What Are We Going To Do About It?

Pay Attention, people!

2007-09-22T21:49:00.000-04:00

Dennis Hitzeman gives us a big heads up in the rapidly-developing world of international news.

Can anyone say “potential powder keg”?

Ohio Mosque News

2007-09-10T20:28:00.001-04:00

Ohio mosque tour clears up misconceptions about Islam!

By spreading a whole lot of disinformation about Islam (and Christianity).

Read the post at JihadWatch.

Overnight Promotion?

2007-09-09T20:30:00.000-04:00

Is there such a person as General Joseph Biden?

I don’t think so, and neither does Dennis Hitzeman, of the Worldview blog.

Let's just hold our horses for a few more days, and see what General Petraeus says...

What Does It Mean To Be Poor in America?

2007-09-02T13:32:00.001-04:00

Not quite as much as it means to be “poor” in the Third World, apparently…

Don’t miss this article, from the National Review Online.

Help Wanted

2007-08-25T10:53:00.000-04:00

Does this mean that the whole “border thing” is starting to work?

Help Wanted Ads Go Unanswered in West (from ABC News.)

“Now, workers with more options in some places are unwilling to take $12-an-hour jobs.”

Too bad about the whole economy thing…

What are we going to do about it? For starters, how about resisting the MSM’s pessimism with actual facts?

Counterjihad in the Philippines

2007-08-17T20:54:00.000-04:00

The Armed Forces of the Philippines, aided by an “unknown number of American military advisors,” recently launched a military campaign against radical Muslim terrorist groups. There is some concern that the fighting could spread and escalate, if “less radical” groups who have formerly signed ceasefire agreements are drawn back into the fray.

Read the article in the Asia Times.

Fundamentalism

2007-08-14T21:22:00.000-04:00

Short Interview: Robert Spencer on Fox & Friends Aug 14 2007

Robert Spencer, of JihadWatch.org, explains (in almost sound-byte form) the difference between moderate Muslims and violent extremists: the moderates are “bad” Muslims, in the sense that they don’t follow what the Qur’an actually teaches. The extremists, on the other hand, actually pay attention to what the Qur’an tells them to do and then do it ― things like engaging in violent “struggle” against those who “threaten” Islam by believing other creeds and killing Christians who “dishonor” Allah by worshipping Jesus.

In much the same way as many liberal Christians have drifted far afield from what the Bible actually teaches, and yet still call themselves Christians, many Muslims have chosen to ignore vast swaths of Islamic teaching and ideology yet still call themselves Muslims. This makes them “bad” Muslims in the sense that they’re unfaithful to the literal teaching of Mohammed and the Qur’an, but “good” Muslims in the sense that they have no interest in killing your children.

Which is a good thing.

The problem is that the extremists can come into a moderate area and tell the people there how they are not following the teachings of the Qur’an and are not being faithful to Allah. And according to the Qur’an, they’re right. It doesn’t take a university-educated professor of Arabic and Islamic theology to see that the literal reading of the Qur’an supports the jihadi ideology, and it seems that an unfortunate number of previously-moderate (i.e., not-very-Qur’an-following) Muslims end up becoming radicalized. Or should I say “literalized.”

Anyway, watch the video, and read more of Spencer’s stuff on the true, literal, fundamentalist nature of Islam. Then help me decide what we’re going to do about it.

The Seed of the Church

2007-08-07T22:54:00.000-04:00

In 2005, Gene Veith wrote an amazing article in WORLD Magazine entitled Praying for Persecution. In it, he quotes a leader of a Chinese Christian house-church movement who asked that the world, “Stop praying for persecution in China to end.” The house-church leader then added, “It is through persecution that the church has grown.”

Now, in 2007, that growth is being made public to the world. An article today in Asia Times Online, Christianity Finds a Fulcrum in Asia, reports that “Ten thousand Chinese become Christians each day…and 200 million Chinese may comprise the world's largest concentration of Christians by mid-century.”

Ten thousand a day. Amazing. The article, of course, focuses more on the political and demographic changes that this growth brings with it ― including making China a “replacement” for an increasingly secularized and Islamicized Europe ― but the spiritual ramifications are breathtaking. (Democracy would be good, too, no doubt...)

Read this article. Thank God for the spread of his Word, and pray that many more people, of every nation, race, tribe and language, would be taken into the fold of the Good Shepherd.

And, if you’re brave, join that Chinese house-church leader, who said, “We, in fact, are praying that the American church might taste the same persecution so revival would come to the American church like we have seen in China.”

