Muscatine

HERE IS A GERMAN EDITORIAL

If any of you still feel that this war on terror is a mistake, here is an
opinion from an unexpected source. It's fascinating that this should come
out of Europe. Mathias Dapfner, Chief Executive of the huge German publisher Axel
Springer AG, has written a blistering attack in DIE WELT, Germany's largest daily paper, against the timid reaction of Europe in the face of the Islamic threat.

This is a must-read by all Americans. History may well certify its correctness.


EUROPE - THY NAME IS COWARDICE

(Commentary by Mathias Dapfner CEO, Axel Springer, AG)

A few days ago Henry Broder wrote in Welt am Sonntag, ' Europe - your
family name is appeasement.' It's a phrase you can't get out of your head
because it's so terribly true.

Appeasement cost millions of Jews and non-Jews their lives, as England and
France, allies at the time, negotiated and hesitated too long before they noticed that Hitle r had to be fought, not bound to toothless agreements.

Appeasement legitimized and stabilized Communism in the Soviet Union, then East
Germany, then all the rest of Eastern Europe, where for decades, inhuman suppressive, murderous governments were glorified as the ideologically correct alternative to all other possibilities.

Appeasement crippled Europe when genocide ran rampant in Kosovo, and even
though we had absolute proof of ongoing mass-murder, we Europeans debated and debated
and debated, and were still debating when finally the Americans had to come from halfway around the world, into Europe yet again, and do our work for us.

Rather than protecting democracy in the Middle East, European Appeasement,
camouflaged behind the fuzzy word 'equidistance,' now countenances suicide
bombings in Israel by fundamentalist Palestinians.

Appeasement generates a mentality that allows Europe to ignore nearly 500,000
victims of Saddam's torture an d murder machinery and, motivated by the self-righteousness of the peace movement, has the gall to is sue bad grades to George Bush... Even as it is uncovered that the loudest
critics of the American action in Iraq made illicit billions, no, TENS of billions, in the corrupt U.N. Oil-for-Food program.

And now we are faced with a particularly grotesque form of appeasement. How is
Germany reacting to the escalating violence by Islamic Fundamentalists in Holland and elsewhere? By suggesting that we really should have a 'Muslim Holiday' in Germany? I wish I were joking, but I am not. A substantial fraction of our (German) Government, and if the polls are to be believed, the German people, actually believe that creating an Official State 'Muslim Holiday' will somehow spare us from the wrath of the fanatical Islamists. One cannot help but recall
Britain's Neville Chamberlain waving the  laughable treaty signed by Adolph Hitler and
declaring European 'Peace in our time'.

What else has to happen before the European public and its political leadership
get it? There is a sort of crusade underway, an especially perfidious crusade
consisting of systematic attacks by fanatic Muslims, focused on civilians,
directed against our free, open Western societies, and intent upon Western
Civilization's utter destruction.

It is a conflict that will most likely last longer than any of the great
military conflicts of the l ast century - a conflict conducted by an enemy that
cannot be tamed by 'toler ance' and 'accommodation' but is
actually spurred on by such gestures, which have proven to be, and will always be taken by the
Islamists for signs of weakness. Only two recent American Presidents had the courage needed for
Anti-appeasement: Reagan and Bush.

His American critics may quibble over the details, but we Europeans know the
truth. We saw it first hand: Ronald Reagan ended the Cold War, freeing half of
the German people from nearly 50 years of terror and virtual slavery. And Bush,
supported only by the Social Democrat Blair, acting on moral conviction,
recognized the danger in the Islamic War against Democracy. His place in
history will have to be evaluated after a number of years have passed.

In the meantime, Europe sits back with charismatic self-confidence in the
multicultural corner, instead of defending liberal society's values and
being an attractive center of power on the same playing field as the true great
powers, Ame rica and China.

On the contrary - we Europeans present ourselves, in contrast to those
'arrogant Americans', as the World Champions of 'tolerance', which even (Germany's
Interior Minister) Otto Schily justifiably criticizes. Why? Because we're so
moral? I fear it's more because we're so materialistic, so devoid of a moral compass.

For his policies, Bush risks the fall of the dollar, huge amounts of additional
national debt, and a massive and persistent burden on the American economy -
because unlike almost all of Europe, Bush realizes what is at stake - literally everything.

While we criticize the 'capitalistic robber barons' of America
because they seem too sure of their priorities, we timidly defend our Social Welfare systems .
Stay out of it! It could get expensive! We'd rather discuss reducing our
35-hour workweek or our dental coverage, or our 4 weeks of paid vacation... Or
listen to TV pastors preach about the need to 'reach ou t to terrorists. To
understand and forgive'.

These days, Europe reminds me of an old woman who, with shaking hands,
frantically hides her last pieces of jewelry when she notices a robber breaking
into a neighbor's house.

Appeasement?

Europe, thy name is Cowardice.

---God Bless America---

It is not the war on terror that I have problems with I agree with it. it is the mission accomplished 6 years ago that I have problems with.

Oh I remember now,  

There is no reason why we can not fight two wars at once, but he did not say anything about winning.