Right on All Counts -- Especially #2

Submitted by GWK (United States), Dec 30, 2008 at 22:16

Dr. Pipes -- Excellent summary. Unfortunately, and to ordinary consternation, one wonders what goes through the mind of the Israeli leadership.

Somehow, somewhere, Islamists adopted the concept of a multifaceted jihad -- religious, financial, operational, IT and PR. And they learned their lessons well. From the ashes of the 1970's the islamists have multiplied in numbers wealth and PR acceptance. Their extreme theology has become more ane more accepted within ALL circles. No one dares criticize thetheocrats for their extreme, inhumane beliefs or their hypocrisy. And on the IT front, they now vie with the Russians, Chinese and corrupt to dominate all the dark corners of the Internet.

But it is on the PR front where the jihadis have seen their greatest successes.

In an age where the youth bulge population favors Muslims to non-muslims, getting the PR edge over the youngest and most impressionable part of the ummah is a strategic must. Hamas has done this with knock off c artoon characters and childhood fable characters singing the hymns of hate. And by lobbing random rockets into Israeli villages, Hamas has somehow managed to become to the rest of the world a unjustly harmed "victim" -- Talk about effective control of the PR battlefield!!

Dr. Pipes, you are right that there is a jihad going on against Israel and against the West. And somehow, the Hamas masterminds are proving to be the better at winning the war, even while losing the skirmishes.

This is a lesson that the War Colleges ought to pay attention to... It worked for the NVA after Tet at Hue. It worked for AQI after "Mission Accomplished", and it worked for Hizbollah after Israel invaded Lebanon.

How is it that the murderers and haters can turn popular opinion their way? Muhammad perfected the politics of victimization all the way, even as he attacked innocent caravaners pursuing ordinary commerce and even after he put his protectors into jeopardy, and then massacred them after they tried to oust him from their shelter. If he lesson isn't clear -- you can feed the snake and protect, but don't expect it to love you of not bite you when it can.

Let's hope that the Israelis learn what it takes to win the PR jihad. If they don't they could be right all year long and they will lose support every day.

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