Dec. 8, 2015
How will the extremist Islamic State, plus gargantuan immigration, affect your next 40 years? Your children’s whole lives? Below, some thoughts on a situation insufficiently understood or confronted.
The two issues are the fast-&-obvious military attack, but also a slower-but-covert demographic immigration. Both risking conquest.
Recipe for disaster: (1) Just ignore IS as some far-away “JV” force. (2) Then, perceive Europe inundated by un-vetted, potential-terrorist, refugees—but still welcome a similar flood here.
Responses to dangers can be null…or reactive … or proactive—and, weak or strong.
Supposedly, 9/11 was our “wake-up call.” Then came London, Madrid, Mumbai. And now Paris.
But, do we respond with ongoing, robust strategy? Each attack merely nudges us awake, we make some whack-a-mole response, then hit the snooze button. (Candlelight vigils fade; deep dangers remain.)
Why, it’s almost as if a “World War IV” emerges—“who knew?” (III was the Cold War.) And with a foe greater than Hitlerian fascism, Russian communism, and Japanese imperialism combined.
Someone claimed that to fully activate us, it will take not 3,000 American deaths, but 3,000,000.
Anyhow, time’s of the essence. IS and immigrant-invaders are not “orthopedics.” A bad knee “can wait,” be fixed anytime later. No; this duo is “oncology.” Cancerous sleeper-cells burrow inextricably, impervious to surgery, chemo, radiation. Then consume the host.
(Some claim that Europe might become transformed; a country gaining an Islamist majority, will then enact Sharia law.)
Can democratic-style government itself, survive such crises? Not if citizens are unresponsive. And not if leadership is pacifist-Utopian and calls IS a contained junior-varsity team. And can’t name Islamist terrorism—calls jihad “violent extremism.” And forces immigration-gates open even as two dozen governors protest.
On Monday December 8, 1941, did Pres. Roosevelt broadcast that “Shinto is peace”? No; recruiting stations opened.
Consider this possible vigorous long-term response. (1) Close borders to each every any all “immigrants.” Wise Australia did this; it ferries refugees back “home.” (2) Then go after IS in total commitment, until safety achieved (or until we lose). Just as if, say, “our lives (and liberty, and sacred honor) depended upon it.
But oh, how today’s P.C. run amok, would condemn the above. (Menacing free speech also.)
But otherwise, anticipate big terrorist-attacks simultaneously upon an east-coast university, a deep-South downtown, and a California stadium. Unpredicted; the FBI etc. are already overwhelmed.
A vigorous pre-emptive response. In 1937, George Paton, then a colonel, wrote superiors warning of multiple gaps of unpreparedness of Pearl Harbor against attack. (Obviously, the brass ignored.)
A forthright pro-active response. In 1979, Iran held Americans hostages for 444 days. We could have said: “Until hostages’ release, we’ll commence bombing your non-military facilities. If any are injured, we’ll turn to your military facilities.” Best move or not, this illustrates “mirroring” an enemy at its own strength-level.
So, students, how will your lives fare as the two-pronged “WW IV” springboards into acceleration—insufficiently confronted? “We can ignore reality, but we cannot evade its consequences.”
Brian Kevin Beck
Emeritus Associate Professor, UW-W
