The irony is that the more successful the military and police agencies are at their jobs, the less the American people feel the military and police agencies are needed. It is easy to criticize Guantanamo and interrogation methods when there are no terrorism attacks in the U.S. I believe the only way to have people pay attention is to publicly identify Islamic based attack as such which may only happen if another attack is spectacularly successful. I have always felt that 9/11 is viewed as an anomaly but that it would take another major attack to form a trend. A sad state of affairs in the U.S.

Posted by: mitch_b at February 21, 2008 10:03 PM

There have been some failed attempts since 9/11 but they are reported with great scepticism by the MSM. They are treated as a symptom of paranoia on the part of President Bush and VP Cheney.

I am waiting for an ACLU-led protest "free the Fort Dix Six". They sound too much like the "Chicago Seven" from the 1968 Democrat Convention.

Posted by: CTYankee at February 21, 2008 10:10 PM

Norman Saunders couldn't have said it any better.

The media is just pathetic and don't devote enough space and time to important issues such as jihad and Islamic terrorism. When they do, it is always dealt with in a very roundabout kind of way and treated like any other criminal problem.

I couldn't give a stuff about Britney. She hasn't done anything outstanding or that brilliant artistic for her to be such a media phenomenon. Why don't the media just give up on her? She doesn't even look attractive.

We are at war and the sooner more people realise what we're up against, the sooner we can win.

Posted by: S Perry at February 21, 2008 10:16 PM

Listening to presidential election 2008 debate, one could be forgiven for forgetting 9/11 ever happened.

Posted by: Alert at February 21, 2008 10:22 PM

They are selling the public short.

If your only source of information is the MSM, you would be in a sorry state. Just because the MSM isn't covering the issues doesn't mean Americans don't know them. More Americans have moved over to the internet and other sources of news, where journalists actually respect the people they set out to inform.
If MSM were all we listened to, Americans would have been waving the amnesty flag in the last few years. Resistance to the tripe fed to us by the MSM shows more Americans than not are aware of the world we live in.

Posted by: PMK at February 21, 2008 10:25 PM

The irony is that the enemy is "friends and family" of the president/commander-in-chief/leader-of-the-free-world of USA. Looks like USA is at war with it's own president.. No.. can't be.. can it? Can a wahhabbi be a Bush? Can a Bush be a wahhabbi? Well, Bandar Bush is the 'yes' to both the questions. Can the Bush family sell the country they lead, to thir "friends (who are also the enemy of the country)? No.. Bush family, starting with 'Prescott Bush' have sacrificed their entire exiatance in the selfless-servie of America and American people. Bush family have stood up firmly to the greedy and corrupt businesses who have no scruples. no patriotism or no honor. Bush family has never been after wealth or power. That the rulers of the richest country which is also a leader in international terror, is a mere coincidence. That the president/commander-in-chief/leader-of-the-free-world intervenes to blacken all pages of the president's "friends and family", is incidental. Pure fate!

Posted by: Alert at February 21, 2008 10:37 PM

I, for one, very rarely see or read the MSM. So I don't know who Brittany Spears is. I do see the name constantly at the newstand or the check-out counter, but have no idea why she's famous. I suppose she must be a singer or actress, possibly an heiress or a model. Why is she named after a French province? Does she have sisters named Picardy and Gascony?

Posted by: ebonystone at February 21, 2008 11:08 PM

Lets thank the Democrats and Daily kos for this and their friends in the trash news business.......

Didn't you know that there is no national security issues according to most Democrats?

They are too busy worried about more important issues like, universal health care, the rights of illegal immigrants in the US, Gay marriages, Ahmadinejabs "sexiness" and the like...the only ones who worry about "racist" issues like national security threats from Mulsim fanatics are those racist rednecks and the GOP.

Wow..thanks to Code Pink as well...who needs the marines? after all it's all in our heads right?

Posted by: Joe Bananas in Pajamas at February 21, 2008 11:16 PM

Yes there are some people who do not care about world events and do not want to be disturbed in their day to day trance. I am, however, getting a little tired of of people trying to paint the current population as somehow more obsessed with celebrities than earlier generations have been.

I remember when James Dean died (front page news); all I heard for weeks and weeks was speculation the he wasn't dead. Rudolph Valentino's death was front page news for a whole month according to my late mother. I also remember how much reporting was published on Marylin Monroe's death, also front page news. If my memory hasn't failed me, I believe that TV programming was interrupted for the announcement. Life Magazine from the late 30s and early 40s had plenty of Hollywood coverage.

I believe that not much has changed in regards to peoples fascination with celebreties; it is the 24 hour news outlets that make it seem that they are obsessed.

