Friday, August 11, 2006

Self-Hatred is Self-Destruction

As I survey the world scene and the ideological coloring of all reporting - whether domestic or foreign - there is a shrill refrain that that attacks my sensibilities.

I am speaking of the visceral hatred for the USA, Israel, Great Briain and the few other nations willing to name the enemies of freedom and combat the perfidious evils of our day. Here is just a sampling of the idiocy that passes as significant political discourse, followed by the proper response to such refuse:

Lie: "Zionism is colonialism and racism"

Truth: The founding of the modern State of Israel is the reversal of colonialsm and a proper response to a world that wants all Jews eliminated. Please show me another real democracy in the Middle East.

Lie: "The neocolonial, capitalist machinations of Bush and others keep millions of Arabs in poverty and fuel terrorism."

Truth: Yes, world capitalism props up corrupt Arab regimes; however, there are enough petrodollars controlled by Muslim powers to ensure that there is no poverty!

Lie: "Israel is the aggressor in the current war and if she would just show restraint we might have peace."

Truth: Israel's soldiers were kidnapped. Israel's civilian population is targeted by amoral cowards hiding in villages. The 'freedom fighters' entire raison d'etre is the destruction of Israel.

Lie: "Israel's 'Lobby' controls America."

Truth: The USA is committed to Israel's well-being, but the State Department is full of people who dislike Israel and America is one of the few 'honest brokers' in the region.

Lie: "The USA is an uncultured bully, seeking to dominate the world."

Truth: The USA is one of several compteting power blocs, including the EU, China, India, Russia and OPEC - we hardly have a corner on money and power

The list could go on endlessly. Between doctored photos of Qana and Mike Wallce's outright treason, it is difficult to remain calm. Why do so many in academic and media circles promote such foolish and subversive thinking?

The root cause is a deep self-hatred of all things American, Christian, Jewish and/or Western by those nurtured by the radicalism of the 1960s and 1970s (some of which was fed by the unrepentant Marxists of the 1930s and 1940s!). All the evils of West are catalogued, commented on and castigated, with almost no appreciation for the fact that the only places freedom has a home are where these "out-of-date" values have been planted.

This self-hatred is so deep that some on the Left have joined (at least emotionally) forces with the Islamonazis to aid in the destruction of 3000 years of civilizing progress.

Such self-hatred is self-destructive of the very liberties that allow the venom to be published.

There is another even more sinister explanation: moral license. For half a century these self-anointed guardians of radicalism have urged us to cast off traditional morality and redefine decency, sexuality and family. The result is anarchy, disease and even greater contempt from our enemies. Sexual and financial restraint unleash amazing creativity and ptroductivity, while indulgence saps energy and motivation.

Let's not let the forces of license and self-hatred defeat liberty rooted in virtue.