Mark Steyn is a talented columnist, with the ability to make his serious points in humorous ways. He is, however, far to the right of center, which isn't necessarily bad but it means, more or less by definition, that most people will often disagree with what he writes.
When it seems he's one of the few people around noticing that the murder of Jews in Mumbai was central to the whole attack, indeed, that bloodthirsty hatred of the Jews is central to the entire Islamist program, we've got a problem. The Jews do, yes, but so does everyone else, too. Because history is replete with movements that put hatred of the Jews at their epicenter, and none of them ever ended up contributing to the well-being of mankind or even of most individuals in it.
One could make a plausible case that violent hatred of Jews (as against the mere garden variety of the animosity) is a reasonable litmus test for the general destructive potential of a political movement, and this has been true for at least 1000 years.
Fortunately, the New York Times today carries a similar op-ed. Which means you don't have to be a right-winger to see what's happening in the world. Some centrists see it, too. Not all of them, and I can't even say if the mainstream does, but enough people to get a hearing in the New York Times.
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FROM CAROL HERMAN
If you read Mark Steyn for the laughs, that's okay. But if you read him, here, selecting out the ease with which these 9 Jews were attacked, overlooks the obvious: There was no need for special security or gates, at the Chabad compound in Mumbai. In other words? The Indian people were not a threat.
That the Pakistanis were looking to make massive trouble? Yup. Was this expensive gambit an overall failure? Yup. To boot, it creates in India a much more hostile picture towards Pakistan, than the previous model.
Here, many years ago, Pakistan commandeer'd an Indian airline, and held the crew, and passengers hostage. For two weeks Pakistan screamed insults at the Indians. But then? Something broke, and the plane was released. On its return, the INDIANS THREW FLOWERS IN CELEBRATION.
So? For the flower trade, no more flower tossing.
And, yes. It would be much better to notice that among Indians, Jews are as welcome as anyone else.
Even if they prefer to dance to a different drummer.
To counter the argument that the 9 Jews weren't "safe" ... you need to remember that hundreds of Indians got indescriminately killed. And, it was ONLY at the train station, after the "baby faced" terrorist killed 3 policemen, that something snapped. And, two men used their own force to bring this bastard to the ground.
You should have seen this moment as being on-par with what happens in Jerusalem, where the out-of-control arabs end up dead, sooner rather than later. Because someone just peddling along on his bicycle stops. Borrows a gun (since you can't conveniently bike pedal, and hold an AK-47). This shows you that from the crowd one man gives his gun to another, braver man. Who climbs on board the bulldozer's cab, READY. Aims. And, fires.
You think cops blowing whistles stop terrorists?
This, today, has been the lesson learned all over India. And, the pressure is on within the Indian government to improve TRAINING.
Arik Sharon would tell you (if he wasn't damaged by his cardiologists), that you need to train men to face gun fire. It's not automatic. On an automatic response, without training, you're going to cower.
Meanwhile, in Pakistan, "feeling the heat," are the nationals who have now admitted, by arresting, that in fact the terror came from Pakistan; and was paid for with muslim money. Guess who salts that field?
And, the story ain't over.
The Pakistanis pushed themselves backwards.
As to Chabad, they have to learn the world isn't such a safe place, even when it feels so safe, that they advertised their location on the Internet. Anyone or everyone could visit.
This reminds me, that in America, it wasn't so long ago, that NOBODY had to lock their doors!
Let me repeat this. Too many people, today, used to losing their keys, have no idea how it once was. Heck, even the first motor cars didn't have locks on their doors!
What brought locks? An awareness that there were problems access gave to thieves. We didn't toss out democracy; we tightened our laws up, too. So the Keystone Cops are no longer in charge.
In today's universe there's a demand, at least in America, for cops to be professionals.
Since this isn't a topic for schools to teach, you have to wonder, sometimes, how people go about learning stuff.
India is a safer country that Pakistan. And, exporting violence, which may look easy; has blow-back.
Again. From history. During WW2 the Japanese in America were HATED. It came from the way they were lead in Japan, to fight to the bitter end.
After WW2 was over, lucky for Japan (just at the same time India and Israel are birthed by the UN), for General Douglas MacArthur, the top commander. To put himself in Tokyo for five years.
At one point? MacArthur was disgusted with the aristocrats "ideas" of democracy. So he chucked them.
And, MacArthur sat down with a yellow pad, and mapped out Japan's Constitution.
For its first issue, he picked ADULTERY. Where, in Japan, "men got away with it," but women were put to death: he put the vote to the people. He let them pick: EITHER BOTH DIE. Or both males and females are set free.
The Japanese, for the first time in 700 years, chose "they both shall live." And, from the bottom of the barrel, the Japanese recovered.
Trajectories of success and failures always cross in the night.
You can go on believing "Jews are special." But if you do this, then you have to carry it to its bitter end: To the "boys from Brooklyn," who are still pretty sure Israel's not legitimate; because it was birthed without the Messiah coming.
Seems the lunatics have an "exit strategy."
But do they have a fundraiser?
My heart's with the Indian people, as they were with us on 9/11. We're making progress, here.
FROM CAROL HERMAN, again
This time, to tell you about an article by Christopher Hitchens, which adds to what you know about the recent attack in Mumbai. Where, he prefers: BOMBAY
If you go to his web site, and type in this article's URL: http://www.slate.com/id/2205710/
You'd see what I mean.
Yes, he refers to Chabad. But as Jewish disciples of Rabbi Schneerson. Who are, in fact, newcomers.
Bombay, is a quintessentially Idian achievement, says Hitchens. And, it's always good to touch base with democratic success stories.
Under Bombay's umbrella "are all of its peoples from the Portuguese-speaking Catholic Goans to the Zoroastrian Parsis. (The Jewish disciples of Rabbi Schneerson may be relatively recenty arrivals, but there have been B aghdad Jews in Bombay since records were kept, and Jews in India since before Christ, [and ... not until now],has a Jewish place in India been attacked for it's own sake, so to speak)."
Hitchens titles his article "Our Friends in Bombay." And, his major thrust is to state very clearly; something our policians didn't do very well ... We needed better than "an anemic and insipid" display, expecially from media coverage. Because this was, in fact, a criminal attack; done by muslims harbored in Pakistan.
And, Hitchens names names. DAWOOD IBRAHIM. On the run from India, who comfortably resides in Karachi.
This was an organized amphibious assault, "acting as if they were trained by serious military professionals."
Again, I'd recommend just reading Hitchens, here. You don't have to compare writers. Mark Steyn and Christopher Hitchen both comment on current events.
It's the best way to learn.
The Steyn article is here without needing a subscription:
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/mumbai-muslims-time-2248410-jews-muslim
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