Posted by: Pelayo at February 21, 2008 11:38 PM

"Ahmadinejabs "sexiness" '

My goodness, I thought he was an upright simian. Every nation has its idiots, and we have ours, that's for sure.

I've heard of Britney Spears, but I don't pay attention to anything about her. Never have. It's a total bore and most people I know agree with me about that. My girls think she's a twit - a total moron.

Most people I know have been gradually tuning out the elites and their pathetic take on Islamic behavior.

Posted by: FredIsinglass at February 21, 2008 11:39 PM

What more can we expect with an educational system devoted to drilling the glories of multiculturalism, diversity and inclusion into the heads of students.

learning anything real or serious about the past or present is hardly a priority of the education establishment.

So long as students know that Martin Luther King was the greatest man that ever lived, and that Geroge Washington was a moral failure for owning slaves, and that Europeans have been nothing but a scourge on mankind, and the source of all misery in the world, and that Christinaty has murdered its way through history, oppresing all within its reach, schools are satisfied that they did their job of enlightening and educating the next generation.

They've never been taught to focus on anything higher than the lowest common denominator in anything else, so why wouldn't the antics of Britney Spears have their undivided attention?

Posted by: rational at February 21, 2008 11:54 PM

Oh look it's a bouncing baby bomb!

Yeah they are really trying to deliver it to us!

Posted by: dcat at February 22, 2008 12:06 AM

I think a cable news program called Jihadwatch is what America needs.

Posted by: ethoman at February 22, 2008 12:08 AM

After Brits next break-down she might embrace Islam and start wearing a trendy black trash bag---Then and probably only then would the MSM and the American people have a passing one day facination with that ho-hum boring factoid.

God help us!

Posted by: guide inside at February 22, 2008 12:12 AM

America can no longer fight a long war. People want things fast. If it's not fast, they give it up. Each elected president has only less than four years to prove himself; however, in a long drawn war, it is impossible to achieve the goal in four years. As a result, every president would not bother to aim for the long term success of the United States. They would only aim for a short-term popularity. Popularity is what America wants.

Muslims on the other hand, are very patient and tenacious due years of living under Islamic tyranny. They seek to destroy our way of life while they live here because they did not build this civilization. In addition, our custom in this country is not in any way shape of form nearly similar to theirs. They come to exploit. They use it, and they dispose it.

I am a foreigner, and I can tell you honestly that you will never hear the whispers that come to my ear. Very rarely I run into a foreigner who tells me that the U.S. is his country. Most of them said their hearts are with their homeland in other parts of the earth. When I said that I do not share their views, they frowned upon me. The confrontation begins with a question put to me, "Didn't you come from somewhere?" When I told them I was stateless where I was born, they looked at me with disbelief.

Yes, I was a man without a country. I have said it more than a thousand times, and it fell on deaf ears. Whether I told this to Americans or foreigners, it makes no difference.

They don't love America because they have other place to go to. When America sinks into the ocean, I have no other place to go to.

Patriotism is a taboo in America, as much as to speak of one's belief.

Do you believe my story?

Yes?
No?
Or you don't give a damn?

Posted by: ssa at February 22, 2008 12:30 AM

Ballgames.

Nothing but ballgames. Here, downunder, the whole population is blissfully ignorant and so clueless it makes you go through the ceiling.

Watch Kochie & Mel's morning show: a celebration of ignorance and stupidity. But when you watch Katie Courie you also get the creeps.

These clowns live in a cocoon and they try to make the world believe that evil will pass us by if we avoid talking about it...

Posted by: sheik yer'mami at February 22, 2008 12:44 AM

Robert - I emailed your Human Events article to McCain and suggested that he answer your questions for publication here. Let's see if there is an answer.

Note to all- if you want to email a US senator, be sure and do it on his website form. Direct emails are never read. The same thing applies to Reps, but they throw in a zip-code filter and will not accept email from outside their set of zip codes. So you can fudge in a bonafied zip number or send them a fax.

Posted by: Jimmy Bones at February 22, 2008 1:01 AM

Robert,

I agree. I think the mainstream person - the one all the television shows and the media are aimed at - does know more about Britney Spears than the dangers of Islam. We treat celebrities as though they are our royalty and every move, every step, every mistake, every misstep, is recorded by the paparazzi and disseminated throughout the nation like some huge soap opera.

And I agree with others above that, because the jihadi threat isn't "in our face" constantly, people believe it has gone away. If they don't see it, it's not there.

The problem is: this isn't going away. And the mainstream people just don't see it.

