In Defense of Scott Simon And America VI: And Now A Closer Look At The Reality Of Mumbai
In Defense of Scott Simon And America VI: And Now A Closer Look At The Reality Of Mumbai
By
Ken Eliasberg
Why are Mumbai terrorists not evil? The story — a rather shoddy, inaccurate, incomplete, and entirely misleading story at that - is that they are not evil because they are only responding to the greater evil that is America’s foreign policy. Aside from the pure nonsense of the argument made in favor of this idiotic conclusion — which we shall now look at — isn’t it evil to do what these fellows did, even if we were to assume that they were irked by something that America has done? To murder people at random seems to me to be conduct that any rational and reasonably intelligent human being might justifiably consider evil — no matter what the provocation (other than self defense, of course). Thus, even were I to accept the premise that certain of our foreign policy initiatives might themselves be considered evil by certain loosely hinged foreigners (as well as various members of our Academy) - which I do not - and, even were I to agree with the specific foreign policy acts put forward in support of this argument (which, again, I do not), I still regard this form of reaction — i.e. the random murder of anyone — as evil. In short, were I to accept any fact or argument advanced by Professor Shaffer, which, as noted, I do not, I still find his conclusion that these gentlemen are not “evil” as something between absurd and idiotic.
That said, let’s look at both the rationale advanced in support of this premise and the facts that are asserted to justify the rationale. First, in this column, the rationale. Actually, as threadbare (not to mention idiotically anti-American) as the rationale is, the presumption upon which Professor Shaffer proceeds is even more distressing. He takes Simon to task for assuming that these acts are evil without Simon’s making any effort to understand the real motivation behind these acts. And, of course, the good professor better understands the motives behind these acts. Why? Because these barbarians have told him? Of course not! He understands this because, like any agent of one of America’s enemies, he is all too ready to resolve any and every doubt against his own country. He justifies this defense of these terrorists by arguing that it is our intervention in the affairs of foreign countries that have moved these otherwise peaceful fellows to engage in such intemperate behavior.
Are we then to assume that these disturbed (but not evil) fellows are agents or representatives of the government in whose country’s affairs it is alleged that we have inappropriately involved ourselves? If so, and if we are involved in a war, then isn’t our enemy the country to which these fellows owe their allegiance, and, more to the point, by whom they are sponsored? This would be a logical assumption in that it might lend some sort of perverse logic to Professor Shaffer’s argument. But that is not the case. These nut cases are merely itinerant Bedouin barbarians and assorted other Arab malcontents who represent no country (or, in the alternative, any Arab country you choose), who have not evolved beyond the 7th century, and who are motivated by the desire — no the compelling need - to establish an international Caliphate.
If, on the other hand, these guys did actually represent a country in whose affairs we had inappropriately insinuated ourselves, and we had done so in an effort to prop up a government that was unacceptable to these chaps, then why skip the middlle man? That is, if they were upset with their government (and their anger emanates from our support of that government), then why not endeavor to overthrow their own government, rather than go after the U.S. for supporting it? You say that they might not take this route because they might get killed pursuing it. Don’t you think that they have a better chance of getting killed going after the U.S. — the world’s foremost super power — than they would have if they went after their own tin horn dictator? And, besides, have you forgotten, these guys want to die — it’s their fast track to paradise.
Also, wouldn’t this course of action be more compatible with Professor Shaffer’s argument that these chaps are innocent because they have no authority over the acts of their tyrannical government. So rather than overthrow their tyrannical government, they take on the U.S.? I suppose, using Professor Shaffer’s “innocent-civilian” line of reasoning (and, in calling this reasoning, I realize that I’m being quite generous) they don’t overthrow their own government because then they might produce a Democracy, and, in doing so, they could no longer seek absolution for being “innocent” if their government did something that our academic geniuses did not approve of. Does this make any sense to you at all? And this is the kind of treasonous idiocy that is being not just condoned, but advanced, by our social studies academics.
The simple truth is that whatever motivates these guys —religious fanaticism, some unsettling geopolitical event, global warming, or whatever the liberal bete noire of the day might be — what they do is evil, and, as a consequence, they are evil. And nothing that our lunatic fringe in the Academy says or does provides a more suitable explanation of their conduct. And, by the way, I am not singling Professor Shaffer out for criticism or condemnation; he speaks for, and is a representative of, the vast majority of the academics that populate the social studies departments of our Universities, including almost all of the top-flight colleges in the country. For some additional insight into the anti-Americanism that is abroad in our country, including, but not limited to, our educators, I recommend a book by Daniel Flynn —Why The Left Hates America — Exposing the lies that have obscured our nation’s greatness, Prima Publishing (2002).
In the final analysis — or in any analysis, for that matter — we are a marvelous country — the best, most generous, and most charitable that has ever set foot on this planet, and it hurts one’s heart to hear the absurd criticisms of 2nd rate minds and assorted other academic imbeciles who launch specious attacks on our country’s integrity. Is the U.S. perfect and above legitimate criticism? Of course not! Have we made mistakes? You bet, and we’ll make more of them; that’s how life operates. But these academic critics are not offering constructive criticism. Indeed, their attacks are totally without foundation, and therefore constitute nothing more than aid and comfort to our enemies (while in the course of failing to do what they are supposed to do — educate our kids). I am all for self criticism; enlightened people and/or societies require reflection and soul searching. That said, there is a world of difference between self criticism, on the one hand, and self flagellation and self loathing on the other.
The U.S. can always improve, but these morons offer no instruction in that regard — just a tiresome and unrelenting attack on the U.S. Growing up, I had a great deal of respect for education and educators. Watching the course of educational evolution in this country, I no longer hold it and/or most of them in high regard.