart as he believes he is.

And if you want to see what I mean by his overweening narcissism, then consider that not only does the Executive Branch now encourage people to break laws that the branch is supposed to enforce; but the Administration is now trying to cover up the extent Iranian influence among jihadi groups in North Africa so as not to undermine what Obama considers his major foreign policy coup: the killing of bin Laden.

The administration, in particular, wants to keep hidden solid intelligence showing that the terrorist group behind the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that killed nearly 3,000 Americans is now flourishing under the Muslim Brotherhood regime of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi.

Egypt was among the locations of Obama’s 2009 so-called “apology” tour, when the president criticized past U.S. policies based on what he said was “fear and anger” that prompted actions “contrary to our ideals.” He also promised “a new beginning” for the U.S. and the world’s Muslims and a radical shift in U.S. policy.

In other words Obama in his vanity handed over America’s one of America’s most important allies in the Middle East to its most deadly enemies. Osama is dead! Al-Qaeda is very much alive.

Gertz’s reports do not yet rise to the level of highly probable fact. But they do rise to the level of “let’s look under this rock”. If even half of what Gertz suggests is true — and in his defense I anticipated most of it — then the Obama administration has been either been out to lunch or in cahoots.

Wretchard then asks and gives a plausible answer to a very pertinent question:

Why send half a billion dollars to the enemy? Well the other idea I had right after the embassy attacks was in a post called Precursor....
In other words is this is part of a combination of punches? If so the haymaker is still to come, just like Sept 11, 2001. What is the haymaker? And if the administration doesn’t want to see it coming because it will damage the precious re-election bid of the President then how can we dodge it?

I think the payoff to the MB is in the hope that we can purchase peace. Or delay things until after the November elections. Personally, I’m not sure that’s going to work and even worse if it does. In fact it may turn out to be just like Fast and Furious. We may wind up shot up by our own guns.

We ARE being shot by our own guns, for what is this bizarre tolerance and submission the political left and its postmodern ideology impose on America, even when dealing with evil?
--We are to abandon free speech because it might hurt the feelings of Muslims
--We are to ignore the persecution of other religions because it is Islam that is persecuting them
--We are to ignore the subjugation and humiliation of women under Islam because multicultural dogma dictates that it is OK as long as Islam does it
--We are to ignore the religious motivations of terrorists because we want to be seen as tolerant and inclusive of Islam

And on and on and on.

We have seen this bizarro attitude play out in the microcosm of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Ask yourself how it has worked out for the Israelis, the only free country int he Middle East that shares Western values.

Year after year, Israel has attempted to bargain with the irrational and rage-filled jihadists who have NEVER sought peace at all (as evidenced by 60+ years of history); and who are always willing to bargain for new treaties and agreements, even as they break the old ones. They have never been reticent about their primary goal: the elimination of the Jewish people and the incorporation of the small Jewish state into the caliphate.

Yes, we will send Egypt and the Muslim Brotherhood half a billion dollars for peace. But we will not get any return on our money, and I think Obama knows this. If we have ever had a President who understands the Islamic mind, it is this one who actually WAS a Muslim growing up (NOTE: I don't discout the possibility that Obama still harbors Islam's fundamental worldview for all his talk of "finding Jesus" in the sermons of the Reverend Jeremiah Wright. Anyone who "finds" Jesus through a race-baiter and malignantly charismatic preacher like Reverend Wright is just as likely to be worshipping any false prophet that might come along).

All this leads up to why America should elect Romney. Wretchard put it best in a long comment he makes on one of his posts:

What of the rest of the world? By simply governing competently a ‘President Romney’ could set the stage for new American century and in the process, save the world from catastrophe and midwife a resurgence.

The world is now in the throes of a crisis. Without a center there is a real danger that it will collapse into conflict and chaos instead of overcoming it. For you need a center in which to preserve what is precious and from that vantage to rebuild.

And where could that center be? Not the Middle East, which will be convulsed with upheaval, demographic crisis and a collapsing economy. Israel will be lucky to survive in a purely defensive mode in that soup

It will not be Europe. It’s southern half threatens to collapse and the trouble will spread north. Europe will survive and in the long term it will be renewed but only if it is not completely burned out by the storm from the southeast. Much that is valuable is in the old continent that must not be lost. Europe is at the bottom of its historical cycle. One day it will re-emerge in greatness. For now it is helpless.

Russia cannot hold things together. It’s power potential is too diminished. Nor can China, itself about to be overtaken by events. Japan, India and Australia by themselves are too weak. By themselves they can have no decisive influence on events.

That leaves North America as the hinge of fate. Properly run it could provide the anchor around which the world will eventually recover. But only if it is properly run. The real danger posed by the Obama administration is that it threatened to destroy the “last best place on earth” and leave the world with no unburned core from which to regenerate.

He was going to screw the pooch, fritter away the last reserve; cast it aside simply because he did not know the value of anything. It could have been so different for him.

This was Obama’s historical opportunity to seize. He could have been the greatest American President of the last 150 years if he had only been big enough to see his chance. All he had to do was govern halfway decently and the natural advantages of North America would accrue.

But he grabbed at baubles, speeches and glitter and his moment passed him by. He canceled pipelines. Blockaded energy development. Sank the economy in debt. Put an American Army in a dusty, landlocked place. He wrapped everything in red tape. He was too small a man for the ball history pitched at him.

I do not think Romney has that sense of potential destiny, but he will fulfill it simply by being halfway competent. He’ll do it simply by showing up and fielding things as they come. He’ll hit the ball, even if only a single because he knows what the game is.

Romney’s challenge is threefold. To throw off the chains which shackle the US economy; to keep the nation together after it emerges divided from a traumatic 2012 presidential contest; and lastly to use American power to keep the world from completely shaking itself apart. There is not enough power to quell every disturbance. But properly used there is enough American power to preserve the core functions of the world.

Romney will see this because he can’t help but see it. He’ll do the uninspired but the logical thing in response to it. And that’s all you need to do. That’s all Obama needed to do. How he missed doing it will puzzle historians in future decades. But the obvious is not always obvious in contemporaneous time.

Not only is the future of America at stake in this election, but the future of the world. The choice for me is clear: A bright, shining city of freedom and prosperity on the hill which will stand as a beacon of liberty for the rest of the world; or, the dark caves of Islam, within which, the human mind will forever be chained.

UPDATE: It's about leadership.