A German thought...future/past tense.

A GERMAN THOUGHT
If any of you still feel that this war on terror is a mistake, here is an opinion from an unexpected source. This is not a problem that is going to be easy to solve. It is the struggle to maintain our Western way of life and the very culture that has made it possible. Lose this one, and our grandchildren may be speaking Arabic, those of them that survive the "conversion".
Look at what has been happening in Europe the last couple of weeks. For all practical purposes, they won Spain without any effort on their part other than a couple of bombs in public places. Now they are burning Paris and hitting on Holland and Belgium.
Better get serious, very, very serious!
It's fascinating that this should come out of Europe. Mathias Dapfner, Chief Executive of the huge German publisher Axel Springer AG, has written a blistering attack in DIE WELT, Germany's largest daily paper, against the timid reaction of Europe in the face of the Islamic threat. This is a must-read by all Americans. History will certify its correctness.
EUROPE - THY NAME IS COWARDICE
(Commentary by Mathias Dapfner CEO, Axel Springer, AG)
A few days ago Henry Broder wrote in Welt am Sonntag, "Europe - your family name is appeasement." It's a phrase you can't get out of your head because it's so terribly true.
Appeasement cost millions of Jews and non-Jews their lives, as England and France, allies at the time, negotiated and hesitated too long before they noticed that Hitler had to be fought, not bound to toothless agreements.
Appeasement legitimized and stabilized Communism in the Soviet Union, then East Germany, then all the rest of Eastern Europe, where for decades, inhuman suppressive, murderous governments were glorified as the ideologically correct alternative to all other possibilities.
Appeasement crippled Europe when genocide ran rampant in Kosovo, and even though we had absolute proof of ongoing mass-murder, we Europeans debated and debated and debated, and were still debating when finally the Americans had to come from halfway around the world, into Europe yet again, and do our work for us.
Rather than protecting democracy in the Middle East, European Appeasement, camouflaged behind the fuzzy word "equidistance," now countenances suicide bombings in Israel by fundamentalist Palestinians.
Appeasement generates a mentality that allowed Europe to ignore nearly 500,000 victims of Saddam's torture and murder machinery and, motivated by the self-righteousness of the peace movement, has the gall to issue bad grades to George Bush ... Even as it is uncovered that the loudest critics of the American action in Iraq made illicit billions, no, TENS of billions, in the corrupt U.N. Oil-for-Food program.
And now we are faced with a particularly grotesque form of appeasement. How is Germany reacting to the escalating violence by Islamic Fundamentalists in Holland and elsewhere? By suggesting that we really should have a "Muslim Holiday" in Germany?
I wish I were joking, but I am not. A substantial fraction of our (German) Government, and if the polls are to be believed, the German people, actually believe that creating an Official State "Muslim Holiday" will somehow spare us from the wrath of the fanatical Islamists.
One cannot help but recall Britain's Neville Chamberlain waving the laughable treaty signed by Adolph Hitler and declaring European "Peace in our time".
What else has to happen before the European public and its political leadership get it? There is a sort of crusade underway, an especially perfidious crusade consisting of systematic attacks by fanatic Muslims, focused on civilians, directed against our free, open Western societies, and intent upon Western Civilization's utter destruction.
It is a conflict that will most likely last longer than any of the great military conflicts of the last century - a conflict conducted by an enemy that cannot be tamed by "tolerance" and "accommodation" but is actually spurred on by such gestures, which have proven to be, and will always be taken by the Islamists for signs of weakness. Only two recent American Presidents had the courage needed for Anti-appeasement: Reagan and Bush.
His American critics may quibble over the details, but we Europeans know the truth. We saw it first hand: Ronald Reagan ended the Cold War, freeing half of the German people from nearly 50 years of terror and virtual slavery. And Bush, supported only by the Social Democrat Blair, acting on moral conviction, recognized the danger in the Islamic War against Democracy. His place in history will have to be evaluated after a number of years have passed.
In the meantime, Europe sits back with charismatic self-confidence in the multicultural corner, instead of defending liberal society's values and being an attractive center of power on the same playing field as the true great powers, America and China.
On the contrary - we Europeans present ourselves, in contrast to those "arrogant Americans", as the World Champions of "tolerance", which even (Germany's Interior Minister) Otto Schily justifiably criticizes.
Why? Because we're so moral? I fear it's more because we're so materialistic, so devoid of a moral compass.
For his policies, Bush risks the fall of the dollar, huge amounts of additional national debt, and a massive and persistent burden on the American economy - because unlike almost all of Europe, Bush realizes what is at stake - literally everything.
While we criticize the "capitalistic robber barons" of America because they seem too sure of their priorities, we timidly defend our Social Welfare systems. Stay out of it! It could get expensive! We'd rather discuss reducing our 35-hour workweek or our dental coverage, or our 4 weeks of paid vacation ... Or listen to TV pastors preach about the need to "reach out to terrorists. To understand and forgive".
These days, Europe reminds me of an old woman who, with shaking hands, frantically hides her last pieces of jewelry when she notices a robber breaking into a neighbor's house.
Appeasement?
Europe, thy name is Cowardice.
God Bless the Americans
---God Bless America---

