Remember Lincoln's words...

Submitted by Bill Storey (United States), Jul 26, 2005 at 09:58

Daniel:

Thanks, as always, for your excellent work. You so clearly identify Britain's problems: ". . . tired, liberal, apologetic, and multicultural. . ." There cannot be many better descriptions of cultural decline than that.

A thousand years ago, Islam tried to capture Europe by force of arms, and almost succeeded. Today, it seems to be attempting to do the same by immigration, though immigrants normally assimilate, while Muslims mostly do not. The very definition of a fifth column is a group that intends to undermine another culture while maintaining its own identity and objectives. This seems to be what has happened in England, and what also is happening in America, although we are far more realistic about the dangers here, thanks to Bush.

Two things haunt me in all this. The first is that Islam - often incorrectly categorized as an evangelical religion - has mostly expanded by warfare and forced conversion. Far from evangelical - the winning of converts by persuasion - Islam is a warrior religion.

Christianity's founder was a peaceful prophet murdered by his enemies. The apostles, except John, met similar fates. Islam's founder was a soldier and a politician, and his successors, the caliphs, were the same. As Jesus said, "You will know them by their fruits."

The second very troubling thing is the large number of people who say things like "There really aren't that many terrorists; the vast majority of Muslims are peaceful." In 1933, the same types of people were saying, "There really aren't that many Nazis . . ." The truth is that dangerous radical groups are always in the minority, but some of them exercise power and influence far beyond their numbers. The other truth is that a huge number of "peaceful" Germans sat on their hands while Hitler rose, just as "peaceful" Muslims do today. Secretly, many Germans hoped Hitler would succeed, just as today, millions of Muslims are quietly sympathetic to the goals and behavior of the terrorists. Watching innumerable Muslim people dancing in the streets after the hijackers took down the World Trade Center is proof enough of that.

The superiority of Western Civilization on innumerable levels is immense, and if we are properly informed and motivated, the terrorists have no chance. But we should never forget Abraham Lincoln's words:

"At what point shall we expect the approach of danger? By what means shall we fortify against it? Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant, to step the Ocean, and crush us at a blow? Never! All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth (our own excepted) in their military chest; with a Bonaparte for a commander, could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the Blue Ridge, in a trial of a thousand years. At what point, then, is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of free men, we must live through all time, or die by suicide."
Address Before the Young Men's Lyceum of Springfield, Illinois (January 27, 1838)

Best regards,
Bill Storey

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