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We did not defeat Communism.

Reader comment on item: An Arab Prince Denounces Islamism

Submitted by Michael S (United States), Jan 13, 2015 at 12:49

The prince said,

"We faced communism and we faced it together. But when we faced communism we understood it as an ideology. Terrorism is not an ideology.""

It is certainly true that "terrorism is not an ideology". But is the rest of what the prince said true? Did we really fight "Communism" in the past century?

No. Here's a list of whom we fought:

Korea. We fought against nationalistically-motivated Koreans and Chinese. They saw the American occupation as a continuation of the Japanese occupation.

Vietnam. ditto. Substitute "Vietnamese" for "Koreans and Chinese".

Russia. We succeeded in driving the Communist Party from power, by forcing the Soviet Union to its knees ECONOMICALLY. Note that our targets were Russian bellies, not Russian minds. The Communist ideology is still alive and well, in Russia and elsewhere. The Russians aren't buying it, however, because you can't eat an ideology.

China. How did we "defeat" Communist China? By giving official recognition to the Communists instead of to the Kuomintang? That's an odd way to defeat an ideology.

The last I heard, the Communist Party still ruled in China, and in North Korea, and in Vietnam; and it's been finding new life in Latin America. We never defeated Communism. What we defeated, was the Soviet Union; and we co-opted the Chinese and Vietnamese -- while they have also co-opted us. The notion that social inequality can be remedied by stealing from the rich and redistributing the wealth, is alive and well in America; and its chief proponent is the US President.

So we didn't defeat Communism -- not in Russia, not in China. We just merged with it; and today we are merging with Islam. Meanwhile, we've re-labeled "Islam" as "Terrorism", and simultaneously re-labeled "terrorists" as "militants". In this way, we've made both "Islam" and "terrorism" meaningless. Our President, meanwhile, a Muslim born and bred, is going about fighting "terrorism" by relentlessly pressuring Israel to concede to Hamas and Fatah. With that fellow as our "Interpreter-in-Chief", it's a small wonder that those who follow him (and re-elected him) are also confused.

The prince has a point, though. As long as we CALLED the "Cold War" a "War against Communism", we were able to focus our enmity against countries, which were real enemies. Today, we can't focus on anything -- we live, fight and die in a blur.

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Reader comments (42) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
1Prince Salman's Euphomisms for Its Arch-Enemy, Iran & It's State/Government/Regime [257 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
LudvikusJan 15, 2015 16:39220397
1Wrong Prince Salman - My Correction to Myself [946 words]LudvikusJan 28, 2015 16:30220397
We did not defeat Communism. [391 words]Michael SJan 13, 2015 12:49220336
1The problematic Mr Blair [139 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
AlexanderDec 27, 2014 00:13219969
Muslim Reform [97 words]y Brandstetter MDDec 21, 2014 05:22219889
4The West is at war with Israel, not with the Muslims [186 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Michael S.Dec 18, 2014 07:29219840
Not True [12 words]y Brandstetter MDDec 21, 2014 00:54219840
2The Samson option [462 words]Michael SDec 23, 2014 09:08219840
1UNGA voting against Israel [101 words]Michael SDec 26, 2014 06:04219840
3Simply put... [308 words]There is NO Santa ClausDec 16, 2014 08:30219798
Prince Salman implicitly includes Iran [33 words]mythDec 15, 2014 07:45219769
2MISANTHROPIC theocracy [24 words]Michael PolyakDec 14, 2014 15:31219760
fighting islamists [9 words]Egy1Dec 11, 2014 23:49219738
5Ideology: Ideas; Moderate [204 words]DajjalDec 11, 2014 22:17219737
2Yes, reform in Islam is forbidden by Mo/allah - no Muslim dare try it!! [54 words]JaladhiDec 15, 2014 15:08219737
1Not easy decision. [302 words]josef zuaresDec 21, 2014 12:32219737
Islam's focus [15 words]Mohammed Waza Khiddif Id'ullahDec 22, 2014 01:52219737
6Soon after the death of Sallam Ahmad... [262 words]Wasim AhmedDec 23, 2014 02:03219737
1Quranic Corruption [80 words]DajjalDec 23, 2014 23:41219737
2War on Terror [156 words]S R WakankarDec 11, 2014 20:21219734
4What the heck ...? [312 words]JaladhiDec 15, 2014 14:36219734
There is no such thing as "moderate Islam" [39 words]George KeselmanDec 11, 2014 17:38219731
8Another propaganda by Muslims!! [77 words]JaladhiDec 11, 2014 16:05219729
1Reform or Merely Revenge? [370 words]AlexDec 11, 2014 15:27219727
3call me skeptic..... [118 words]donevanDec 11, 2014 15:11219726
9Moderate Muslims? [94 words]Charlie GriffithDec 11, 2014 15:09219725
3Moderate Muslims - Oxymoron!! [71 words]JaladhiDec 15, 2014 17:08219725
2Radical... [15 words]ECAWDec 11, 2014 14:07219723
Qaradawi under arrest [53 words]Robert WerdineDec 11, 2014 13:38219722
9Moderate Islam: What is it and what is it's authority? [173 words]Stewart ShaneDec 11, 2014 13:01219721
More Mosques, less charities for the poorest [257 words]Chocoholic LadyDec 25, 2014 06:37219721
3What about Qatar? [48 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
RCDec 11, 2014 12:38219720
1Reform within Islam [12 words]Ilana GoldsteinDec 11, 2014 12:31219719
6Ban Sharia LawsI [64 words]Michael Hanni MorcosDec 11, 2014 12:09219718
appreciation [126 words]MAHAMUNIDec 11, 2014 11:52219716
6"Moderate Islam is the Solution?" [163 words]William JohnstonDec 11, 2014 11:10219714
3No Moderate Islam and No Muslims!! [97 words]JaladhiDec 13, 2014 20:04219714
4radical Islam is the problem and moderate Islam [9 words]HermanDec 11, 2014 10:44219713
2It's not a game of rock-paper-scissors [207 words]TL WinslowDec 11, 2014 10:17219712
1Maybe there is hope for mankind yet? [69 words]Maurice SoloviytzDec 11, 2014 09:40219711
2Telling God to shut his mouth II [94 words]Wallace SchwamDec 11, 2014 09:31219710
1Telling God to shut his mouth. Well said. [182 words]AnneDec 20, 2014 16:22219710

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