In the First Place

I just read Bernard Lewis' lecture for Hillsdale College on the history of Freedom and Justice in Islam (Sept '06 issue of Imprimis). It's fascinating how history speaks to today's situations but sad at the same time because we are so ignorant of it. It's hard to hear someone argue an opinion that seems to be so self-centered and willfully ignorant when the necessary information is readily available from a multitude of sources.

I've been actively seeking information on these topics (Middle East politics and history and what to do about it) and generally find three camps: 1) It's our own fault; we should apologize and get them to understand we mean no harm. 2) It's all their fault; let's wash our hands of them. 3) It's a complex situation but let's get involved in a solution.

I see the first position as the standard liberal position. It's far and away the most ignorant of history and human nature. I see the second as the conservative isolationist position. It's more informed yet severely short-sighted as it doesn't address the root of the problem.

The third, I believe, is President Bush's position. It appears on the surface to be naively idealistic (except to the conspiracy theorists who see an elaborate scheme behind everything). But history bears out a distant beacon of hope that a form of liberty could actually exist in that part of the world and thus introduce hope and freedom to an entire culture.

But many folks don't see it and don't want to. And that's alright. But if you're going to vote or debate or protest or get involved in any way whatsoever… go learn some history first. Read informed people like Bernard Lewis and Victor Davis Hanson before you go off half-cocked over some conspiracy theory.

Some the day the Bush presidency will be a fading memory and Dick Cheney will have still not taken over the world. Yet terrorism, nuclear proliferation, and hatred of the West will still be there because we are free and they are not. And it will stay that way until one of those two things is different.