Posted by: Kari Wolfe at February 22, 2008 1:10 AM

Kosovo has declared Independence from Serbia (Hillary basks) and our Embassy in Kosovo is being attacked by the now Citizens of Kosovo.

In the debate, Hillary calls on Serbia to protect our Embassy in Kosovo.

Ready to lead on day one, she is.

We’re smarter than we think. Life is just too easy in 2008 to muster the will to do anything about it. That will change.

Do you think Hillary knows what the Spetsnaz is?

Not to pimp a website, but I just came across a Brown University class’ (?) set of electronic references that has modified the texts of Orwell’s 1984. Kind of creepy. Click on pez if you’re bored.

Posted by: pez at February 22, 2008 1:36 AM

sheikyer'mami

you wrote

"Here, downunder, the whole population is blissfully ignorant and so clueless it makes you go through the ceiling".

Don't despair, please. Look closer.

First, Australia's top Catholic, George Pell has got Islam's number - he just needs encouragement. Think about it: Benedict XVI is visiting here for World Youth Day. Is there any way the counter-jihad can use this?

Australians LOVED Ayaan Hirsi Ali - she got onto the 7.30 report and she performed brilliantly and made her interviewer look like the clueless nitwit he was. She spoke to sold-out audiences at the Sydney Writers' Festival. Her books have been flying off the shelves. Now if only we could get Taslima Nasreen for the *next* festival...

I do believe that Wafa Sultan was whisked into the country incognito, not so long ago, and was able to talk to some of our politicians.

Remember, Stephen Crittendon in the Sydney Morning Herald reviewed three books about Mohammed - Spencer's, Armstrong's, and Esposito's - and essentially gave the two spindoctors the thumbs-down, and Spencer a great big thumbs-up.

Daniel Shayesteh (Persian apostate from Islam to Christianity; ex-jihadi) resides in Australia and has been doing the rounds of all the charismatic/ pentecostal/ independent churches, raising the alarm.

Bp Patrick Sookhdeo - and HE doesn't pull any punches, either - came to the big Church Missionary Society (Anglican) 'Summer School' near Sydney last year, and I'm sure he educated them like mad. That gathering is attended by a fair sample of Anglican clergy, missionaries, and lay people from all over Sydney and NSW. I spoke with a friend who'd been there and heard him, and I think she was beginning to 'get' it (and she's a priest's wife, so if SHE 'gets' it, in the end, the whole parish probably will).

Lots of Australian churches have got brand-new Sudanese Christian members who are refugees from the Jihad. Likewise, we have lots of Malaysian Chinese Christians and Buddhists who have fled the rising tide of oppression in Malaysia. These people ARE telling their stories, and people are listening. I learned about the bumiputra system first hand, from Malaysian Chinese Christians I met at university.

It's just a matter of connecting the dots.

The older generation (like my 73 year old dad, a farmer out in the bush) aren't stupid. Dad remembers the 6 day war and the Yom Kippur war...and things like the PLO plane hijackings and assassinations of the 1960s and 1970s; he's still cheering for the Israelis, and has no time for Muslim Arabs, at all, at all.

One of my great-uncles, a grand old man, who served in the Pacific during WWII rolling back the Japanese empire, and then was in Japan during the Occupation, and had a long and honourable career in the police force after he got home (fraud squad: following the money trail). I was visiting him and in connection with the war in Iraq I started filling him and his wife in on various things - hudna, taqiyya, the Treaty of Hudaybiyya, no Golden Rule in Islam - and they caught on so fast! Put it this way: if I inform this old man, and he then informs his RSL and retired police force mates, the knowledge might just spread from them, back to serving soldiers and policemen at the coal-face.

There's an Anglican priest in Rudd's electorate who is fully clued up - has read Spencer and Bat Yeor and taken them seriously - and is working hard to educate his representative.

Two fellow parishioners at the church I attend are right on the same page as I am. One requested a copy of a no-punches-pulled article, pitched at the average pew-sitter, that I wrote about Islam, for our parish paper. He has taken it off, with my permission to make as many copies as he likes for circulation to interested parties.

One of my younger brothers works in the State Emergency Services (SES), as well as Bush Fire Brigade. I gave him the 'PIG to Islam and the Crusades' as a birthday present. From something he said, I don't think he needs much persuading; he's already leery of Islam - Spencer's book will simply confirm his gut feelings and give him some more facts and ideas.

Again, with any luck, once he's informed he will share the knowledge with all his mates in the SES as they train to respond all possible emergencies up to and including truck bombs, biowarfare and nuclear detonations (true: they do).

