What were you thinking? Violence and Peace

Anyone who clings to the historically untrue - and thoroughly immoral - doctrine that violence never settles anything I would advise to conjure up the ghosts of Napoleon Bonaparte and of the Duke of Wellington and let them debate it. The ghost of Hitler could referee ...

Violence, naked force, has settled more issues in history

than has any other factor, and the contrary opinion is

wishful thinking at its worst.

Breeds that forget this basic truth have always paid

for it with their
lives and freedom.
(Robert A. Heinlein)

Here are a couple of though experiments we can try in the privacy of our own minds:

You are a decent sort. Not perfect. You have credit card debt, spend more on luxuries than you should, have a one drink too many some days, been known to fudge on your taxes...but overall, you're a decent sort. At work you shine--inventive, productive. Some folks like you for your straightforward opinions, others think you're a loud opinionated boor. Mixed reviews.

There you are, in all your mixed glory and

1. You are happily joggin' through your city park's nature trail and see a man holding a puppy by its ears, beating the hell out of the wee creature. You.....[fill in the blank]....

2. You are happily joggin' through your city park's nature trail and see a man sodomizing a five year old boy. You.....[fill in the blank]....

3. You are happily joggin' through your city park's nature trail and see a woman snatching the purse of crippled lady in a wheel chair. You....[fill in the blank]....

4. You are a city commissioner and uncover a city official who has used her position to threaten neighbors into giving her "protection" money and favors. You....[fill in the blanks]...

5. You are a little league coach and see a boy's father physically roughing up another child on the team because his own son lost a position to this child. You...[fill in blanks]...

6. You are a devoted mother. Your children, 6 and 9, are normal, they are not perfect, but you've raised them to be fair, show respect for others, not to litter, watch out for smaller children and don't kick puppies. You believe in tolerance and understanding. No one wants to grow up to be a "bad person." Next door is a older bully and her lawyer dad who does pro-bono work for Greenpeace. This kid picks on the smaller children, puts matches to the tail of your kid's kitty, throws rocks at your car window as you drive down the street. On several occasions you mention her behavior to her father who says his kid thinks you are a mean spirited nut. He reminds you that he is a lawyer. You suggest the acting out behavior is a symptom of something deeper, an emotional need, perhaps more parental attention? He reminds you he is a lawyer.
You feel sorry for the kid--you have her in for juice and cookies, she takes more than her share of the cookies, you offer her the whole bag. She takes it. And steals you child's favorite teddy bear on her way home.

You suggest a healthy outlet for her belligerence, like mud-wrestling, her dad reminds you he is a lawyer. The day comes when this kid hangs your kid's kitty from the tree at your doorway. You're sure you can discuss this like two adults, so you call the parent, he reminds you that he is a lawyer. Next day, your daughter's bike is hanging from the tree, bent spokes and all. You call the bully's dad over, he says too bad your kid is such a poor cyclist, and reminds you, he is a lawyer.It dawns on you that her aggression is growing. Why? You wonder? Could it be that no one ever stops her, and aggression is paying dividends?

You hear shrieks one afternoon a few days later and run outside to find the bully has climbed your fence and tied your six year old to his swing and is using him for target practice with her base ball. You.....[fill in the blanks].....

Every individual understands that there may come a time --that is not chosen--that will require of him a physical intervention or even violence to stop an unjust violence.

Nations know this too.

It is the soldier, not the reporter,
who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the soldier, not the poet,
who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the soldier, not the campus organizer,
who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.

It is the soldier, not the lawyer,
who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the soldier, not the politician,
who has given us the right to vote.

It is the soldier, who salutes the flag,
who serves beneath the flag,
and whose coffin is draped by the flag,
who allows the protester to burn the flag.
(Charles M. Province)

PART TWO: Winning in Iraq the discussion continues

A new visitor came by an' left a comment that ya'll might wanna go read. Aunty ain't on his same page, but I does see whar' he comes from.

Here is part of mah reply:

"On peace and freedom, I reckon most folks is in agreement. Some understand "peace" as the absence of conflict, but that is possible in a hideous dictatorship, because the henchmen simply zap anyone causing any disturbance about anything--so yeah, its "peaceful" because nobody will raise their head above the horizon.

But ya added in "freedom" too. So, I think youse got a winning formula.


Where we have diverse views is on how to achieve that.

I understand idealism. It is a yearning for the way things OUGHT TO BE.

I git that. But, there's the problem wif' it .....