Soli Deo Gloria.

Iraq Weekly Briefing

2007-08-03T11:53:00.000-04:00

Check out the Iraq Weekly Briefing on Small Wars Journal:

From the intro:

"Paul Brinkley, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense, and Philip Reeker, US Embassy, Baghdad, join BG Kevin Bergner, Multi-National Force-Iraq spokesman, in an expansion of the normal weekly Iraq update. Bergner starts off with a security update then turns over to Reeker and Brinkley who discuss reconstruction, economic and political efforts underway to assist the government of Iraq. Of note - Brinkley provides a detailed update on Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs). Q&A follows the formal brief."

I haven’t watched it all yet (it’s almost an hour long), but even the briefing notes give you a lot better picture of what’s going on than the sound-byte approach to news that we usually get.

Warming, Schwarming?

2007-08-03T10:42:00.000-04:00

This report from Fox News’ “Junk Science” section reveals an interesting new study on the effect of aerosols in the atmosphere and challenges some of the more sweeping claims of the Global-Warming-Catastrophe-Hype in a simple and understandable way. Check it out:

How Now Brown Cloud?

A sample quote:

“At the very moment that Congress considers enacting energy-price-raising and economy-killing legislation to regulate greenhouse gases based on the idea that human activity is harming global climate, the new aerosol study underscores (again) how little we understand whether and how human activities actually impact global climate.”

More On Moral Paralysis

2007-07-31T22:37:00.000-04:00

Dennis Hitzeman’s Worldview has some good comments on the same piece I linked to a few days ago. He identifies the root cause of the West’s “moral paralysis” as secular humanism.

He writes:

“As a result [of the moral ambiguity created by secular humanism], even instinctual reactions toward self-defense and self-preservation are undermined by the notion that maybe we are wrong. Because there is no clear definition of what is right and wrong, that lack of definition creates the possibility that those who oppose us, even those who are trying to kill us, might be right. In the end, we fail to act out of the incapacity to make a decision, and we suffer the inevitable consequences of that inability.

“Now, when the West is faced with a clear crisis in the form of a direct attack by fundamentalist Islam on the fundamentals of Western Civilization that has helped fuel 2500 years of virtually unchecked advancement, it no longer possesses the tools that it needs to act clearly and decisively against that threat. That inability to respond places the West in danger of being shaken to its very foundations with consequences far more dire than perhaps it has ever faced.

“There are no easy solutions to the problem that moral paralysis caused by the moral ambiguity of secular humanism has caused; however finding a way to reverse the damage that has been done is paramount to protecting our way of life and our society. The first step must be acknowledging what the problem is, and one can pray that such an acknowledgment leads to a solution before it is too late.”

Check out the rest of his post.

It Can Happen Here

2007-07-31T22:28:00.000-04:00

This one hits close to home for me, literally:

Ohio Jihad

Keep your eyes open, people. Have a plan. Pray more.

Moral Paralysis

2007-07-26T15:56:00.000-04:00

I don't think I need to make a lot of comment on in this article. It’s clear enough to speak for itself.

Is America Today the France of Yesterday? By Thomas Sowell

Sowell’s final question: “Are we morally paralyzed, perhaps fatally?”

My final question: WAWGTDAI?

When Is a Fact Not a Fact?

2007-07-23T22:05:00.000-04:00

Well, obviously, when it’s not true.

Read Dennis L Hitzeman’s latest article, What’s Deteriorating? for a rather pointed look at a dishonest misrepresentation of facts in the mainstream media’s coverage of the war in Iraq.

He writes, in part, “The bottom line is that the Mainstream Media, like their allies on the Liberal Left, do not want the United States to succeed in Iraq because success means that those of us who honestly and truly support the war against fundamentalist Islam and totalitarian despotism around the world are right … Success in Iraq means revealing the MSM and the Left for what they are, thereby diminishing their power over all of us.”

Bonus feature: Read this article to see the same logic applied to the upcoming presidential debates. Twice the fun!

What Are You Doing?

2007-07-23T10:36:00.000-04:00

My friend Dennis L. Hitzeman at Worldview had these nice things to say about my new blog:

“The goal of this challenge and the writing on his weblog and my own is to remind all of us that we live in a nation governed of, by, and for the people and that the course of our nation and our place in the world lies in our hands, whether we choose to act or not. It is time for us to take back the ideals the Founding Fathers guaranteed to the people, and it is our hope that our writing adds two more voices to the growing chorus of voices calling for that change.”

Thanks, Denny. Keep blogging!