There's a hit list of other people I need to test for 'Islamosavvy' and, if they lack it, to educate - a relative in the diplomatic corps; the host of my favourite talk show; a friend's daughter who's studying international relations at the ANU; another friend's daughter who works in the Dept of Defence; a friend who's an investigative journalist. The list goes on.

sheik - don't give up - just keep working away. There are quite a few other aussies who read and post here, and doubtless many others who lurk, and learn. You may have more allies than you know.

Seriously - I think you said you're going overseas for a while. Will you be back before Yom Ha-Shoah (May 2)? I've been thinking that would be an excellent day on which to raise awareness about the jihad against Israel, and the SECOND Shoah - the one that the Muslims are preparing (as Jacques Ellul warned).

I've posted on your website once or twice, but I think it's time that the counter-jihadists in Australia start meeting face to face (maybe once a month, region by region) to plan a concerted campaign addressed to all our local, state and federal government representatives (and those who wannabe). What 'traeh' did awhile ago - the mailout to US ?senators ?congressmen - could easily be done here, but we need to organise ourselves to do it properly.

Would you like me to ask Mr Spencer to forward my personal email address to you?

PS - paging all regulars. During the remainder of Lent I will be absent from the jihadwatch/ dhimmiwatch comments floor, neither reading nor posting (UNLESS, God forbid, an attack of 9/11 magnitude happens in the non-Muslim world, or the Muslims launch all-out war against Israel).

Instead, I will be praying, reflecting, reading the Psalms, sometimes fasting...and writing a whole pile of Islam-related letters to all sorts of folk from PM Rudd down.

This site is great - I learn heaps and I love the conversation (mostly, except for the Muslim spin-doctors like khokar and co.), but it IS distracting, I think I've learned enough to be going on with for a little while, I need to go and DO something.

See you all on Easter Eve.

Sheik - I understand you're Jewish? - if so, may you be blessed as you prepare for Purim and Passover.

Posted by: dumbledoresarmy at February 22, 2008 1:59 AM

postscript -

As regards the preparation for, and celebration of, Purim and Passover, I pray a blessing not only for 'sheik' but for Jewish members of Jihadwatch/ dhimmiwatch (Marisol?) and for all Jewish people who read and/ or post here - that's you, 'Shy Guy', and you 'eliyahu' (love your blog with all the interesting historical documents!), and others whose nicknames I cannot at this moment recall.

In this dark and perilous time, may the Holy One place a wall of fire round about Jerusalem and all the land of Israel; may He also protect all Jews of the Diaspora, against the murderous plots and plans of the jihadis.

"I will raise you up on eagle's wings
bear you with the breath of dawn
make you to shine like the sun
and hold you in the palm of my hand"

(the voice of YHWH to His people, in a beautiful modern hymn that blends verses from Exodus, Psalm 91, and Isaiah - I'm only sorry I can't sing it for you to hear).

During my time away, I promise to pray Psalm 83 for you and all Israel, every day.

Posted by: dumbledoresarmy at February 22, 2008 2:33 AM

dumbledoresarmy,

thanks for your post, much appreciated. If you post on the Winds of Jihad site I will have your e-mail (unless you use another moniker) and yes, I think it is a great idea to stay in touch and et organized.

Posted by: sheik yer'mami at February 22, 2008 4:38 AM

Assalamau Laikum all,

History has shown us that man has a wildside to him...and all our forefathers knew this...his religion was built around this truth.

Love was there sure...but so was reality.

The western world ofcourse "knew better"...they stormed ahead, moved to science, became civilised and wrote out the harsh truths...they tamed the truths of their forefathers....they simply started to ignore god... and now your childrens have new gods...or divas (in urdu a diva is a light..cotton dipped in oil and lit...sounds a bit like Dawa doesn't it...hmmmmm!) like britney spears or in my day as a youngester Rod Stewart (whose concert often got cancelled because his sore throat got better).

Islam knows better, we respect our elders...we respect their sacrifices, and we respect the truth they knew.

This truth is known to us today...just like they knew it 1400 glorious years ago...and the coup de grace is that our youngsters will know this truth JUST LIKE YOUR YOUNGsTERS will...

Just like peoples praise my beauty spot....your young will praise Islam.

see...It is all a matter of faith...Inshallah

Posted by: Naseem at February 22, 2008 4:46 AM

We're drowning in a sea of idiots.

Posted by: joeblough at February 22, 2008 5:23 AM

There appears to be a fanatical movement to get the messiah of the democratic party into the White House. Do I have to tell you Britney and Lindsey fans whom I am talking about?

Apparently, though, there are sufficient people out there who are politically active (sort of like the % of the population that is sexually active but a much lower %), and they will agitate for, and vote, and again put somebody into the position of "the most powerful person in the world" who will screw things up again--probably worse this time than this last time.