** the conversation continues on here

Want Peace? Do not Fear War

The battle of Lepanto was fought on October 7th 1571.

Here we is now again at the anniversary of that battle and it behooves us'uns ter think on what it were all about--since we got Jihad tearin' at the West--again.


Islamic men and boats outnumbered the European (Christian) fleet.

Ya'll ever heered of "Don Juan?" This is the battle that made that dashing raconteur famous-- Don Juan of Austria.

Jonathan Last wrote up somethin' last year in the Philadelphia Inquirer:

"It's the West vs. the Islamic world, a clash that has never abated. … It predates America itself. It is a clash between Western civilization and the Islamic world."

Now, folks, Uncle done read Pirate Coast whar' he learnt that them Islamic pirates was terrorizin' folks way back in the 1800s, wif' ole Tom Jefferson...so Islamic war on the rest of the world ain't on account of GWB or the oil industry or nuthin' like that--nope, chickens, it is intrinsic to the teachin' of Islam to make war on any who will not convert to Islam.

Last quotes from Samuel Huntington of Harvard, author Clash of Civilizations, who wrote,

"Conflict along the fault line between Western and Islamic civilizations has been going on for 1,300 years."

See folks? It ain't nuthin' new.

"Islam advanced under the sword conquering North Africa, Sicily, Spain, Portugal and parts of France. Twice the forces of Islam laid siege to Vienna. For 1,000 years, Islam advanced and Christendom retreated," said Mr. Last of the Philly paper.

Here's the long and short of the Battle of Lepanto

The Ottoman Turks done whupped up on and captured European cities and strongholds throughout the Mediterranean. Them bandits figgered out they wanted ter control the sea, the trade routes, and smash European navies. In 1529 them brigands attacked Vienna. Then, by 1570 Cyprus was under siege. The Turks skinned the commander of Isle of Cyprus while the man were still alive. More than 12,000 Christians and Jews were enslaved on Muslim galleys ships an' chained to the oars .

Rumor was that the Muslims was "invincible." So, with terror as they weapon, fear spread along the coasts of Italy and Greece.

The Turkish fleet put that famous ole' Ali Pasha in command and sent him and the fleet ter Lepanto (Gulf of Corinth). They hawg tied some lawless Corsairs , too , under the command that repugnant pirate, Uluch Ali.

Don Juan got him some hep from his friendly rival, Andrea Dorian. THem boys faced 330 Islamic ships. Sea buffs say that the Battle of Lepanto was the last of the great sea battles usin' oared ships, an' it were also the largest battle since the Battle of Actium in 30 B.C.

When the smoke was cleared away, 8,000 European fellas was dead. But the Muslims done far worse, chickens. Yep the boys from the West got it together and dealt a dern good blow ter the jihadi crews-- more than 25,000 of 'em was killed. Don Juan rescued the 12,000 Christian and Jewish galley slaves.

A 'course, in a few years them Moslems rebuilt and the Islamic assaults rage on against Europe. This how come historians woan say Battle of Lepanto was any too decisive. But they do think it a fine psychological victory t: Oct. 7, 1571, is the day them Europeans jes' refused to retreat any more a'fore the "invincible" green crescent. Thas' the spirit we needs today too.

http://www.cse.dmu.ac.uk/~mward/gkc/books/lepanto.html

Ya'll, this here is somethin' ter think on:

Pope Benedict XVI explains in his book 'Without Roots,' the very idea of 'Europe' emerged as a reaction to the surge of Islam. It warn't until victory against the second Turkish siege of Vienna in 1683 that the Islamic hordes left Europe alone fer a few centuries-- in those 300 years Western civilization grew stronger, politically astute and the Islamic world , well, it stagnated under oppressive regimes and sharia law.

What happened next?

Why, ya' knows--- the West grew complacent and Islam grew under its nose. Time fer complacency is over. It is time fer war--or, at least not ter be afraid of war iffin' ya' ever wanna have peace.

Iffin' we let "terror" paralyze us, then ya' might as well git on over the the mall and look fer a burkha in yore size. Put down the Bar Be Que sir, ya ain't allowed no pork, and ya' daughter can be mutilated fer ya' "honor" 's sake.

Ain't never been one time in history when Islam was contained wif' "dialog." We gonna have ter fight 'em.

Next Post: What Is Islam? Inside Islamic teachin' and history.

(Fair Warnin': If youse squeamish, doan click in over here,
it ain't gonna be "light." Natcher'ly, the FRONT Porch remains
lighthearted fare.)