Over at FrontPage Mag (via RaymondIbrahim.com), I discuss how understanding Obama’s failed Mideast policy is as easy as understanding the bully mentality when appeased:
In an era of high education and specialty degrees””from psychology to political science””perhaps it was inevitable for simple common sense to fall by the wayside. The embassy attacks across the Muslim world, especially the most savage in Egypt and Libya, are a testimony to this: U.S. policy towards these countries fundamentally exacerbated their wild reactions. To understand all this, one need only turn to the classic “schoolyard bully” paradigm, that any child can understand.
Not especially large or strong, the schoolyard bully””generally a prickly, nasty fellow””picks on two groups: 1) those who are obviously weaker than him and 2) those who, while larger or stronger than him, willingly give in to him””willingly appease. Bullying the first group, the weak, is an easy matter for the bully. As for the second group, whose capacities and responses are unclear, these he must first determine through a few bully trial-runs””to see whether they will fight back, or whether they will give in. He begins small””a shove and harsh word here and there””and takes it from there, always seeing how far he can go.
The bully will receive one of two responses from the second group, those not smaller or weaker than him: either appeasement and giving in, or a punch to the nose. If he receives the former, he continually ups the bullying to see how much more he can get away with: harsh words and shoves become demands for lunch money and stolen jackets. His work becomes complete with the absolute subordination of his victim.
As for the one who does not put up with his bullying””who gives him a swift punch to the nose””not only does the bully leave him be, he even begins to respect if not befriend him.
For centuries, people from all walks of life knew this””from experience if not common sense. Children knew it.
Now consider how the Schoolyard Bully paradigm helps explain America’s relationship to the Muslim world, especially in the last four years, culminating with the U.S. embassy debacles in the Muslim world…