Most of the people of the United States are not concerned about matters that do not affect them directly. Only when the Government brings matters to their attention via the media--such as was done in World War II, when patriotism (not a bad word then) was evoked to get the nation behind the war effort to win and to survive--do people pay attention.

This was not done after the 9-11 attack. We know why not. We know why the enemy was and still is not named.

If the person with most eloquence and apparent charisma is handed the leadership, things will get worse. This person now riding high on a wave of success towards the White House has his own agenda--and it is not an agenda that will benefit the United States nor the American People.

Government needs to inform and alert the population, not lull it to somnambulate so that ideological change can be foisted upon it.

As long as we do not have a government that informs us of the issues--but lies and obfuscates--people will not see nor can they face reality. Much more comforting to live vicareously in the fantasy world of "celebrities," as people imagine it to be.

Posted by: unicorns62000 at February 22, 2008 6:02 AM

In general, Western economies have been doing fairly well recently so the ignorant masses have been able to occupy themselves with the frivolities of life - such as an interest in celebrities - to the exclusion of considering the bigger picture.

So successful has the media in the UK been in dumbing down its output, that for some people television, shopping, ipods, mobile phones, celebrities, football and "chilling" are the extent of their worlds. Hence we had only 61% of the electorate bothering to vote in the 2005 General Election, which means that more people abstained than actually voted for the Government.

Yet the Government still thinks it has a mandate, with the result that Brown can assume control of the country despite no one having voted for him to do so, and he can dhimmify himself to his heart's content.

A down turn in the economy might wake a few people up from their torpor.

Posted by: watling at February 22, 2008 7:46 AM

The msm would rather cower under the guise of protecting the civil liberties of terrorists, in a 'fair & balanced [i.e.nuanced']manner. Spit.

As Newt Gingrich stated recently at marker 4:40:

"I am genuinely afraid that this political system will not react until we lose a city. And nobody in this country has thought about the threat to our civil liberties the morning after we decide its that dangerous and how rapidly we will impose ruthlessness on ourselves in that kind of a world. I think those of you who care about civil liberties had better be thinking through how we win this war, before the casualties get so great that the American people voluntarily give up a lot of those liberties."

Posted by: miira at February 22, 2008 7:49 AM

Is this guy Saunders takiing the rip:

"very serious challenge from the fanatical Muslim population that would seek to do away with the way of life of the Western World as we know it."

Coming from the military who illegally bombed those who don't threaten the west to create a state right in the heart of the westfor those who do, I'd say this so-called soldier is as clueless about the jihad as the people he's slating.

Perhaps if the US wasn't sleeping with the enemy and lying to its own people then he'd have a point.

"Physician heal thyself."

Posted by: Britannia's Lion at February 22, 2008 9:04 AM

Dumbing-down is not only an American malady, the entirety of Western-Democracies are steeped in it. Whether it is the mass-media’s penchant or obsession for the plastic and glitz of overrated film and music stars or mindless reality TV; we, as a society, cannot it seems, get enough.
Meanwhile, America is on a, more than, precarious threshold, which will not, solely, affect the future of American democracy but that of all Western-Democracy; nevertheless numerous folks will succumb to their vacuous addiction for kitsch and glitz.
As a culture, many have become all too acquiescent and dependant upon the cynical and sinister machinations of the mass-media. A media, which Pravda-like feeds us, the proletariat, out-and-out mind-numbing gibberish with a heavy dose of blatant, propaganda to meet their political, leftist, biases.
As mentioned, any incident that smacks of a terrorist action or threat is downplayed by these munchkin-heads. Perhaps if and when our nation is rocked once again by a heinous terrorist attack, the media and their spellbound public will see the Big Picture: somehow, I doubt it.

Posted by: ballzack at February 22, 2008 9:16 AM

As long as we do not have a government that informs us of the issues--but lies and obfuscates--people will not see nor can they face reality. Much more comforting to live vicareously in the fantasy world of "celebrities," as people imagine it to be.

unicorns62000,

We are our government. In the long run, democracies get the government they deserve and they deserve the government they get. As long as we TOLERATE a government that obfuscates and lies - usually because it promises to make us comfortable and free of all worry at any age - we deserve whatever we get. As long as we continue to vote for politicians who obfuscate and lie and tell us what we want to hear, we will continue our race to the bottom - where Islam is waiting to greet us.

Posted by: PMK at February 22, 2008 9:21 AM

Every time I hear Shepard Smith on Fox do his little "Britney Watch" schtick, I want to slap the taste out of his smarmy little mouth. Not one single word about Amina and Sarah a/o the type of animals who did/would do such a thing, but a daily insipid gasp about BS.

