WITHOUT A BLINK

Dr. Sanity:

Interesting to note that what "gives the pre-modern fascist killers a pass" is the post-modern rhetoric and dogma of the left. It is precisely this inherently psychologically dysfunctional cognitive strategy that is able to shift, "without a blink" from one subjective conviction to its exact opposite without a shred of self-awareness or mental dissonance.Minds under the postmodern spell are simply not capable of appreciating the irrationality; nor are they capable of even appreciating the irony of their contradictory discourses .There is a common pattern in the lefts childish rantings: a subjectivism and relativism that comes across in one breath; alternating with a dogmatic absolutism in the next. In other words, it is a waste of time to look for sense or logic in their incessant adolescent demands.In an earlier editorial, Hanson pondered the question: Why radical Islam, and why now?

There is still another reason for the rise of Islamists: They sense a new hesitation in the West. We appear to them paralyzed over oil prices and supplies and fears of terrorism. And so they have also waged a brilliant propaganda war, adopting the role of victims of Western colonialism, imperialism and racism. In turn, much of the world seems to tolerate their ruthlessness in stifling freedom, oppressing women and killing nonbelievers.

If I may offer a medical analogy, there are many diseases that do not manifest themselves unless one or more prerequisite conditions are also present in the individual. For example, Karposi's sarcoma is a deadly malignancy that is extremely rare, but which occurs much more frequently and spreads more rapidly in those individuals who are taking certain drugs to treat AIDS.

The drugs suppress the immune system, thus giving a biological carte blanche to the development of the sarcoma.

Radical Islam, like Karposi's sarcoma, has manifested itself today and is spreading rapidly for pretty much the same reason, having been given an ideological carte blanche by the political left.

The left's postmodern rhetoric with its political correctness and relativistic multiculural fantasies have managed to suppress and otherwise short-circuit the natural defense mechanisms of Western civilization.

Radical Islamic ideology is itself an unexpected combination of several toxic memes that have come together in ideological harmony over the last 50 years. Several beats of this harmonic confluence are the inherent contradictions of Islam itself--a purportedly "peaceful" religion that is actually historically based on military conquest and coercion of belief through jihad; which has been carefully synchronized with the failed totalitarian ideologies of the last century, communism and socialism.

The totalitarians of the left-- who are the remaining outposts of communism and socialism in the world are thriving in academic and "intellectual" circles in the West; together with the Islamic fanatics of the world, they have created a postmodern symphony whose caucophonous music only facilitates the descent into emotionalism, hysteria and murderous suicidality.

Without a blink, the left switched from their lipservice championing human life and liberty to championing those whose main desire is to suppress it and bring all of humanity into submission.

The left labors under the delusion that they are "freedom-fighters" and "reality-based" in the same way that any psychotically disordered brain stands firmly and resolutely against reality.The psychotic has a biological basis for their delusion.

The left has a parallel ideological basis that brings about the same dysfuntion.Postmodern philosophy and rhetoric that embraces "political correctness" and all the multicultural bull that flows from it, was the "prerequisite condition" that facilitated the rise of the Karposi-like malignancy of radical Islam, and gave it carte blanche to spread and kill.

Appreciating the intellectual and moral rot of the postmodern political left is key to understanding why radical Islam has managed to garner a completely unexpected amount of traction in today's world.

Not only is Iraq an important battlefield in the war on terror, it is also a key front in the philosophical war between those who support reason, reality and truth; and the army of useful idiots who make up today's postmodern political left.

Both fanatical ideologies--the one which underlies the barbarism of the Islamofascists and the one which is the foundation of today's political left-- must be defeated by the forces of good, everywhere they have taken root.Our first intellectual goal is to make them blink.

