Uncle Ayman responds:These questions come to me via email from another Huffington Post user, who apparently wishes to remain nameless (sent as "Anonymous"). My standard policy is one question per inquirer, but in this case, I'll make an exception.
Well, "Anonymous," I'm happy to answer the first question; the second, for obvious reasons, I will only address theoretically.
(1) Why Is Jihad Winning?
As much as I hate to admit it, one of your fellow (former) Huffington Post users provided great insight into this question. That bastard infidel pig "JonQuixote" wrote on his pathetically satirical blog thread (here) of his claim that he "accidently" received a secret email from DNC Chairman Howard Dean, regarding his (Dean's) consideration of running a Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - Hugo Chavez ticket for the 2008 Presidential race (see bottom of that thread):
"The simple fact is that while the Islamists fervently believe in their cause, we don't believe in ours. We don't even know what our cause is. We are, to the rest of the world, a bunch of self-absorbed, spoiled, schizophrenic mumblers, who have no right to take any action except those that the "world community" approves of, and participates in.
"We accept guilt for what we have not done --- but readily assign it to anyone who dares to state that on whole, we have nothing to feel guilty about, or that to the contrary, America has saved, preserved and/or lengthened more lives than any nation in history, and advanced the cause of liberty and happiness to a degree that no other nation can match.
"And yet, we are tearing ourselves apart over whether we should,in the name of security, search nervous 24-year-old Muslim males or 78-year-old Caucasian grandmothers in wheelchairs prior to boarding airplanes --- and how we can have one government-controlled school system that can simultaneously cater to every possible philosophical, political and religious ideology --- including our new Islamist guests, residents and citizens.
"Clearly, as we no longer have a philosophical backbone, it is only a matter of time before the Islamists advance to a dominant role in our society. Why be so unpragmatic as to continue fighting!?!? Let's be PROactive and ease the transition... it will be better for EVERYONE in the long run --- and America will once again be a nation of principles (but let's not engage in any more nasty debates over which 'principles' are; some are better than none!)."
So, you see, absolute belief in one's principles is essential - whether those principles are rational or irrational. And as JonQ (atheistic bastard) noted, that the supreme infidel witch Ayn Rand said:
"[On three of the rules governing the mechanics of compromise] 1. In any conflict between two men (or two groups) who hold the same basic principles, it is the more consistent one who wins. 2. In any collaboration between two men (or two groups) who hold different basic principles, it is the more evil or irrational one who wins. 3. When opposite basic principles are clearly and openly defined, it works to the advantage of the rational side; when they are not clearly defined, but are hidden or evaded, it works to the advantage of the irrational side."
- "The Anatomy of Compromise," Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal
Can you not see that jihad is not winning, so much as the West (in general) and America (in particular) are losing --- by default?
But hey, a victory is a victory, right? Who cares how we got there!!!
In summary, to use an analogy, it's like America is running a fruit stand and has absolutely no protection against roaming hoodlums who run up and steal bananas, apples, etc.; they're there for the taking.
And once ordinary people see that the stand owner has no respect for himself, and allows his fruit is being taken at will, at some point, they will start to take fruit too --- because that's the message that has been sent.
Eventually, the fruit stand will cease to exist, because its "business model" is unsustainable. This paradigm is, as you see, applicable to nations, as well.
Are you starting to see the answer to your question, now? If not, consider this: The Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill have now actually banned the term "Global War on Terror" from America's defense appropriations bills, and as we've observed before, they won't even use the term "jhad," or identify America's enemy as militant Islamist fundamentalists.
You ask how we are winning? I ask, how can we not win, in an environment in which our opponents don't even have the courage to identify the enemy that has declared war on them?
(2) How Can We Avoid Defeat?
Coming soon.
.
But hey, a victory is a victory, right? Who cares how we got there!!!
In summary, to use an analogy, it's like America is running a fruit stand and has absolutely no protection against roaming hoodlums who run up and steal bananas, apples, etc.; they're there for the taking.
And once ordinary people see that the stand owner has no respect for himself, and allows his fruit is being taken at will, at some point, they will start to take fruit too --- because that's the message that has been sent.
Eventually, the fruit stand will cease to exist, because its "business model" is unsustainable. This paradigm is, as you see, applicable to nations, as well.
Are you starting to see the answer to your question, now? If not, consider this: The Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill have now actually banned the term "Global War on Terror" from America's defense appropriations bills, and as we've observed before, they won't even use the term "jhad," or identify America's enemy as militant Islamist fundamentalists.
You ask how we are winning? I ask, how can we not win, in an environment in which our opponents don't even have the courage to identify the enemy that has declared war on them?
(2) How Can We Avoid Defeat?
Coming soon.
.