Nauseaum: though some here think you're a poser, I think Occam's Razor informs us that you are just what you portray yourself to be with your own words: a blind reprobate who wishes us all peace ~ as long as we drink the same koolaid you do, who pretends to be friendly only so you can plunge a knife into our heart.

We know the rules you play by and we're not fooled.

Posted by: undaunted at February 22, 2008 9:29 AM

ssa:

Definitely interested, please share more.

I think the U.S. population is far more patriotic than the MSM, so consuming the MSM can be quite depressing and alarming on a number of issues. As a first generation American, I also find the lack of assimilation to be both depressing and alarming. We are educating American students to blame America first, and have been doing so for more than a generation. While such efforts are remarkably unsuccessful, they stil have an impact. That they have not had more of an impact testifies to the strength of what is America.

Posted by: JSobieski at February 22, 2008 9:55 AM

My twelve year old hid his tracing of his hand with the five pillars of Islam from me. It was class work in his public school seventh grade class. I've saved it to show disbelieving adults.

My way of educating: in my high school Sunday School class, I ask where everyone's grandparents, or in some cases parents, came from. Then I tell them about the history they don't know and that their schools won't teach them: for the girl whose mother is from Chios: how the population was massacred by Turks in 1821. For the boy whose great-grandfather was on the docks at Smyrna: what happened in 1922. For the girl whose grandmother was Armenian, what happened in Turkey. For the boy whose family is from the Pelaponnese, what happened to those who resisted the Turks. I tell them about Constantinople in 1955, and Cyprus in 1965. I tell them the stories of the Christian martyrs during the 400 year occupation of Greece, people who died horrible deaths rather than convert. I tell them of Serbian churches blown up, and burned. I tell them that for many years we lived side by side with Islam, but that that peaceful coexistence can and has suddenly changed. We must always treat others with love, but this is the culture that your generation will be responding to -- be aware. I ask them, "would you be prepared to die rather than deny Christ? I don't need an answer, but think about what you would do."

One girl told me I was just saying all this because she thinks I support Bush -- what side of that fence I'm on, she just doesn't have a clue.

No, I'm just quietly educating the next generation because no one else will. Many Americans don't have this personal history of Islam to draw upon to prepare their children. Maybe that's one reason they just don't get it.

Posted by: thelittlegreekwoman at February 22, 2008 11:22 AM

littlegreekwoman ... thanks.

Wow. I used to run a high school church youth group so I know you're on the FEBA, fighting the good fight.

If you have or create a blog, I'd be proud to link to it and support it.

Posted by: undaunted at February 22, 2008 11:29 AM

This is a result of the educational system.

It was reformatted at the beginning of the last century to produce more obedient workers, and a disruptive (in the sense of cabable of becoming economic competition to ascendent economic powers, via the method they rose to power - innovation) populace, and a populace less aware of history and philosophy.

Our government, at the urging of academics, and with both parties backed by powerful industrialists, adopted an education system styled after the Prussian collectivist-oriented system. It was also influenced by British reports of the "education" lower caste Indians were given to make them more docile - sitting in a room all day doing mindless disconneced tasks and obeying utterly what was basically a baby sitter. Certain parties in government and education raved about how wonderful this method was for social control, and how great the implications were for social engineering.

The medium is the message. Compare to the historical American, more college-like one-room schoolhouses, where instruction is mixed with teaching those younger, giving a broader and more interactive educational experience.

Compare also to the more history and systems-thinking intensive approaches to the content.

Jews rioted in New York over the "reforms", and on these sorts of grounds. They didn't want their childrend dumbed down, because they knew from history that meant being more politically controlled.

Huge topic. Look it up. Without it you can't understand why grown people's minds have become so warped that are more interested in Spears than in History.

On this:

"and now your childrens have new gods...or divas"

You can make wild connections between progress and science and Spears much as you like, and claim that loss of God is behind it (in the most religious 1st world country there is???), but if you're actually interested and spend time to look at the history of the thing, what you see is that the Spears garbage is the result of a socially-engineered cultural breakdown that is part of a reactionary trend meant to stifle the other, classical American trends, so that a handful of rich men can shore up immense social power.

That's the easy way in human history, the common way. Let a small group of powerful men run everything according to a strict code that maintaind an order with them at the top, and everyone else is more or less their servants. That's what America, at its core, is about fighting against; in favor of liberty and progress.

Yet more of the problem -- more intellectual lockdown and authoritarianism -- certainly isn't the solution.

History is much more satisfying than tabloids... unless you've spend years the only context that could turn History into a bore, the now-traditional US public school classroom. Liberty isn't the problem here.

