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Taking Over the Neighborhood Barrett Kalellis Now that Western democracies are faced with widespread fanaticism in the Muslim world and in North Korea – posing intractable and dangerous consequences that resist simple diplomatic solutions – the choices they have in dealing with it are really rather limited. Consider the following scenario: In a formerly peaceful area, a large group of militant fanatics move into the neighborhood and begin to threaten you and some of your neighbors with property destruction and death if you do not move out or convert to their way of thinking. They show they mean business by kidnapping some people and beheading them. They further terrorize the neighborhood by blowing up cars and setting fire to people's houses, killing many in the process. The ringleader of these thugs is a Mr. Jihad, who bases his actions on pronouncements found in a holy book written in the seventh century that not only approve of his deeds but encourage them as well, based upon the pathology and traditions of the book's ancient author. Mr. Jihad has many followers in other neighborhoods, who also torment their fellow citizens with more explosions and killings. Mr. Jihad's minions are fearless – they are willing and even eager to sacrifice their own lives to carry out their murderous plan, which is to establish a theocratic government and enforce their laws throughout the area, with Mr. Jihad as the supreme ruler. The forces of law and order have been unable to capture Mr. Jihad, and even if they did, another just like him would spring up to take his place. Many policemen have been killed in trying to root out the terrorists and no end seems in sight. Mr. Jihad has particular hostility toward your Jewish neighbors, because his holy book condemns them as "apes" deserving only death. You and your fellow Christians are simply "swine" and should be exterminated as well, especially for helping your Jewish friends. The Council of Neighborhoods has never been effective in dealing with Mr. Jihad and stopping the treachery of his followers. Many of the delegates to the Council have been discovered to be corrupt or cowardly, and are interested only in lining their own pockets or buying protection for their individual neighborhoods. Even so, the Council loves to negotiate, and passes many high-sounding resolutions but cannot or is unwilling to enforce any of them to bring about permanent peace. Story Continues Below
This serves to embolden Mr. Jihad, who is now close to constructing his own nuclear bomb, which will greatly increase his might and leverage in all the affected neighborhoods, not to mention the increased possibility of death and destruction to you and your Jewish neighbors. Mr. Jihad is always willing to talk to his enemies, but since lies and deceptions are a key part of his diplomatic strategy, serious discussions and economic threats lead nowhere and serve only to buy additional time for him to build his weapons. You and your friends have the power to take out Mr. Jihad by military force, but many of your neighbors are afraid to take this action because of all the innocent people that will be killed, or for fear that Mr. Jihad's followers in their neighborhoods will make trouble there. Those of your neighbors that might initially approve of military action are faint of heart and fearful of the long time it would take to root out all the terrorists, which would surely result in many casualties.
Even in this simplified allegory, it's clear that your options are few indeed. Though you have the power to eliminate the threat, there will be a terrible price to pay. It will come about only with sacrifice and resolve. The most recent poll indicates that more Americans are now disillusioned with the Iraq mission, and perhaps also the one in Afghanistan, than are in favor of continuing it until success is achieved. The reasons are legion: Americans are, for the most part, ignorant of the insidious nature of Islam – partly because of the politically correct, multicultural fog that has choked the media, our institutions and public policy over the past decade. Then there are the devious half-truths from Saudi-inspired propaganda groups like the Council on America-Islamic Relations that serve only to cloud the issues with the public. Not understanding your enemy is a tremendous handicap to a successful outcome. Unfortunately, the "greatest generation" in America has repaired to its final reward, replaced by a fast-food/Desperate Housewives/American Idol generation that has grown soft and fat with luxury and mass-market distractions that, given its short attention span, permit no real understanding of sacrifice. Compounding this languor is the extreme and venomous political partisanship that short-circuits any chance for achieving a common national goal. Unless Americans are prepared to go in for the long haul, for the vox populi to speak with a single, committed voice and fight for what is right, we are doomed to failure. It's going to take another 9/11 catastrophe to awaken Americans from their slumber. This will probably happen – the only question is when and if it is not already too late. Barrett Kalellis is a Michigan-based columnist, writer and pundit for NewsMax.com, whose articles appear regularly in various local and national print and online publications.
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