Crossposted from Flopping Aces

Sunday marked the 7th anniversary of the brutal murder of WSJ reporter, Daniel Pearl. His father, Judea, wrote a powerful peace for the WSJ a couple of days ago:

Daniel Pearl and the Normalization of Evil

~~~

Neither he, nor the millions who were shocked by his murder, could have possibly predicted that seven years later his abductor, Omar Saeed Sheikh, according to several South Asian reports, would be planning terror acts from the safety of a Pakistani jail. Or that his murderer, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, now in Guantanamo, would proudly boast of his murder in a military tribunal in March 2007 to the cheers of sympathetic jihadi supporters. Or that this ideology of barbarism would be celebrated in European and American universities, fueling rally after rally for Hamas, Hezbollah and other heroes of “the resistance.” Or that another kidnapped young man, Israeli Gilad Shalit, would spend his 950th day of captivity with no Red Cross visitation while world leaders seriously debate whether his kidnappers deserve international recognition.

No. Those around the world who mourned for Danny in 2002 genuinely hoped that Danny’s murder would be a turning point in the history of man’s inhumanity to man, and that the targeting of innocents to transmit political messages would quickly become, like slavery and human sacrifice, an embarrassing relic of a bygone era.

But somehow, barbarism, often cloaked in the language of “resistance,” has gained acceptance in the most elite circles of our society. The words “war on terror” cannot be uttered today without fear of offense. Civilized society, so it seems, is so numbed by violence that it has lost its gift to be disgusted by evil.

For all its supposed condemnation and “outrage” of terror attacks, “world opinion” has given legitimacy to terrorism and barbarism. It does this whenever it draws “moral equivalence” between Taliban thugs and “freedom fighters”; it does this when world opinion fails to distinguish that in the conflict between Hamas and Israel, one side aches for peace; the other sues for total annihilation in order to have it. Instead of recognizing which nation is morally superior, appeasers and excuse-makers have only succeeded in defending terrorism and normalize the evil that human monsters do.

How is it that the so-called “peace movement” calls the United States “imperialist” and “the biggest terrorist”; and then cite (often over-inflated) Iraqi body count figures without distinguishing innocent civilians from insurgents? Who are the ones actually targeting civilians and government officials for murder? It’s not the U.S.

Why does Code Pink protest against our military rather than celebrate them for trying to stop the likes of this:

Australia’s Herald Sun reports that Samira Jassam, known as “the mother of the believers,” orchestrated the rape and forced recruitment of 81 women into suicide martyrdom operations in Iraq:

A WOMAN suspected of recruiting more than 80 female suicide bombers has confessed to organising their rapes so she could later convince them that martyrdom was the only way to escape the shame.

John at Powerline responds: “Our enemies can sink to depths of depravity that most of us would be hard-pressed even to imagine … This is the kind of thing that makes me skeptical that the solution to the problem of Islamic terrorism is diplomacy.”

The moral inversion of the anti-war movement is disgusting.

Sure, there are some empty rhetoric by liberals saying they’re outraged; but it doesn’t go without adding excuse-caveats about how “they’re just fighting for their freedom against imperialist occupiers”; “there wouldn’t be any suicide bombers if not for the illegal U.S. invasion of a country that had nothing to do with 9/11″.

Human rights advocacy groups and those so-called “peace” activists choose to magnify, spotlight, and highlight abu Ghraib and Guantanamo; rendition programs and stiff interrogation methods. Why are they so silent when al Qaeda recruits 24 children to be homicide bombers?

“Of the 24 children, five had a mental disability. From analysing the others’ remains, we established that they were homeless,” said Jasim.

American soldiers stationed in Iraq have reported that the insurgency has armed children as young as 11 to fight against them.

Al-Qaeda is targeting orphans, street children and mentally disabled children as suicide bomber recruits as well as women, according to the Iraqi Interior Ministry.

Someone let Medea Benjamin know what real torture is like and who does it. Her and her ilk of do-gooders evil-enablers are more inclined to believe these two were tortured at Guantanamo than to believe al Qaeda could have baked Iraqi children and served them up to their parents.

Judea Pearl concludes his piece:

The media have played a major role in handing terrorism this victory of acceptability. Qatari-based Al Jazeera television, for example, is still providing Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi hours of free air time each week to spew his hateful interpretation of the Koran, authorize suicide bombing, and call for jihad against Jews and Americans.