Posted by: hope_and_justice at February 22, 2008 11:55 AM

Another reason for the horrendous failure of the mainstream US media to educate Americans on matters relevant to their country is that the mainstream media is comprised of corporations that are owned by shareholders from all over the world and wouldn't you just know that wealthy Muslims now are block-purchasing stocks of media corporations as well as these corporations' controlling stocks (this is a jihad strategy--the 20 point plan to conquer the USA by the year 2020 hatched from the Middle East's mosques, incidentally).

Then there is also the problem that media corporations exist NOT to educate the masses but to attract readers and viewers in sufficient number to make maximum profit-- which is often at odds with the supposedly desired goal of edifying the public.

Arab-Muslims now own more than 6% of Fox! And of course Fox now airs programming with anti-Israel biases.

Although I haven't been able to do this, it would be wise for Americans to monitor the amount of shares of media corporations that are owned by Muslims because therein lies an important jihad issue: if Muslims own enough of the American media corporations they are going to block ANYTHING of significance from being aired if they can, especially if it pertains to anything related to jihad.

I will continue to get my news off the inter-net and recommend everyone else do the same.

Posted by: pythagoras at February 22, 2008 1:02 PM

Memo to the 'littlegreekwoman':

There may be a better way to educate your twelve year old child about the inherent evil lurking within Islam: Why not show him a copy of the Kuran and open it to Surah 9.5 and then ask YOUR CHILD to READ THAT PASSAGE BACK TO YOU.

Then ask your child what he read and what he thinks it means.

Explain then that this book, the Kuran, is where Islam comes from, that this passage instructs Muslims to commit first degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. (And that Bush has absolutely zero to do with any of this).

Take it from there.

You may or may not want to repeat this with other lethal Kuranic passages for emphasis to strengthen the lesson.

Posted by: pythagoras at February 22, 2008 1:16 PM

pythagoris;

She wasn't explaining how she teaches her child but a group of high school Sunday school students.

That's ages 15-18 and having taught that age group for many years myself, her teaching method is just fine.

Posted by: undaunted at February 22, 2008 2:52 PM

thelittlegreekwoman - Good job! It sounds like it would be a very interesting class. Was not aware of your "Constantinople in 1955" reference, but knew about the others. I'm not of Greek heritage, but have traveled there twice, and have a good friend from college who was Greek. We'd go on road-trips up and down the east coast, and every 100 miles he'd have cousins who owned a restaurant! We dined like kings. Often his family would be the only Greeks in town in what were usually sleepy, Southern countyseats. I've always admired how hard Greek-Americans are willing to work to maintain their rich heritage. I have to marvel that after 400+ years of brutal Turkish rule, that anyone in the Ottoman Empire was able to remain Christian. Hopefully your student who believed that you were just beating the war drum for Bush will study hard and think about the gift you are trying to pass on.

Posted by: MP at February 22, 2008 3:01 PM

undaunted:

You do have a valid point about my post. But I am still convinced that the best way to combat Islam is by presenting Islam's own teachings to the unainitiated--that way there is no chance of the charge of bias entering into the equation.

There IS a problem in using Islam's historical record to discredit it. And that is there are always going to be people who can and will confuse the issue by (correctly) pointing out that non-Islamic people have perpetrated their own carnages across the centuries. They can correctly show that the Spanish (and Christian) Conquistadors' genocidally slaughtered tens of millions of indigenous people in what is now Latin America during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Others will point out the carnage left behind by the Spanish Inquision etc. Unfortunately, millions of people around the world do not get beyond this point. The argument that other religions and ideologies such as Communism perpetrate genocide is persuasive. Only by showing Kuran teachings is it really possible to prove conclusively just how malignant and impervious to outside influence islam really is.

Posted by: pythagoras at February 22, 2008 3:59 PM

Pythagoras -

My three boys know more about Islam and Christian History than most adults. They also know their faith. I have complete confidence in my young men. The reason the 12 year old hid it, was because he knows and understands what it means, and was uncomfortable having to do the assignment. I wish I could make as strong an impact on his teachers. And, yes, I've tried for the last eight years -- including writing to the publisher, researching who edits the book, and trying to rally my Church to put pressure. It is gratifying that some changes were made, but they were to the Christian part of the text, and the Islam Chapter remains the same.

The way I teach religious education is to present a thurough history of early Christianity, and then present other religions' beliefs and practices to the class for their response. (And they're GREAT!) This way, they are using their faith to filter the differences of other religions. This has the bonus of building up their critical thinking skills, so that when we send them out as young adults they will use the same sets of Christian wisdom and values to make decisions in the world.

