The World Will Hate Us For Naming Islamic Terror

Joe Conason says the next GOP President could be worse than Bush... when it comes to how much the world loves us: If you think they hate us now:

During the last Republican debate, on Aug. 5, Rudolph Giuliani eagerly provided an example of this syndrome when he attacked the Democratic presidential candidates for failing to describe terrorism as Islamic. "During four Democratic debates," he complained, "not a single Democratic candidate said the word [sic] 'Islamic terrorism.' Now, that is taking political correctness to extremes." To him, the absence of that phrase in their speeches, no matter how tough their stance against terror, proved that Democrats are guilty of "weakness and appeasement." The other Republicans, again except for Paul, agreed -- although as John Dickerson of Slate has pointed out, that phrase is also assiduously avoided by the Bush White House.

There is an obvious reason not to say "Islamic terror," which stupidly suggests that terror is indeed Islamic, as the ideologists of al-Qaida would argue. There is also an obvious reason to say that same phrase -- if you believe that we are careening toward a war of civilizations and your aim is to inflame.

My initial reaction: "Who cares? There are other things to worry about."

What Conason is saying is that in other words, if the next President is not politically correct enough, and does not pander sufficiently, the world will thumb its nose at us. Because "Islamic terror" cannot possibly describe one form of terror, much unlike "Drug-Cartel Terror," or Spain's nationalist "ETA Terror," our Presidential candidates must keep it simple for the American people by dumbing it down.

Perhaps Conason is comfortable avoiding the truh. One can only hope our next President will not be that comfortable, and will not feel the need to let to the American people, or try to pull the wool over their eyes.

Apparently, Democrats are more comfortable with that strategy. Should we appease Islam like Europe? Like Italy, YouTube, and George Mason University? Look at the consequences of appeasement on Europe's women.

Rather, let's take Christopher Hitchens' advice to heart:

The enemies of intolerance cannot be tolerant, or neutral, without inviting their own suicide.