Then came the August 2008 birthday of Samir Kuntar, the unrepentant killer who, in 1979, smashed the head of a four-year-old Israeli girl with his rifle after killing her father before her eyes. Al Jazeera elevated Kuntar to heroic heights with orchestras, fireworks and sword dances, presenting him to 50 million viewers as Arab society’s role model. No mainstream Western media outlet dared to expose Al Jazeera efforts to warp its young viewers into the likes of Kuntar. Al Jazeera’s management continues to receive royal treatment in all major press clubs.

Some American pundits and TV anchors didn’t seem much different from Al Jazeera in their analysis of the recent war in Gaza. Bill Moyers was quick to lend Hamas legitimacy as a “resistance” movement, together with honorary membership in PBS’s imaginary “cycle of violence.” In his Jan. 9 TV show, Mr. Moyers explained to his viewers that “each [side] greases the cycle of violence, as one man’s terrorism becomes another’s resistance to oppression.” He then stated — without blushing — that for readers of the Hebrew Bible “God-soaked violence became genetically coded.” The “cycle of violence” platitude allows analysts to empower terror with the guise of reciprocity, and, amazingly, indict terror’s victims for violence as immutable as DNA.

When we ask ourselves what it is about the American psyche that enables genocidal organizations like Hamas — the charter of which would offend every neuron in our brains — to become tolerated in public discourse, we should take a hard look at our universities and the way they are currently being manipulated by terrorist sympathizers.

At my own university, UCLA, a symposium last week on human rights turned into a Hamas recruitment rally by a clever academic gimmick. The director of the Center for Near East Studies carefully selected only Israel bashers for the panel, each of whom concluded that the Jewish state is the greatest criminal in human history.

The primary purpose of the event was evident the morning after, when unsuspecting, uninvolved students read an article in the campus newspaper titled, “Scholars say: Israel is in violation of human rights in Gaza,” to which the good name of the University of California was attached. This is where Hamas scored its main triumph — another inch of academic respectability, another inroad into Western minds.

Danny’s picture is hanging just in front of me, his warm smile as reassuring as ever. But I find it hard to look him straight in the eyes and say: You did not die in vain.

Also:

Just Another Manic Monday-Err, Thursday

7:48am Scott realizes he’s out of popcorn, and the day is about to begin

8:03am First Obama Admin fubar of the day Paul Volker Upset w Admin delay on Economic Team

8:05 It’s already starting, and my coffee’s not done brewing, ABC News poking at Obama’s Perks in comparison to those he’s banning from recipients of TARP moola

8:16am Got coffee, toast is still preppin’, but it continues. Turns out Obama gave anti-war idol Gen Zinni the job as ambassador to Iraq. The guy accepted, made plans to go, then found out through the grapevine that Obama gave the job to someone else w out telling him. Zinni was not pleased. No opposition to Iraq War=no need for Zinni. He was just a tool.

8:46 Washington Times declares Obama in Combat Mode & heading off to Williamsburg [Oooooooo]

8:48 Obama’s “reaching out” to Iran isn’t working. His UN Ambassador offered direct talks. Obama offered talks. Obama wrote nice letter. He went on Al Arabiya pushing a message of respect. In response, Iran ordered us (that’s you and me “us” not just the U.S.) to apologize for everything bad in the post NAZI world, then they launched a satellite to prove they have ICBM capability, and now…they tell Obama to get stuffed and accept that they have a right to nukes. Note, outstretched hand and new face efforts ain’t working any better than any other efforts to talk.

8:57 Begin working on my taxes by installing H&R block software (User terms and agreement including voiding any and all applications for positions in the Obama Administration) I click agree and continue install

9:06 Jobless claims highest since October 1982 I check Careerbuilder.com and see that there’s nothing new in my meager field.

9:09 Fox mentions WSJ article that points out the problems w Obama’s inexperienced pick for CIA chief while web wonders if he’s gonna be chopped from the list like Daschle was-err, like Daschle “chose” Panetta’s a great speaker ($700000 in speaker fees from entities that now need to be bailed out by my 6yr old daughter), but he’s not qualified to be head of the CIA during an asymetric war (let alone 3).

9:12 MSNBC just mentioned the chronic problem Democrats seem to be having paying their taxes (Daschle, Geithner, Killfer, Rangel, Dodd, and the list goes on and on). I’m reminded to go back to doing mine.