Fear in Iraq

2007-07-23T10:03:00.000-04:00

Forbes ran this article a few days ago, in which the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, was quoted as making the following statement: “If there is one word I would use to sum up the atmosphere in Iraq - on the streets, in the countryside, in the neighborhoods and at the national level - that word would be ‘fear.’”

There is some optimism in the article ― such as a statement from Crocker himself about restoring electricity, political headway at the local level, and further cooperation among the sects ― but all of that hopefulness is belied by statements like “I’m not optimistic” (Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine), “Time is running out in a big way” (Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Delaware), and that Sen. Kit Bond (R-Missouri) predicted that Iraq would miss its goals in September.

The fact is, there is cause for optimism in Iraq. Lots of it. From Michael Yon to the Guardian, tentative, cautious optimistic reports are coming out every day. You just have to know where to look.

We don’t know the exact context of Ambassador Crocker’s statements. For all we know about media spin, he could have meant something completely different from the way his statement was quoted.

But if you’ll allow me to speculate for a second, I think there is plenty of fear in Iraq. I think it’s fear that the U.S. will leave before it gets the job done. I think it’s fear that the “strongest tribe” will cut-and-run, and not finish what it started, and not do what it promised.

As Ambassador Crocker himself also said, “For Iraq to move forward at any level, that fear is going to have to be replaced with some level of trust and confidence and that is what the effort at the national level is about.”

Trust and confidence. I hope our leaders in Washington heard that loud and clear. I hope that their fear (and their fear-inspiring, defeatist rhetoric) is soon replaced by the trust and confidence that America can and needs to stay the course.

American Hostages in Iran?

2007-07-23T09:54:00.000-04:00

Look Who’s Holding Hostages Again

Mark Steyn reports on the current Iranian hostage crisis. I’m ashamed to admit I didn’t know anything about this, but even more ashamed that no one is making a big deal about it as we consider negotiations with the Islamic Republic Formerly-Known-As-Persia.

The "War" on Terror?

2007-07-23T09:43:00.000-04:00

Policing Terrorism

Is terrorism a crime or an act of war? Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister of Britain, has apparently decided that it is only a crime, and the New York Times agrees with him.

I guess if Hitler had invaded England in 1940, the Brits could have arrested him, but to attack the Nazis on their own soil would have been “divisive” and “threatening [to] social peace.”

David Reiff closes his flawed piece with this utter non-sequitur: “But so far, World War IV isn’t going very well. Particularly in light of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center’s recent report that Al Qaeda is as strong today as it was before 9/11, Gordon Brown’s bet on the criminal model, however risky, seems the more sensible course.”

The Call of Duty

2007-07-23T09:41:00.000-04:00

The 9/11 Generation

Dean Barnett in The Weekly Standard takes exception to the “soldiers are victims” meme running through much of the mainstream media’s coverage of war and the military with a fitting tribute to the young men and women who serve in America’s all-volunteer military.

Whom To Believe?

2007-07-21T16:36:00.000-04:00

So. We hear a lot about Islam these days, don’t we?

Our President told us that its teaching are “good and peaceful” and that terrorists are trying to “hijack” Islam itself. There is an organization that, in an attempt to “enhance understanding of Islam” will send you an almost-free copy of the Qur’an. There are Muslim groups who condemn “violent extremism done in the name of Islam.”

But every day there are also news reports about the violent and reprehensible activities of members of that religion. There are those ― former Muslims themselves ― who say that “there is no such thing as moderate Islam,” and that anyone who claims Islam is a religion of peace simply doesn’t understand Islam. There are college professors who praise anti-American terrorism. There are even those who question the motives of Muslims who publicly condemn terrorism.

Whom to believe?

One possible response is to throw up your hands in despair and say, “Who knows? Who cares?” and go on living your life. After all, you probably don’t really understand quantum mechanics, capitalism, the Hegelian dialectic, or your television set either. So why try to understand Islam?

Another possibility, though not one you will likely choose consciously, is to believe the message you hear the most. Advertisers and media people calculate this exposure using “Gross Rating Points.” (an interesting, but complicated, discussion of GRPs and the Iraq war can be found here.) Simply put, it is possible that your opinion is subconsciously formed by the message you hear the most.

You could also try doing a little research. I chose to start by going straight to the heart of the matter: the Qur’an.

Islamic scholar Robert Spencer has recently started work on an excellent online resource for those interested in learning more about Islam and the Qur’an. It’s called Blogging the Qur’an. In it, Spencer takes us on a section-by-section tour of the holy book of Islam, helping us understand “how mainstream Muslims who study the Qur’an will understand any given passage, and what its import might be for non-Muslims.”

