PDavidHornik

Barry Rubin: The West is becoming like the Middle East

Why? Because certain decent, rational positions are becoming taboo and people are intimidated out of expressing them publicly (not to mention privately as well). Just as in the Middle East; now it's becoming a reality in the West. This is a deeply original, insightful, important article.

In response to it, let me make these public statements:

I oppose marriage between anyone but one man and one woman.

I think men and women have significant inherent differences.

I think Islam is on the whole a harmful religion and a historical misfortune.

 

 

The Middle East laid bare

Guy Bechor notes that the brutality in Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa, now catching headlines, should teach anyone with open eyes what would happen to the Jews of Israel without a strong state and a strong army to protect them.

Bechor:

 When one observes the fate of the Christians in the Middle East, one realizes what would have happened to the Jews had they been defeated, heaven forbid, or remained without protection. Christians are being butchered in states that experienced “democratic change” such as Iraq, Egypt and Tunisia; their churches are being burned, they’re prompted to escape, and their property is looted.

The Christians were misfortunate enough not to establish a state with a clear Christian identity, unlike the Jews. Naively, the Christians believed in partnership with other ethnicities, and now they’re paying the price – in Lebanon, where they’re becoming extinct, in the Palestinian Authority, and very soon in Syria as well.

Very soon in Syria as well? The situation there is still uncertain. But the overall point is undeniably right.

Fight genocidal anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic incitement

Giulio Meotti's call to action.

The most exciting take yet on Stuxnet

Former CIA agent (pseudonymous) says it has actually completely paralyzed Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant. It's claimed that Stuxnet is a U.S.-Israeli collaboration. If true, that means it's a great tribute to our two great democracies.

Raymond Ibrahim knocks fairy tales about the Muslim conquests

In a short, pithy, highly informative piece. These conquests should be viewed as an unmitigated disaster for the various conquered peoples, stuck today with a faith that counteracts tolerance and progress.

Vittorio Arrigoni's friends continue his hate legacy

Informative article here by Benjamin Weinthal on the aftermath of the murder of Vittorio Arrigoni, the anti-Semitic Italian "activist" who came to Gaza to aid terrorism and ended up being killed by terrorists. People are presenting the unpretty facts about Arrigoni's life, while his like-minded friends continue to defend him. I wrote about this issue last week.

U.S.-trained terror police

They killed an Israeli civilian and wounded four others yesterday on the West Bank, as I discuss on Pajamas Media.

Obama makes war--where are the peaceniks?

Read this great editorial from the Washington Times.

Better prospects in Syria?

Barry Rubin claims that the Islamists in Syria, while a significant factor that does pose a threat, are less strong and organized than in Egypt. Hence, if Bashar is toppled, Rubin sees more of a chance of a relatively decent situation emerging, given the society's greater diversity and the secularim and relative moderation of parts of it. But if Bashar succeeds in cracking down with full brutality, nothing much will change. Highly illuminating comparisons between situations in Iran, Egypt, and Syria in this short, informative piece.

Israeli military ethics in an age of terrorism

Asa Kasher is an Israeli philosophy prof who coauthored the Israeli army's first Code of Ethics. In this long but extremely worthwhile interview, he expounds brilliantly on the moral issues entailed by Israel's battle against terrorist organizations that have no moral standards at all and systematically use civilians as human shields. Highly recommended.