Hypocrisy Here; Cartoon Dangers There

Hypocrisy and preening are nothing new to our politicians, but the extent of the hypocrisy emanating from Washington these days is overwhelming. Hypocrisy is brown stuff, and the stench is covering us all. What I am specifically talking about are the Republican and Democratic senators who voted against extending the Patriot Act late last year because of their supposed concern with civil liberties protections. Now that a few cosmetic changes have been made, and the voices of the folks back home have been heard, these same Congresspersons are rushing to announce that they now support the bill. Apparently the same song and dance is underway concerning the NSA wiretapping of foreign al-Queda conversations with their American accomplices. There will be much breast-beating on the part of those politicians who think we cannot see through their antics. Like John Kerry, they think they want to say that they voted both ways on these issues, and therefore satisfy everyone. I hope, like with John Kerry, this will be thrown back in their faces.

Every Democrat except Johnson of South Dakota and Nelson of Nebraska voted to filibuster the Patriot Act and were joined by these four Republicans: Craig (R-ID), Hagel (R-NE), Murkowski (R-AK) and Sununu (R-NH).

Those Dangerous Cartoons

The “cartoon danger” I am referring to marries the unbelievably violent and widespread reactions (orchestrated by Muslim leaders) to the Danish cartoons - to the statement yesterday by a senior Muslim cleric in Iran, Ahmad Khatami, that the focus of Islamic anger over the cartoons should be directed at the USA, and not at Denmark. A news story detailing this follows this column. Is there anyone out there who doesn’t understand that we have to use whatever means necessary to stop the Iranians from acquiring nuclear weapons? Is there anyone out there who doesn’t understand the implications of this cartoon fiasco? Is there anyone out there who doesn’t understand that Muslim leaders can incite Muslim mobs to support the use of nuclear weapons against us and our western allies when the next trumped-up pretext is orchestrated?

Winston Churchill once said that “democracy is the worst form of government known to mankind, except for all the others”. Democracies are usually led by civilized, decent peoples who can’t imagine such evil can exist in this world and are demonstrably slow to face up to these dangers. Perhaps the deadly cartoon fiasco will have some benefit – that of waking up the Europeans and head-in-the-sand Americans to the dangers western democracies now face.

This article appeared yesterday in Iran Focus:

Iran tells Muslims to target U.S., not Denmark, over cartoons
Fri. 10 Feb 2006

Tehran, Iran, Feb. 10 – A senior Iranian cleric called on Muslims on Friday to direct their fury over cartoons of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad at the United States, rather than Denmark.

When crowds of worshippers in Tehran chanted “Death to Denmark” during his fiery sermon, Tehran Friday prayers leader Ahmad Khatami told them, “We shouldn’t say ‘Death to Denmark’. Denmark is nothing! We must say, ‘Death to America’. It’s the Americans who set up the likes of the Danes”.

Khatami, who is not related to Iran’s former president, accused the European Union of “double standards” in its approach to the publication of cartoons of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad and Iran’s denial of the Holocaust.

“They talk about human rights and freedom of expression, but at the same time they disgustingly insult more than a billion Muslims”, the ayatollah told worshippers in central Tehran.

“They justify this great crime on the grounds of freedom of expression and the stupid Prime Minister of Denmark says that they are willing to pay the price of freedom. But these very countries who claim to respect freedom of expression do not allow the smallest talk about the myths of Holocaust and persecution of the Jews”, he said.

“The United States and European states are taking advantage of human rights, freedom of speech, disarmament, and the International [Atomic Energy] Agency. All of these are being misused. They want to force their rule upon the world through these methods”, the senior cleric said.

Turning to the situation in Iraq, Khatami said that the U.S. had spent a lot in the country “but they got the opposite result. The Iraqi people entered the scene and voted for Islam”.

He said that the victory of the radical Islamist group Hamas in the Palestinian elections was the “most effective blow” to U.S. prestige.