9:17 CNN reports that voters are jamming Capitol Hill phone, fax, and email w complaints about faux stimulus bill. Rasmussen reported that at most, only 37% of Americans support the bill-most believe something is needed, but support for THIS bill as a fix is dropping fast

9:39 Politico has their morning show roundup video posted. It demonstrates just how hard Obama’s Admin is taking it today. We can joke all we want, but the fact is that this country has major problems, major expectations have been built up over the past 2 years of campaigning, and those expectations are NOT BEING MET. Give him time? The man himself says there is no time to waste, but he and his admin are wasting it w screwups.

9:42 Obama warns that we need to bill our kids now so that we don’t have to bill them more later. Huh?

11:06 All showered up, fed, and wife and I have both done some more job searching. Time for a break. Let’s see what’s happening w The O [’cause it’s all about The O] Hmmm, looks like even Salon has given up fawning over the sizzlesanssteak President, and now (NOW?!!) they’re realizing that he’s got no meat on his rhetorical bones.

11:09 Wow, looks like President Obama is even writing the news himself now. He apparently doesn’t realize yet that once he took that oath…bs, promises, and pulling at heartstrings doesn’t work. Putting money in our pockets via paychecks at the end of the week…THAT works. It’s also expected (having been promised ad nauseum for years).

11:11 GEESH! Even NEWSWEEK thinks Obama has “lost control”. Any day that starts out w Politico claiming that Obama is losing the Stimulus Message War is just gonna be a bad day from the outset. Maybe (just…you know, brainstorming)…maybe if my kids were actually buying a STIMULUS bill rather than a pet project investment bill…maybe then people would be behind it a little more?

11:31 Off to grocery store for more popcorn

11:32 Watchdog group says Treasury Dept overpaid for bank stocks. Gosh, I bet those guys can’t even do their own taxes.

12:55 Wow, looky there…turns out transparency means blind. So much for President Obama’s transparency.

2:15 Back from lunch and errands. Decided that since my 4yr old is good enough for Obama to borrow a TRILLION dollars from, the little guy could damn well buy me a new car. Ford salesman said now is definitely the time to buy! He rattled off several incentives, and I was all prepped to take my brand new Mustang for a test drive when he asked, “How good is your credit? We have a special-” I interrupted and told him my son would be paying, and his credit is spotless. There was laughter, followed by his silence as Kenny and I continued (well, Kenny giggled), then the guy walked away. No new stimulus Mustang for daddy.

2:23 Job hunt. Nothing new on job sites.

2:31 CNN reports that Senators are going through my kids’ faux “stimulus” plan line by line. DAMMIT! How are non-existent companies like Green Environmental Solutions gonna get their $2500000 now?! OH! This is soooooo un-American! Now, if I’ve got the “process” down, this means that for every $2 of pork removed, $3.25 are put back in, and even though it’s a Democrat’s bill with a Democrat-President’s name on it, and Democrats have both houses of Congress, any high cost, design, nature, or anything unsavory is the Republicans’ fault, and there’s nothing the Democrats can do.

2:32 Mind is fried. Time to step away from the pc and tv for a while for a little mental tlc

3:32 You’ve got to be kidding me. Obama is tossing another tax problem candidate to the Senate? Ya know, I filled out one of those 17pg Obama Transition Applications, and it asks repeatedly and specifically about tax issues. I do my own, and I pay, but these rich morons can’t even bother to search for a decent accountant? Or are they straightup so used to lying that it just comes fluidly? Unbelievable. Ya know, on HGTV there used to be a show called, “If These Walls Could Talk,” and I often wonder that about the Oval Office. Oh the stories. Every scratch on the desk, every stain on the carpet, and every dent in the wall has got to have a story. See that one over by the door? Yeah, that’s the Harriet Myers slamdown. That one to the upper right of the window? That’s where President Obama threw his first lamp after hearing about how he tried to hire a FOURTH tax cheat! I step away from the pc again. This is crazy. I can honestly say George W Bush was never this out of control.

5:00 Back to the pc to check email. Oh man, if there is any justice in this world, if Obama has any concern for the American people he will NEVER pull Robert Gibbs from the Press Secretary job. It’s comedy gold!
I thought maybe having to take a drink every time Gibbs says, “uh” would be a fun drinking game, but really, the fun is in the long term watching. If you look at the vids from his first press briefing to the ones from today (and you will need hi-res vids to see it) the man is actually losing hair by the day. Hey, look, I probably am too, and uh at least he’s got uh a good excuse, but, uh…uh I still get a good uh…laugh
NOTE To Obama Admin: Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell was a policy for the military in terms of homosexuals serving. IT IS NOT a vetting question about taxes.