Someone needs to make a whole lot of politicians memorize this letter. Scary stuff.

Along the same lines.
People in France love to criticise Americans. If it weren't for our fallen brothers and sisters, they would all be waving a (Nazi) German flag.
Ungrates.
Problem is too many people in AMERICA are starting to think like the article says.
We are in for some troubled waters in the years ahead.

Good article, some of us see it that way, plain as day. Others..............?
It's like the John Wayne type people trying to reason with the Alan Alda types.

Good article, some of us see it that way, plain as day. Others..............?
It's like the John Wayne type people trying to reason with the Alan Alda types.
Great analogy. Even Clint Eastwood has gone soft.

Great analogy. Even Clint Eastwood has gone soft.
Give the guy a break, isn't he in his 80's?
haha
Even the old guys have to let go of this piss and vinegar sometime.

I firmly believe that WW3 has begun. But it doesn't have the appearence of prior wars because the attacks have been gradual and sporadic for the better parts of 2 decades in foreign lands and on our soil too. If the Al Queda types get or have nukes, the face of life as we know it could change overnight, if we live to view it. Many think my view is extreme. Many also thought a few's view of Hitler was extreme in the 30's. Hitler was allowed to proceed with his agenda virtually unchallenged for years. I see the similarity, just in different dress and in a different time. I'm just old enough to have the reality of WW2 drilled into me in school and by my dad. Most people 40 and younger weren't exposed to much of the brutality or reality of what occured. Schools became too PC to cover such things and parents too young to have experienced them and passed their importance on to their children.
History repeats. Yes it is, just at a so far, a slower pace. A pace that could accelerate to unpresedented speed if the wrong people get the wrong weapons.
My thanks to our government for keeping our borders open so as not to offend anyone. Shame on them. They've sold the people of the United States down the river. It may already be to late to salvage life as we know it. It's not a matter of if but a matter of how long. I guess my only hope is that the initial "big" attack in whatever form it presents itself will leave enough of us standing to retaliate and defeat. I have my doubts. By "big" attack I don't refer to World Trade Center class casualities. I refer to attacks on mulitiple cities killing millions simultaenously. That is the terriorists goal. They are very patient. The cliche "calm before the storm comes to mind here".
Ok back to your local media pep rally.

Hard to imagine in this day and age that there still are people who think that all we need to do is talk to them and they will see the light. I wonder if the people of France still think talking is a good idea?

Hard to imagine in this day and age that there still are people who think that all we need to do is talk to them and they will see the light. I wonder if the people of France still think talking is a good idea?
They must, they aren't doing a damned think about the constant rioting by muslim vermin in their country.

Rio, I'm pretty sure BOTH of us are over the top then, because I firmly believe the proper "conversation" to have with the millitant muslims who want to take over involves one of my .45's on their forehead, followed by slightly more than 3.75lb gently nudged on the trigger, end of conversation, and we have agreement, and safety. :skull:
You're not crying wolf man. :cool: