Citizens of the Netherlands have no enshrined, constitutional right of free speech, which has led to the travesty of a man being tried for speaking his mind. In the US, of course, people do have a nearly unlimited right to spout off in the face of government, a fact that the US media has often happily turned to advantage. So it’s a more than a little ironic that while the Geert Wilders trial unfolds in Holland, so little is being said over here, either about the cultural issues in play, or the underlying and dominating issue of the state’s smothering an inconvenient citizen.
This probably has to do with the fact that, for most in our media, Europe represents some kind of ideal: Excellent restaurants, beautiful vistas, guaranteed employment (for those that already have jobs), free health and child care. Europe, famously, has culture while – apart from elite coastal bastions – the rest of America is a slightly embarrassing collection of country cousins gathering in fly-over country strip malls when they’re not pathetically clutching their guns and bibles or voting “against their economic self-interest.”
It probably does not help that Wilder’s ire is expressed against a minority, which is the kind of thing that enervates rather than stimulates sympathetic coverage in the US press. Because for many of America’s most enthusiastic advocates of free speech, there remain certain things one ought not to say, or even think about. Even if they’re true.
Like the potential need to defend Western Civilization. (Readers of a certain age will remember that Western Civ was once thought important enough to be taught in school. This was before we learned that all civilizations are inherently equal, and anyway, who are we to judge? Because of the Indians, and slavery and so on.)
If the press were interested in this story, the narrative might well unfold thusly.
A man who may or may not be a dangerous crank is on trial for speaking his mind. He may or may not be correct about an existential threat to the continent that gave our own precious democracy birth. But if you want to understand these things and place them in context, you will have to go elsewhere than the US news media.
It’s a pity, because this is certainly a discussion we ought to be having.
All civilizations are equal, except Western Civ. Western Civ, you see, bred colonialism, which is OK if you are African, or Asian, but not if you are European, or descended from there. Besides, it also bred the godd ol’ Republic known as the US of A, and we all know that is evil beyond measure.
So think the “progressives” anyway.
For this discussion we ought to be having, imagine president Obama holding a press conference and someone like Helen Thomas asking him, “What do you think about Geert Wilders?”
One might imagine an answer like:
“Well the foreign policy of the Bush Administration fueled and environment where such divisive characters as Mr. Wilders would arise….”
At the risk of being perceived as going all “Huggy Bear” (think Starsky and Hutch) for my own little miniscule corner of the big world wide net, something interesting happened there yesterday. I don’t profess to be anything other than 1 unique small voice amongst millions and am lucky to get 20 folks stopping by. Including a certain Mr. Xenophon, and a fellow named Tim, whose presence brightens the pages.
But yesterday, when I wrote about sharia legal precepts, and honor killings, etc., within minutes I had an anonymous commentor. One trying to deflect from the issues I was discussing, creating straw men, diverting attention away from the horrors accomodated by sharia. Where did he come from so quickly? And why did my sorry little site merit his/her attention? Hmmmmm? Can you spell C.A.I.R.? I suppose had I posted from the Netherlands,there would be calls for my head on a pike, my corpse burning in the streets. There IS a vast movement worldwide to subvert the rights we enjoy and replace them with sharia. It is vast enough, powerful enough, and determined enough, that many of our elected leaders, worshipping at the altar of PC, tremble and retreat every time it raises it’s ugly head. As with this post, Lex shines light on many of it’s manifestations regularly. The enemy is sophisticated, tactically adept, well funded, and unrelenting. Intimidation is their game. I for one am not playing!
Amen. Applause!
It may very well happen here. In 2000, when I was going through the police academy, when we were being instructed on the hate crime legislation pending in the WI legislature, I was the only one who spoke against it,
William Howard Taft, when he was Supreme Court Chief Justice, once said, ” We must afford the most protection to the speech we find most offensive, for when that is banned how long can other speech survive”? I am a strict Taftian on the subject of free speech, and tried to convince the rest of my classmates that the Legislature was wrong, you can punish people for deeds that they do, but you CANNOT punish them for what they think, for that way lies evil. I grant you, I was 38 at the time, and the rest of my academy class was in thier early 20′s, but it frightened me to see how the youngsters accepted the idea of punishment for thought, as well as act. If Mens Rea alone becomes a crime, civilization is at an end.
Few religions of today (that this admitted troglodyte knows about) have those willing to kill and be killed for their beliefs. Islam has both – in droves. Sophisticated and well-funded, thanks to our un-ending appetite for oil. We run into this during mission trips to east Africa. a LOT of mosques in squalid little villages and more than a little intimidation against our workers.
And Stephen – watch out for a coupla ragheads toting AK’s in yer backyard. You KNOW the crime for defamation of anything islamic!!
Those backyard intruders would be entering an area of well prepared defenses. And the equipment utilized in those defenses will have undergone a thorough, and ongoing, training cycle. Same for the equipment operator.
mebbe lube the .223 and 30.06 with a little bacon grease. Nothing like the smell of fresh bacon when you’re dinking at varmints.
Close, 5.45×39 and 308. Bacon works though.
Having felt the Nazi jackboots on their necks, you would think that the Dutch would be a little more appreciative of such things as “free speech”.
Two years max, and the pc EU will disband.
Today Greece, then Spain, et al will be broke and have to print their own money again so to devalue it.
England and France are on the ropes. Ripe for raghead takeover.
We have a Muslim pres. Guess what?
Start reloading and organizing. It is going to be a bumpy ride.
[...] – but EU Europe definitely seems to be less than the sum of its parts…Britain, Eire, Netherlands, Greece, [...]