27-28 November 2006--As The World Sleeps

Bret Stephens in Monday's Wall Street Journal editorial page has spoken a basic fact right out loud: From here on we need to treat Vladimir Putin's Russia as an enemy that needs to be opposed and never again trusted, not as long as he is in power. For several years I was willing to give that man the benefit of the doubt: his imprisoning of rich, oligarchical political opponents who also had huge connections to the Russian Mafia, the ruthless bring-down of that Mafia in order to bring runaway crime back under control, the employment of Reaganesque tax and market reforms that now give Russia one of the fastest economic growth rates in the world, the ruthlessness with which he dealt with Muslim extremists in Cechnya and Al Qaeda mass murderers in the aftermath of their 9/11 done to children and parents in Besalan. I could understand that it would be no help establishing democracy if there was no stable society to employ democracy with, that sometimes harsh and ruthless measures are necessary. So I for one was like Condoleeza Rice, who, after the initial victory over Saddam Hussein in Iraq, said that we should "punish the French, ignore the Germans, and forgive the Russians."

That has changed for me, and the murder of investigative journalists, democratic dissidents, clampdowns on evangelical churches, and now the poison murder of a former KGB agent with Putin-who became an erstwhile Putin critic--and done in London, no less, has changed me. The discovery of Russia's designs to pour massive military weaponry (which they can no longer use) into China, Venezuela, and nuclear power construction to Iran has indicated to me a pronounced anti-American attitude. It clearly indicates that Putin's wish to reconstitute Russia as a major power is not limited to becoming a militarily and economically strong democracy, but rather, as a somewhat weaker but still quite dangerous rival of the USA. In the case of the arrangement with Iran, Russia's denials of supply of weaponizable nuclear fuel is believed by noone outside Iran and Russia, for the fuel, as Mr. Stephens points out, is capable of making up to 60 nuclear bombs! Needless to say, that should scare the bijesus out of any sober individual. But just in case---sleepy people! Iran, imagine! 60 nuclear bombs within a couple of years! Yeah! Oh, isn't that someone to negotiate with!

But the Republicans in the USA gave up the Congress, though not by much--the Senate is almost split in half, the House almost as close---but we gave it up by our clumsiness, apathy, and the guilt-by-association tarring by our "objective" news media. That is the "old media" and idiots like the kool-aid drinkers in places like the "Daily Kos" blog. Well, hopefully my party---yes, Virginia--my party--will get the "let's make more dough with power" out of their system from here on and help the apathetic and shallow who, for no reason except one screwy congressman (Mark Foley) and a hard-fought war where the casualties equal about two days at Iwo Jima in February 1945, decided to think that a retreat-and-surrender, perverted gay marriage-supporting, unborn baby-killing, euthanasia-loving, tax-and-spend, free-market-killing, Christianity-resisting, history-distorting, political-correctness-loving, patriotism-belittling gang of thugs that passes for a "Democratic" party could do a better job of resisting an existential threat to America's existence that she will have to fight almost alone. (Australia and Israel excepted).

Well, we are asleep, and during a war. This is good, and really commendable of the world's lead power. NOT!!!!! Well, I am doing more praying these days. Praying for my President, as he has to walk an ever-smaller tightrope, and for a country that doesn't seem to notice that she hangs by a thread from losing everything she has. This is the home of my family, my loved ones. My home! I am not about to give that up. And that doesn't even address the fate awaiting people who worship the God I know in nations around the world, especially those on the edge of gaining the sword of fundamentalist Islam at their throats.

A few months ago, I apologized for taking a hard line on the Israeli war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, in stating that I did not want the cease fire, and letting Syria and Iran off the hook yet again. Recent events, culminating in the election and the lame caterwauling for retreat to---to where?--have forced a decided change of mind. I am retracting that apology. I want war. Better to do it now, when the Islamist enemy is still relatively weak, and can be defeated with far less loss of life, than to do it later when hundreds of millions may die. Yes, I said hundreds of millions dead---and a planet horribly effected from the weapons used--either to spread the Islamist jihad, or to defeat it.

Yes, I want war, the kind that leaves a lot more people alive than the war that will come later if we pretend this whole Iraq and Middle East thing was a big misunderstanding. But oh no, I'm the warmonger, I'm the conspiracy nut, I'm the right-wing wacko. Well, let those who criticized think what they like.

"The tree of liberty must be enriched, from time to time, by the blood of patriots, and tyrants." (American founder James Otis). (And, I might add, by the blood of terrorists, and traitors.).

The only answer for jihad---is a crusade.

--Belisarius II--