Lowaicue
英語在香港
The question no one dares to ask:
What if we are wrong about Syria?
We watched and cheered Egypt at the overthrow of Mubarrak. Now there is an Islamist regime and whether it is a friendly Islamist regime or not the situation might be very temporary. The intention is to introduce Sharia law in Egypt and, it goes without saying, that whatever words they use, they will see the west as their enemy in time.
Is that what we wanted when we cheered the rebels on?
The same thing happened in Libya. We debated the wisdom of involvement and came down on the side of the rebels. Those rebels are now an Islamist leaning government. Islamists want a world of Islam. History shows Islam to position itself as an enemy of the west.
Note: Islamists do NOT include all Muslims the majority of whom are peaceable and, within, certain parameters, assimilate into their adoptive society.
Now cast your mind back to N. Ireland. Remember how Americans were played for fools by the IRA who appealed to the image of the poor downtrodden, exploited citizens. Memories of the potato famine to the strains of Danny Boy? Now you know, I hope, that that little tale was almost totally false. Their words, used for war at home, played the gullible in America as simply as Menuhin played his fiddle.
So Syria. Those poor rebels. Those poor people being shot and bombed by that evil president supported by the nasty Russians and the evil Chinese.
I'll ask again. What if we are wrong? What if, in a years time, in five or ten years time, we are faced not with an Arab spring but with an Islamist assault from all corners of the mediteranean? What if we discover that the propaganda we are fed daily is exactly that. What if our leaders, so intent on creating an outside enemy to take the heat off the enemy within, have got it wrong?
Mubarrak, Ghaddaffi, Assad may not have been the sort of people you took home to tea but for decades they kept the lid on a pot that might well contain a bubbling, toxic mix that proves impossible to live with in the future.
Now I'll sit back and wait for the experts to extract their little factlets and by slow demolition prove me wrong. That's OK. It's tea time anyway.
What if we are wrong about Syria?
We watched and cheered Egypt at the overthrow of Mubarrak. Now there is an Islamist regime and whether it is a friendly Islamist regime or not the situation might be very temporary. The intention is to introduce Sharia law in Egypt and, it goes without saying, that whatever words they use, they will see the west as their enemy in time.
Is that what we wanted when we cheered the rebels on?
The same thing happened in Libya. We debated the wisdom of involvement and came down on the side of the rebels. Those rebels are now an Islamist leaning government. Islamists want a world of Islam. History shows Islam to position itself as an enemy of the west.
Note: Islamists do NOT include all Muslims the majority of whom are peaceable and, within, certain parameters, assimilate into their adoptive society.
Now cast your mind back to N. Ireland. Remember how Americans were played for fools by the IRA who appealed to the image of the poor downtrodden, exploited citizens. Memories of the potato famine to the strains of Danny Boy? Now you know, I hope, that that little tale was almost totally false. Their words, used for war at home, played the gullible in America as simply as Menuhin played his fiddle.
So Syria. Those poor rebels. Those poor people being shot and bombed by that evil president supported by the nasty Russians and the evil Chinese.
I'll ask again. What if we are wrong? What if, in a years time, in five or ten years time, we are faced not with an Arab spring but with an Islamist assault from all corners of the mediteranean? What if we discover that the propaganda we are fed daily is exactly that. What if our leaders, so intent on creating an outside enemy to take the heat off the enemy within, have got it wrong?
Mubarrak, Ghaddaffi, Assad may not have been the sort of people you took home to tea but for decades they kept the lid on a pot that might well contain a bubbling, toxic mix that proves impossible to live with in the future.
Now I'll sit back and wait for the experts to extract their little factlets and by slow demolition prove me wrong. That's OK. It's tea time anyway.
