The Conservative Edge

There is an old saying about a leader of a country, that he (or she, I suppose) should keep friends close, but keep enemies closer. Josef Stalin used that principle ruthlessly, as he maintained power by killing anyone he thought would threaten him in any way. I’m sure other dictators and despots employed similar tactics. I believe that Saddam Hussein studied the methods of Stalin, and achieved similar results in Iraq.

You wouldn’t expect such behavior, even on a smaller scale, from a Nobel Prize winner. Nor should an agent of “Hope” and “Change” have a conspicuous dark side of hate and mistrust. But President Barack Obama seems to be nurturing a grudge against those who publicly express any kind of disagreement with his actions and policies.

Of course, he is not alone in his disdain of the detractors. The liberals and Democrats always talk a good game, but get extremely annoyed when anyone dares to question them. They are all schooled in the art of debate, and in speech-making and presentation. Indeed, I saw one editorial cartoon recently that suggested that the Nobel Prize should have gone to Obama’s teleprompters. The Democrats think that we should be awed by all the wonderful words and catchphrases that roll off their glib tongues.

But it’s amazing how upset they become when average Americans start to question their political grandstanding. No wonder that so many of the recent “town hall” style meetings have become so contentious. Real people started voicing real concerns, and expressed genuine displeasure with the illogical and twisted legislative processes put in place by the leading Democrats. Some members of the Democratic party started referring to these average Americans as uneducated rubes who were un-American and unpatriotic for causing such commotions in public forums. No wonder they have begun hiding their legislation from the public. They don’t want any debate on the bills they are ramming through Congress.

Now, President Obama is taking aim at conservative media programming. Senator Lamar Alexander has observed some of Obama’s obsessive behavior, such as the Obama White House adopting an attitude similar to that of the Richard Nixon White House four decades ago, that “everybody is against us and we are going to get them.” The President has also said that he will call out people who oppose him and boycott Fox News network. To his credit, Alexander, a member of the congressional Republican leadership, said he is “suggesting that the president back up” and “don’t start an enemies list.”

So Obama and the liberals want to squelch all dissent, silence opposing media outlets, and prevent debate on legislation. Maybe they, too, have been reading about Stalin’s methodology. Oh well…if the Nobel Prize commission has a history of awarding the peace prize to people like Yassir Arafat, then perhaps Obama is in good company after all.

I can’t believe what I’ve been reading in my local newspaper this week. Many people have been writing to the editors, condemning the Israeli retaliation in Gaza. One reader stated that “Israel…is murdering innocent civilians in its so-called war against Hamas”, and that “Israel is no better than Saddam Hussein.” Another letter reads “There is a genocide going on in Gaza today”, and that President-elect Obama should “make a strong statement against the slaughter in Gaza.” There was even a public gathering downtown, where people protested againt Israel’s actions.

Are Americans so blind to the tactics of terrorist organizations? Do they never see the aggression that provokes the retaliation and subsequent war? Do they realize that Israel does indeed have a right–socially, morally, and militarily–to defend its borders and its people?

The Associated Press, at the beginning of the current conflict, reported that Hamas began launching rockets into Israel as the cease-fire agreement was set to expire. Israel was willing to extend the agreement, but Hamas was unwilling to cooperate. The AP also revealed on December 27, 2008, that thousands of Gazans received Arabic-language cell phone messages from the Israeli military, urging them to leave homes where militants might have stashed weapons.

This is the real tragedy: terrorist organizations who put citizens’ lives in danger by hiding weapons and munitions in homes and schools, thereby holding people hostage every day. In a sick form of passive-aggressive methodology, the terrorists actually hope for civilian casualties to further their cause. It works because they know that Israel will retaliate. Hamas (and other militants) are aggressors in picking a fight, but portray themselves as victims of aggression when someone fights back.

Many people wonder why Israel has such sophisticated defenses, built with the help of the United States. The reason is very clear. Israel, a land roughly half the size of my home state of Ohio, is under constant threat. Not only do organizations like Hamas, Fatah, and Hezbollah regularly attack Israeli interests, but the countries of Lebanon, Syria, and Iran pose serious threats too. Imagine being under constant fear of rocket attacks in Ashkelon, or suicide bombs in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Would you not want your government to protect your right to live?

The United States encountered several terrorist attacks in the 1990’s. From the first attack on the World Trade Center in 1993, to the attack on the USS Cole in 2000, we lost hundreds of fine service people to thugs and cowards like the ones attacking Israel right now. Would any American deny our right to take action against those who harmed us? Even though we didn’t strike back with sufficient vengeance—Bill Clinton allowed Osama Bin Laden to be extradited to Afghanistan—we had (and still have) the right to defend our country. Why should Israel have any less right?

I had the privilege to visit Israel in February of 2000, as they were preparing for the Pope’s historic visit later that year. I only saw a handful of soldiers the whole time I was there. The soldiers were so friendly, in fact, that some of them posed for pictures with certain female members of our tour group. All across the country, people just seemed to enjoy relaxing on their front porches, watching their kids play soccer at school, or buying goodies at the marketplaces. They seemed willing to be peacable folks, but it’s hard to be at peace when neighboring countries keep shooting rockets at them. Again, I ask—why shouldn’t Israel defend its people, and its way of life?