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September 02, 2004
Protestor or Terrorist? That is the question!
The interesting contrast between the mass protests outside the Republican Convention in New York and the seizure of children and adult hostages in a school in Russia raises a few disturbing questions. In the West, since the 1960's, it has become the norm for "peaceniks" to stage often disorderly if not downright violent protests against any government, institution, or person that they deem to have breeched their peculiar code of ethics. Elsewhere, of course, open rebellion is often the action of protest and the same group who are now gathered to try to disrupt the Republican Convention would argue that these fellow "warriors" for justice, are "Freedom Fighters". Until they attack a shopping mall, school, or public building near you.
The Russian news is far from encouraging. First because there is no clear indication as yet as to who the attackers are or what they are attempting to achieve by this action. There is also no clear indication of how many hostages they have managed to seize. The only thing that is clear is that they are using the children as a shield, and they are shooting at the security forces ringing the building.
The group outside the Convention venue in New York are opposed, they say, to violence. They claim that the President went to war illegally and want to bring him down in any way they can. It appears that some at least of their number are prepared to use violence to achieve their ends, but it is not clear exactly how or what they intend to do if they succeed in unseating Mr Bush. Just how far from terrorism is that aim? In a country where the government is decided by a majority voting through a democratic process - at least on paper - it would appear to me (admittedly an outsider with no sympathy for protest marchers, placard wavers, or any other form of civil disruption activity) that if a majority of the voting public are satisfied with what is being done in their name, those who are not have one of two choices. Go and live in the supposedly "better" society you argue is being destroyed, or accept the majority opinion and shut up. That, believe it or not, is democracy!
What, after all, gives this vocal and blinkered minority (and they seem to be present in every "Democratic" society) to violently, and in defiance of anyone else's right to freedom of opinion and speech, disrupt commerce, industry, or a perfectly legitimate meeting? What makes them different from Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF Party Enforcers and thugs? What makes them different from the murderous abominations now holding anywhere between 100 and 400 children and adults hostage in a school in Russia?
Whether the "Intelligence" was accurate or not, Mr Bush decided to strike at the heart of the area which has spawned more violent and fanatical terrorists than any other. In this he had the majority support of Congress and the Senate - part of the democratic process. There is certainly evidence that Saddam was bankrolling some terrorist groups, and Syria, Iran, and several others in the Region are still doing so. Let's face it, many in those regions are easily convinced of the need to take up arms against the Great Satan - not exclusively the US but now apparently the entire West. Why is there such a wealth of people prepared to take this course of action? Why are they so easily convinced?
Most people would identify poverty as one reason - and probably with some justification. But at least half of those currently disturbing Central New York City would be very quick to add - Western "exploitation" is a "major" contributory factor. Yet, is that a justifiable charge? Is the West to blame for the misappropriation of national wealth by the Ayatollahs, by the Rulers (now a hereditary President!) of Syria, Saudi Arabia, and the rest of these oil and blood-soaked nations? I think you would be on very thin ice there; no Western Corporation controls how they spend the money (except perhaps the Swiss Banks!), and certainly very few of us in the West enjoy the Oil Dividend that many of these countries pay their citizens instead of a tax demand every year!
No, the poverty of the Region is not the sole factor; the hatred stirred up by the militant Islamic clergy (interestingly, Mohammed himself decreed that there should be NO clergy - probably because he could see how they would misuse the religion!) certainly is, so is the depth of ignorance (again fostered and promoted by the Ayatollahs and their minions) and the promotion of some truly twisted logic vis a vis the life hereafter promised to those who die for the religion! Helped no doubt by payments to the families of "martyrs" which come from the funds held in those mysterious Swiss accounts - and are paid in US Dollars! This is the system and the evil that Mr Bush, rather naively in my view, attempted to crush. The trouble is that it has no fixed address, no fixed abode, no face, and no army, navy, or airforce that can be readily identified! The President went to war in the belief that in toppling Saddam he could send a message across this region that there was no safe haven for terror. In this he has at least in part succeeded, many of the fence-sitting governments are now looking to controlling their loose cannon, but, of course this is not sufficient for the "peacenik" brigade!
What I find strange with these folk is that they are perfectly happy to allow ghastly dictators to flourish and to commit monstrous attrocities in their own countries and against their own people - just as long as it's safely the other side of the world and in someone elses backyard. Yet, this is the same group that are now claiming that Mr Bush failed to do enough to prevent 9/11. Sorry, folks, but you can't have it both ways.
Worse, the activities of these "peaceniks" everywhere are now verging on terrorist activity. It is time to start re-assessing this so-called "right" to protest. The proper place for such protests is in the ballot box, not on the streets in violent and pointless confrontations!
Posted by The Gray Monk at September 2, 2004 11:00 AM