One laudable feature (among many) of Spencer’s work: he refers to many Muslim commentaries on the Qur’an to make his explanations, rather than relying solely on his own interpretation. This, to me, goes a long way in averting the potential concern with having a non-Muslim interpret the Qur’an. Also, in reading through the entire book consecutively, is able to sidestep the oft-leveled charge of “taking things out of context.”

As you might expect, not everyone is a fan of Robert Spencer. To be honest, though, I probably wouldn’t be able to read through the entire Qur’an without someone to help. Weekly postings of small portions of the text make the task manageable. I recommend Blogging the Qur’an as a valuable tool to anyone trying to learn more about Islamic teaching.

General David Petraeus Interview

2007-07-19T14:05:00.000-04:00

I can’t think of a better first post in the “stay informed” category than this interview with General David Petraeus, the commander of the Multi-National Forces ― Iraq.

Read the interview “General David Petraeus on the conditions on the ground in Iraq” from The Hugh Hewitt Show.

Several main points jumped out at me:

1) No matter what a person’s opinion on the reasons for starting the war, we as liberators have “an enormous responsibility” to the people of Iraq to finish the job that we started. Whether you feel we’re there for good reasons or not, the point is, we’re there now, and “a precipitous withdrawal would have potentially serious implications for important interests that we have in Iraq, in the region.”

2) When watching the evening news, it’s important to remember “the fact that a sensational attack is going to lead.” General Petraeus says, “And I think that occasionally, you know, folks will wince over here and say gosh, you know, they didn’t get the ribbon cutting we did today, or nobody covered the job fair, or the opening of the new police academy, or whatever it might be, because a car bomb went off. Well again, that’s reality, and terrible loss of life, sadly but realistically, is going to bump some feel good stories. So I think that’s just something we have to come to grips with. It is again a fact of life, and such is life.”

3) The “anti-terrorist only” option put forward by many (including Michael Duffy of TIME) seems unrealistic according to the General’s analysis. He says that al Qaeda-Iraq “is a significant enough network in capability that it is not going to be dealt with just by certainly, if you will, classical counterterrorist operations.” Instead, he reminds us that it is a coordinated effort between special forces and “conventional forces.”

4) Finally, to the question, “What do you hear your men and women saying about this mission? Do they think it can be won?” General Petraeus answers, “I think they do…I think individuals are doing all that they can to try to achieve success in this mission here, and that’s the focus of the folks with whom I’m privileged to soldier.”

Anyway, read the whole interview. It’s eye-opening to someone whose news diet is strictly the “we lost ― let’s get the hell out of there” clamoring. He even ends on a little “what are we going to do about it?” note.

I am thankful that we have such an able commander leading our troops in Iraq.

Update:

Also check out this interview with General Petraeus on NPR. I'm kind of surprised by the headline...

Doing Something

2007-07-18T21:09:00.001-04:00

Sometimes, sitting around talking about stuff is really important. A lot of people these days do things without talking about them first, which rather implies that they haven’t thought much about them either. And doing things without thinking/talking them through can be ill-advised at best. (A related problem is people who say things without thinking about them, too ― more on those people later.) Talking about things gets other people’s opinions into the open. It also opens up one’s own thought processes to public scrutiny, kind of like having someone proof-read a paper before it gets turned in. With a few friends, a favorite beverage, and a couple of hours, there’s almost no problem that can’t be “solved” ― at least, to the satisfaction of those in the room.

Sometimes, however, sitting around talking about stuff is less-than-constructive. It may even give the illusion that “something is being done” about a problem or concern when, in fact, nothing is happening. At such times, action is required rather than mere words. One can’t help but be reminded of the P.F.J. meetings in Monty Python’s classic Life of Brian ― “this calls for immediate discussion!”

At any rate, this blog has been opened to deal with both of the above situations. It is, above all, a place for me to talk about stuff that is important to me, with the hope that family, friends, and a wider community of readers might find what I have to say interesting, helpful, thought-provoking, and perhaps paradigm-shifting. But even more than just talking, as the blog’s title indicates, the goal of this writing will usually be action.

Sometimes, the action will be nothing more than staying informed and helping others to do the same. It might not be a specific action right now ― as a teacher, I’m quite used to imparting information that won’t get used for a long time into the foreseeable future ― but eventually, in most of these areas of life, there will come a time when we are called upon to do something.