Over at PJ Media I explore the latest in Obama’s fantasy-based analysis:
5. “We have to focus not just on rescuing those girls right away, but also on supporting Nigerian efforts to educate its youth.”
This proceeds from the common assumption that only ignorant people engage in terrorism, and so all that anyone needs to do to stop terrorism in its tracks is to provide educational opportunities for terrorists. This goes hand-in-hand with the equally popular dogma that poverty causes terrorism, which Barack Obama has also retailed, saying that “extremely poor societies… provide optimal breeding grounds for disease, terrorism and conflict.” That’s why we see so many Haitian suicide bombers.The only problem with the idea that terrorists are poor and ignorant is that it has been shown to be false again and again. The Economist reported back in December 2010 that,
the ranks of high-profile terrorism suspects also boast plenty of middle-class, well-educated people. The would-be Times Square bomber, Faisal Shehzad, boasts an MBA and is the son of a senior Pakistani air-force officer. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who stands accused of lighting a makeshift bomb on a transatlantic flight in the so-called ‘underwear plot’, had a degree from University College, London, and is the son of a rich Nigerian banker. The suspected suicide-bomber in this week’s attacks in Stockholm had a degree from a British university.
And indeed, “social scientists have collected a large amount of data on the socioeconomic background of terrorists. According to a 2008 survey of such studies by Alan Krueger of Princeton University, they have found little evidence that the typical terrorist is unusually poor or badly schooled.” Likewise in March 2014, “new research from Queen Mary University of London has found youth, wealth, and being in full-time education to be risk factors associated with violent radicalization.” And a Danish study in May 2014 found that “radicalized young Muslims are often what one would consider well-integrated: They are better educated than average and also perform better economically and socially, and will therefore be largely able to maintain a double life.”
So we will send a few taxpayer billions to Nigeria to build schools and buy the locals a few houses and cars, and the jihad terrorists will keep coming – and in response, we will send more billions. Because the only alternative would be to reexamine its cherished dogmas, and the State Department establishment never does that.
4. “America’s support for democracy and human rights goes beyond idealism; it is a matter of national security.”
In support of democracy, the U.S. oversaw the imposition of Sharia constitutions in both Iraq and Afghanistan – because that was what the people wanted. In support of democracy, the Obama administration applauded and aided the Arab Spring uprisings in Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya, and is now helping a similar effort in Syria. Yet in all these cases, the Islamic regimes that benefited from this support implemented Islamic law’s systematic and codified denial of basis human rights to women and non-Muslims.The unfortunate and unpleasant fact is that it is in all too many Muslim countries, supporting democracy means failing to support human rights, because large numbers of people, if not absolute majorities, want to see Sharia fully implemented, and Sharia opposes the freedom of speech, the freedom of conscience, and the idea of the equality of rights of all people before the law. But Barack Obama will never admit that, as it runs counter to core administration and State Department dogmas about Islam being peaceful and tolerant, and so in his ongoing support of democracy, he continues to abet the denial of human rights.
3. “America must always lead on the world stage… it has been our willingness to work through multilateral channels that kept the world on our side.”
Well, which is it? America leading on the world stage or working through multilateral channels? If these channels are to be truly multilateral, then America must give up, at least in some circumstances, its leadership role and submit to the leadership of other countries or multinational bodies such as NATO and the United Nations. If that is not going to happen, then the other countries’ participation is just to provide a rubber stamp on American leadership – and surely Barack Obama doesn’t envision that.So he seems to be saying that America will lead by following.
Read the rest here.