[whataretheysaying] Mary Madigan: Belligerent hubris

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Posted by Mary Madigan:
Belligerent hubris
http://whataretheysaying.powerblogs.com/posts/1165414529.shtml


   At Michael Totten's Middle East Journal, Abu Kais describes what
   happens [1]When death becomes a way of life:

     It has been gradual but was bound to happen. Hizbullah's people are
     [2]turning other Lebanese into enemies.

     Angry mourners chanting "death" to Premier Fouad Saniora buried
     Tuesday a young Shiite man killed in riots pitting supporters and
     opponents of the Beirut government.

     Mourners marching behind Mahmoud's coffin, while beating their
     chests to express anger, chanted: "Shiites' blood is boiling."

     Shia blood has been âboilingâ since Khomeini kidnapped Shia Islam
     and Hizbullah started farming humans in Lebanon...

     My grandparents are with me every minute of the day telling me to
     embrace life and look forward. They werenât perfect people, but
     they did not allow anyone to stand in my school to tell me that the
     future is in sacrificing your life over a dead cause.

   In March, 2005, I wrote about Andre Glucksman's description of the
   difference between [3]terrorists and freedom fighters:

     Most people are repulsed by terrorism for the same reason weâre
     repulsed by cannibalism and incest. Itâs taboo, a crime against
     humanity, abhorrent because it can destroy a whole community, not
     just individual lives.

     Society can survive war. War follows the established rules.
     Resistance movements target enemy combatants and their
     infrastructure. Resistance movements like the American Revolution
     don't destroy a society. Frequently they create a better society...

     ..A society built on terrorism or genocide becomes a culture of
     death. We saw what life was like under Taliban rule. We saw
     Palestinian society under Arafat, we see the genocide and slavery
     in the Sudan. If we decide to let Hezbollah have political power,
     we'll see the same effect in Lebanon.

   Terrorism can succeed as a tactic of war, but a society built on
   terrorism will inevitably fail. Abu Kais notes that this is not just
   due to the brutality of terrorism. As [4]dpu has [5]pointed out, many
   successful societies (ie. Rome) have been brutal.

   Terrorism isn't just 'brutal', it doesn't just accept the outpouring
   of self-destructive nihilistic rage, it demands it. It makes the taboo
   the backbone of their society. Most religions, including Islam, teach
   that God cherishes life. Most legal systems are built around the idea
   that preserving life is a desired goal.

   In contrast, terrorists who hide behind the illusion that they
   represent religion or civilization, are proud of the fact that they
   choose death, while we choose life.' If we believe that God and
   civilization cherish life, then the reasons for condemning terrorism
   are clear.

References

   1. http://www.michaeltotten.com/archives/001334.html
   2. http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/NewsDesk.nsf/getstory?openform&469FA6AD93197F6DC225723B00473021
   3. http://www.whataretheysaying.org/archives/001427.html
   4. http://double-plus-ungood.blogspot.com/
   5. http://www.michaeltotten.com/archives/001306.html