Japan really is superior.

[Orwell]

Gah, wrong button. Anyways, for all that Bush has done and said, I also see this as a valid arguement for what he's done.

A few days ago Henry Broder wrote in Welt am Sonntag, 'Europe - your family name is appeasement.' It's a phrase you can't get out of your head because it's so terribly true.

Appeasement cost millions of Jews and non-Jews their lives, as England and France, allies at the time, negotiated and hesitated too long before they noticed that Hitler had to be fought, not bound to toothless agreements.

Appeasement legitimized and stabilized Communism in the Soviet Union, then East Germany, then all the rest of Eastern Europe, where for decades, inhuman suppressive, murderous governments were glorified as the ideologically correct alternative to all other possibilities.

Appeasement crippled Europe when genocide ran rampant in Kosovo, and even though we had absolute proof of ongoing mass-murder, we Europeans debated and debated and debated, and were still debating when finally the Americans had to come from halfway around the world, into Europe yet again, and do our work for us.

Rather than protecting democracy in the Middle East, European Appeasement, camouflaged behind the fuzzy word 'equidistance,' now countenances suicide bombings in Israel by fundamentalist Palestinians.

Appeasement generates a mentality that allows Europe to ignore nearly 500,000 victims of Saddam's torture and murder machinery and, motivated by the self-righteousness of the peace movement, has the gall to issue bad grades to George Bush... Even as it is uncovered that the loudest critics of the American action in Iraq made illicit billions, no, TENS of billions, in the corrupt U.N. Oil-for-Food program.

And now we are faced with a particularly grotesque form of appeasement.
How is Germany reacting to the escalating violence by Islamic Fundamentalists in Holland and elsewhere? By suggesting that we really should have a 'Muslim Holiday' in Germany?

I wish I were joking, but I am not. A substantial fraction of our
(German) Govern ment, and if the polls are to be believed, the German people, actually believe that creating an Official State 'Muslim Holiday' will somehow spare us from the wrath of the fanatical Islamists. One cannot help but recall Britain's Neville Chamberlain waving the laughable treaty signed by Adolph Hitler and declaring European 'Peace in our time'.

What else has to happen before the European public and its political leadership get it? There is a sort of crusade underway, an especially perfidious crusade consisting of systematic attacks by fanatic Muslims, focused on civilians, directed against our free, open Western societies, and intent upon Western Civilization's utter destruction.

It is a conflict that will most likely last longer than any of the great military conflicts of the last century - a conflict conducted by an enemy that cannot be tamed by 'tolerance' and 'accommodation' but is actually spurred on by such gestures, which have proven to be, and will always be taken by the Islamists for signs of weakness. Only two recent American Presidents had the courage needed for Anti-appeasement: Reagan and Bush.

His American critics may quibble over the details, but we Europeans know the truth. We saw it first hand: Ronald Reagan ended the Cold War, freeing half of the German people from nearly 50 years of terror and virtual slavery. And Bush, supported only by the Social Democrat Blair, acting on moral conviction, recognized the danger in the Islamic War against Democracy. His place in history will have to be evaluated after a number of years have passed.

In the meantime, Europe sits back with charismatic self-confidence in the multicultural corner, instead of defending liberal society's values and being an attractive center of power on the same playing field as the true great powers, America and China.

On the contrary - we Europeans present ourselves, in contrast to those 'arrogant Americans', as the World Champions of 'tolerance', which even (Germany's Interior Minister) Otto Schily justifiably criticizes. Why?
Because we're so moral? I fear it's more because we're so materialistic, so devoid of a moral compass.

For his policies, Bush risks the fall of the dollar, huge amounts of additional national debt, and a massive and persistent burden on the American economy - because unlike almost all of Europe, Bush realizes what is at stake - literally everything.

While we criticize the 'capitalistic robber barons' of America because they seem too sure of their priorities, we timidly defend our Social Welfare systems. Stay out of it! It could get expensive! We'd rather discuss reducing our 35-hour workweek or our dental coverage, or our 4 weeks of paid vacation... Or listen to TV pastors preach about the need to 'reach out to terrorists. To understand and forgive'.

These days, Europe reminds me of an old woman who, with shaking hands, frantically hides her last pieces of jewelry when she notices a robber breaking into a neighbor's house.

Appeasement?

Europe, thy name is Cowardice.

[godix]

Not that the org is the place for politics but I think the last 100 years of history have shown the single most effective method to stop brutal dictators and genocide is a brigade of well armed soldiers saying 'You want to stop that shit now or do we need to just shoot you?' The problem is you gotta know what comes after that and apparently there is no George Marshall in Bush's cabinet.

Personally if I were president I'd be calling up leaders of all first world countries and saying "We're gonna march out of Iraq, through Iran, across Egypt, into Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, and the rest of Africa just kicking two bit warlords asses all along the way. We'll stop once we run out of warlords or hit an ocean, whichever comes first. Now we suck at rebuilding shit these days so you wanna give a hand with that and turn Africa into someplace worth living in?"

[Orwell]

Not that the org is the place for politics

Most of the org yes, but I'd love to see a thread develop, not so much into who's right and wrong with American politics, but global politics. China's bid for a sphere of power as they assist a mostly ignored African continent, and most recently Nigeria, as per discussion last night with Oto.

[x_rex30]

I saw that one quote on the daily show. The other I found separately on two different sites. I could come up with a huge pile of contradictions bush has done from over the years. Just test me, and I'll do it. I'm up for a challenge. I'd probably come up in a few days of hundreds of times bush hugely contradicted himself.

[x_rex30]

ummm... maybe in a month. That sounds like a lot of work.. oh well. Ignore me. Carry on with the Japan talk.

[Orwell]

Men continue to progress faster than women in China.

[guy07]

Bah, china has nothing, they were too old for it to be abnormal. now the 12 year old on the other hand ... they are gonna make a anime about that for sure -_-; lol

[Orwell]

Men continue to progress faster than women in China.

Well no wonder, since China has the highest rate of female suicides in the world. Not to mention there's already a large gap between the ratio of men/women there.

[Orwell]

Japan's agriculture minister attempts suicide.

[Otohiko]

Japan's agriculture minister attempts suicide.

This just in, he became an hero!