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On Basij Force and Democracy in Iran

Best description of Basiji, Iranian Paramilitary force, by Katayoun, an Iranian-Candian blogger in Canada:

Khomeni was a worried man, because he thought that “a country with 20 million youth must have 20 million riflemen or a military with 20 million soldiers”, to protect the Imam’s creation with a mighty sword! A megalomaniac, he thought that the large army of devotees can guarantee the preservation of his Islamic Republic, till the arrival of “Mehdi”, Islamic messiah. Perhaps he did not know that Napoleon had a “Majestic army”, Hitler had a “Great army”, even Saddam thought that he had an “Extensive army”, but in spite of all the “greatness, and grandeur of the presence of their mighty armies” they all destroyed themselves before they could destroy others.

One of the many “miracles” of the Islamic Republic of Iran was the creation of the Basij, Niruyeh Moghavemat Basij—Mobilisation Resistance Force, in 1980. This paramilitary “National Mobilisation of the Oppressed (Baseej-e Mostazafan)” came to existence not only to take commands from the Sepah, but also to protect the Leader of the Revolution—Vali-e Faquih-- when it is required of them.

No body knows exactly how many of these ideological-bombs are awaiting the “arrival of the messiah—Mehdi”. Rumor has it that “the force” can provide from 12 to 20 million militia men, who can kill in the name of their religious beliefs, and protect the dignity of the Islamic System, whenever the Spiritual Leader commands them. The Basij or Baseej paramilitary “volunteer forces” are under the control of the Revolutionary guard, but when they are “protecting the Nezam” (the Islamic system) they stand shoulder to shoulder with the Pasdaran and together they make sure that the “indecent activities” of citizens are dealt with, that the women wear their “hejab” in most Islamic way, and respect Islamic-dress-code, and act and react to what might befall them in the most Islamic manner.

The Basij also is responsible for removing satellite dish antennae from citizens’ roofs.The Basij members are “full time uniformed personnel” who are “joined up to 300,000 reservists”. The Middle-school-aged members of the “student Basij are called seekers (Puyandegan), and high-school members are called the Vanguard (Pishgam), whom are being brainwashed in accordance to the system’s needs. The faithful brethren, when finishing high-school “with high marks”, are privileged to enter the University in Iran, without a slightest regulatory-complication, get different jobs at different levels of government, without the usual-state-caused-hindrance. *(security clearance and background check to make sure you are from a loyal Islamic republic linage)

During the infamous Iran-Iraq war (Needlessly prolonged by the mass murderer Khomeini by 6 years for his vision of ultimate Islamic utopian ummah) the Basij was heavily involved in sending believers (the members) to heaven by the way of martyrdom. But, those brethren who remained at home were engaged in cleansing the society from all its impurities, especially “the culprits of the previous regime,” and all those who did not agree (and still do not agree) with the imposed rules of law”. In conclusion: the Basijis, alongside their superiors, the Sepah Pasdaran, are trained to preserve and protect the Islamic regime in Iran. And here is the rest of it.

How the IRI and IR's apologists in the EU, UN, and US got away with calling this totalitarian system a democracy I will never comprehend. Religions that believe that the state should be a tool for the enforcement of religious law, and which deplore the very idea that the governed should give their consent to be governed are antithesis to definition of democracy. In view of the required “approval” of all candidates by the Guardian Council [at least since Khatami surrendered his 50% appointments to Khameini to get his second government sworn in], elections are an empty exercise in futility in Iran and one wonders why Iranians even bother with elections? It has become impossible to elect anyone who will represent anyone but the extreme loonies (Basij) and the Rev. Guard.

A religion that seeks to govern ("Iran's government of God") cannot have spiritual content and government that needs religious justification can have no element of justice in its doctrine.

*my comments

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Under fire from US, Iran reacts by cracking down at home

The Christian Science Monitor:

Under fire from US, Iran reacts by cracking down at home The government has put restrictions on the media, targeted academics, and detained 150,000 – including four Iranian-Americans.