I've had results. The young adults who were once my students visited Constantinople last year. They came back and wanted to borrow Robert's books from me. I'm doing my small part to get the word out.

I did not know about Islam buying up the media. I wondered why Fox was reporting on Israel the way they have been. Now I know. This is frightening. Our "free" press is being censored by hostiles. This marginalizes my concerns about CAIR.

Posted by: thelittlegreekwoman at February 22, 2008 4:12 PM

pythagoris; I agree totally with your suggested teaching method.

littlegreekwoman; I agree totally with your teaching method.

And now, since we must all believe in something, I believe I'll go have a beer.

Cheers all.

Posted by: undaunted at February 22, 2008 5:00 PM

pythagoras sez:

They can correctly show that the Spanish (and Christian) Conquistadors' genocidally slaughtered tens of millions of indigenous people in what is now Latin America during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

That is false. The conquistadores didn't genocidally slaughter tens of millions, the natives in South America died mostly of diseases against which they had no immunity. Besides, the conquistadores came in small numbers, they couldn't possibly slaughter 'tens of millions'.

Yes, there is a lot of BS floating around....

Posted by: sheik yer'mami at February 22, 2008 5:38 PM

Oh but this is NOW stay with the program sheik!

Posted by: dcat at February 22, 2008 8:47 PM

How long will it take to get the religion of peace to get their head out of their ass?

Posted by: dcat at February 22, 2008 8:50 PM

Do not despair. The conundrum of reaching an American public in the depths of denial is more easily and effortlessly resolved than most of us realize. The book called ' The Tipping Point' should give us all cause for hope. Either that book or 'Blink' explained how the reason Paul Revere was able to wake a slumbering populace was that he was a connector. He was much more widely known than his compatriot William Dawson. This website is gaining in popularity with many potential Paul Reveres ready to connect up with millions and tens of millions. The number one Paul Revere, Robert Spencer, has courageously stood up and sounded the alarm as a proxy for the rest of us. Know that the tipping point is rapidly approaching. Stand firm.

Posted by: Americantothecore at February 22, 2008 9:54 PM

"Why not show him a copy of the Kuran and open it to Surah 9.5 and then ask YOUR CHILD to READ THAT PASSAGE BACK TO YOU."

The 12-year-old, if normally educated by our prevalent culture, will simply retort "Well, that's no different than all the bullsh** in the Old TEstament -- and what about the Crusades and sh** anyway? Moms, u bein' a hata now, peace out"

and headphones back on.

Posted by: cantor at February 22, 2008 9:56 PM

"Why not show him a copy of the Kuran and open it to Surah 9.5 and then ask YOUR CHILD to READ THAT PASSAGE BACK TO YOU."

The 12-year-old, if normally educated by our prevalent culture, will simply retort "Well, that's no different than all the bullsh** in the Old TEstament -- and what about the Crusades and sh** anyway? Moms, u bein' a hata now, peace out"

and headphones back on.

Posted by: cantor at February 22, 2008 9:58 PM

We have blamed the news media, the education system, the government, but we missed blaming ourselves.

I'm 56, much of my generation was defiant and very spoiled. I think our parents wanted to protect us from the difficulties they faced. Also, more families required 2 incomes, so there was less teaching going on in the homes. Yes, schools are supposed to teach, but not everything. We can't trust schools to teach kids good sense, or to have a spine.

My generation's kids were babysat by TV's, and my grandson spends more time in video games than in reality. I have nothing to say about it; my daughter-in-law despises me for having given my step-son some tough love at times.

Whatever we were doing, it all got away from us, the news media, the school systems, raising kids with a little gratitude and humility. I guess we were busy working for the lifestyle, to provide the best for our families, but I wonder if we can come up with the oomph now to turn the tide. Because it comes down to us, we are the US.

It's truly hard to talk to people who think they face all challenges with 3 extra lives, more if they get enough bonus points. So many seem to feel immortal, invincible, so sure they are right, that the US is all-powerful, and that we could never lose what we have. I do have faith in the core fiber of America, once something really gets our attention. It's just that most of us are so damned self-centered that getting, and keeping, our attention seems to take more than 9/11. And I don't know who convinced so many of us that just being nice to bad buys will turn them into good guys. Maybe the TV shows I missed while I was working.

Posted by: jodetoad at February 22, 2008 11:44 PM

For what it's worth, at least two Members of Congress KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON! One rebelled against the Muslim MC who wanted to take his oath of office on the Qur'an. Another answered my letter with a Bravo for being alert and said he was very aware of the Muslim threats. Insignificant you say? Well, it's a start.

Posted by: youngtimer at February 23, 2008 2:14 AM