“It is a war against terrorism, against jihadism, against radical Islam, against everything that is aimed at breaking fraternity, freedom, solidarity,” Mr. Valls said during a speech in Évry, south of Paris.Fairly straightforward. Sounds like Dubya. Now, President Barack Obama, speaking at a rally in Knoxville:
And in the streets of Paris, the world has seen once again what terrorists stand for. They have nothing to offer but hatred and human suffering. And we stand for freedom and hope and the dignity of all human beings. And that’s what the city of Paris represents to the world, and that spirit will endure forever -- long after the scourge of terrorism is banished from this world. (Applause.)Dreamy thought, but no mention of the kind of terrorism or what might be driving it. Yes, everyone agrees it will be a great day when the scourge of generic terrorism is banished from the Earth, apparently by redistributive socialism or something. Just don't ever identify it because the future does not belong those who slander the prophet of Islam, peace be upon him inshallah.
Meanwhile this attack is opening a huge can of hypocrisy across the West. David Brooks from the Times weighed in yesterday, and before his point became unintelligible he mentioned that some of the same liberals now chanting "Je Suis Charlie!" were applauding when Ayaan Hirsi Ali was banned from Brandeis for being an Islamophobic racist.
The remaining Charlie cartoonists/journalist have also expressed some interesting surprise. In an interview with Anderson Cooper last night one of the former staffers described the ignominy of being labeled "Islamophobic" by Muslims for daring to draw pictures of the prophet Mohammed after all the vicious scorn they had heaped on the French right wing for their racist views of Arab Muslim immigration into France. It's a "don't they know who we are?" kind of moment. The jihadists don't care. That's the point the left has missed. This isn't some Cheney pipe dream.
So while parts of France have awakened to the threat the West has been under since the 90s and liberals in America and Europe suddenly see the enemy in their face isn't some neocon creation it remains to be seen whether all elements can finally come together to do something about the problem. Already the Je Suis Charlie folks are saying they vomit on the idea of such unity.
WHOOPS 1/11/15
ABC's reprint of an AP story detailing Obama's summit on violent extremism contains some unusual punctuation...
See the question mark inserted after the first sentence? Almost as if to ask "specifically what kind of extremism do you mean?" Well, that's the way I read it. Surely ABC just made a typo. But it was a good one.
REALLY? 1/12/15
It has actually been shocking to read the international and even some domestic press and see them asking where the United States was--specifically the president--as 50 world leaders and over 2 million people marched in unison against Islamic terrorism in Paris. Seems John Francious Kerry was on a scheduled trip to India to tour an auto plant and warn the world about the most violent foe we face today--global climate change--and for that he couldn't be moved to go speak some French in Paris. But he's going Thursday, to talk about global violent extremism, which presumably doesn't include the protesters and looters in Ferguson.
Obama and Biden had nothing on their schedule perhaps short of the NFL playoffs, but according to flaks they were 'deeply involved'. Besides, Eric Holder was in Paris to talk about violent extremists, whoever they are (not his people who rioted in Ferguson). But he was too busy to show at the rally. And deputy secretary of something Victoria (F the EU) Nuland did something somewhere that was supposed to matter.
No doubt the professional WH flacks will explain this snub to the satisfaction of the professional baby bird media today, if they are successful maybe even turning it into an attack on Bush and the GOP. But an actual reporter might ask if the snub was in fact intentional and part of the White House's overall approach to Islamist terrorism, ie, that it's a law enforcement 'nuisance' we need to deal with through social programs, redistribution, and diversity training. And that AQ is on the run, decimated, the wars are ending responsibly and we need to nation-build at home.
But remember, the main reason the international and domestic press, Hollywood, and EU liberals are shocked over this and took to the streets is because up until now the Global War on Terror had been thought of more or less as the Global War on Muslims caused by Dick Cheney. Only when a far left paper was attacked--especially after all the love they gave the immigrant Arabs defending them against the French far-right haterz--did it open some eyes as to the nature of Islamist terrorism. Whether this will be a tipping point, teachable moment, or bridge to understanding remains to be seen.
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