Istanbul, Turkey

While running for president of Iran in 2005, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad went out of his way to counter charges from opponents that his victory would bring to power "Islamic fascism" and the "Iranian Taliban."

But today Iran is in the grip of the most widespread crackdown since the 1979 Islamic revolution, with targets that range from women and student activists, to the media, to four Iranian-Americans accused of using US funds to undermine the regime. Analysts say the message of the repressive steps is clearly that hard-liners remain in charge, despite US efforts against the Islamic Republic and severe economic woes that led to the torching of 19 gas stations last month, when rationing was abruptly imposed.
"Their argument is that no matter what happens in Iran, no matter how many social disturbances exist, we are in control, and our position will not change," says Farideh Farhi, an Iran expert at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu.

"They are trying to instill fear in the population, to let people know that while Iran may be getting a bit beaten up internationally, they are still very much in control domestically," says Karim Sadjadpour, an Iran analyst at the Carnegie Endowment in Washington. "And people should not think for one second that it is safe to agitate politically, to indulge themselves by engaging in criticism."


Iranian news organizations have been instructed not to report negative news regarding social unrest, gas rationing in the world's fourth-largest oil exporter, the nuclear program, or the impact of UN sanctions on Iran.

In a one-month period this spring, security forces stopped or detained 150,000 people – women for insufficiently covered hair and tight-fitting clothes, and men for Western haircuts and attitudes. Most were released quickly, but many "hoodlums and thugs" were arrested, police said.

Economic woes on the rise

Ahmadinejad was elected on the promise of bringing Iran's vast oil wealth to the "dinner table" of poor Iranians. But instead unemployment has risen, along with inflation, and Iran's small refining capacity – Iran imports 40 percent of its gasoline, at $4 billion each year – has forced an easing of long-standing subsidies at the pump. Now cars are limited to just less than a gallon a day, and motorists are fuming.

The violent reaction, when authorities gave only three hours notice that rationing would start at midnight, "could have been worse," but for the pre-emptive crackdown, says Mr. Sadjadpour.
"People sensed that the regime and the basiji [volunteer ideological forces] were really on a head-cracking spree the previous few weeks," says the analyst. "It made people think twice before going out onto the streets to vent their criticism."

Still, images of burning gas stations did little to calm nervous Iranians. "Unfortunately, Mr. Ahmadinejad did not [fulfill] his promises to poor people," says Laylaz. "This social unrest is an immediate and direct consequence of those policies.... And at the moment, the social structure of this country is absolutely fragile and sensitive about economic issues."

But those economic concerns have become tangled with myriad other social and strategic issues in Iran, which blend into a single "security" response from the regime. And the crackdown has had an impact, as Iranians – especially those with ties to Westerners – refuse invitations for cultural exchanges, conferences abroad, or lunch in Tehran where Western diplomats might be present.

Iranians with such ties who have been arrested and even imprisoned, report that their interrogators accused them of "serving the enemy" whether they knew it or not. A final report of BBC correspondent Frances Harrison last week, leaving after three years in Tehran, shows the scale of change.While numerous officials had attended the going-away lunch of her predecessor, not one – not even those from the Islamic Guidance ministry, who are often helpful on a personal level – came to her BBC farewell lunch."I did not take it personally," wrote Ms. Harrison. "The atmosphere is now one where Iranians are afraid to mix with foreigners for fear of being accused of spying."

Fahri says that what the regime wants to do is "break the kind of linkages that were created during the [former President Hashemi] Rafsanjani and Khatami period, because all these activities that people are being accused of were legitimate, and in fact promoted under previous administrations."

That is the result of a new Machiavellian calculation, says Sadjadpour: "Whereas Khatami and the reformists said our best security is people's happiness, [this hard-line] worldview is that it is much better to be feared than to be loved.

"Their behavior is much more out of desperation than of strength," he adds. "It doesn't show that you are very confident about your place as a regime, when 67-year-old women are being suspected of undermining Iran's national security."

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