Hitler-Stalin For The Terror Age
Steven Stalinsky notices a strange trend in international relations in today's New York Sun. A marriage of convenience has begun to grow between two factions that seem entirely incompatible in all respects but one:
Over the past year, multiple international conferences have featured leaders of the anti-global left and Islamist groups working together. Go to any anti-war or anti-globalization demonstration in the West and chances are you will see the flags of Hezbollah and Hamas waved by people wearing Che Guevara T-shirts. And at some of these meetings, members of such radical Islamist groups as the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, and Hezbollah have enjoyed starring roles.The roster of Islamist-left alliances quietly grows every day: Massachusetts Institute of Technology linguistics professor Noam Chomsky praises Hamas and denounces America on Hezbollah's Al-Manar television. London Mayor Ken Livingstone invites a leading Islamist, Sheikh Yosef Al-Qaradawi, who is known for supporting suicide attacks, to visit his city. Iranian President Ahmadinejad calls for a world without America even as he plays host to a Tehran peace conference attended by American Mennonites, Quakers, Episcopalians, Methodists, and leaders of the National Council of Churches.
The key forum at this year's annual Cairo Anti-War Conference was titled "Bridge-building Between the Left and Islam," and focused on practical ways to increase cooperation. The aim of the conference sessions were described in one piece of literature as tackling "the challenges and prospects facing the international anti-war and pro-intifada movements" and planning "strategy and tactics for bridging the gap and uniting Islamist and leftist ranks in the face of U.S. imperialism and Zionism."
It's the Ribbentrop-Molotov pact for our age. The Left, with its insistence on multiculturalism and the end of religion in public discourse, has begun to ally itself with the most xenophobic religion on the planet, one which insists on transcendence in temporal matters above all other law. Its leaders now praise the same groups that target and kill civilians, oppress the media, openly practice anti-Semitism, and routinely stone those who have the audacity to date without permission from their families.
In the case of Noam Chomsky, this seems particularly egregious, but not terribly surprising. Chomsky can talk about Enlightenment ideals out of one side of his mouth, as he did in Imperial Ambitions, and then warmly support Hamas, which completely rejects those ideals of freedom, liberty, and individual conscience. In that book, he told David Barsamanian that "No other industrialized country has anything like the degree of extremist religious beliefs and irrational commitments like you see in the United States," and yet he has aligned himself with violent religious extremists like Hamas, and does so on the television network of the equally violent and extreme Hezbollah.
People like Chomsky love Hamas and Hezbollah not for their supposed "Enlightenment ideals," but for their hatred of America. That's the one thread that follows through all of these alliances between the Western Left and the Islamist nutcases who, on a philosophical basis, should be their ultimate nightmare. The people who drop brick walls on homosexuals get praise and support from the Chomskys of the world because the US cannot decide between allowing civil unions or gay marriage. Chomsky frets over the fact that "Large majorities are convinced of miracles, the existence of the devil, and so on," but then praises those who believe that infidels are agents of Satan and must be destroyed in jihad.
What we see is a class of people who hate America and who now grope for an intellectual basis to align themselves with America's opponents and enemies. A linguist like Chomsky can talk all he wants, but he cannot hide the inherent contradiction in his basis for supporting Hamas and Hezbollah while castigating the US for its cultural imperialism and religious extremism, and neither can the rest of the Left that insists on enabling the Hassan Nasrallahs of our age. They are the collaborators in this new era, the ones who give intellectual comfort to terrorists around the world. The Left has just about fully discredited itself, and it will be people like Chomsky who push it over the edge.
Comments (30)
Posted by eforhan | May 9, 2007 9:37 AM
Well, one would hope. I'm not quite so optimistic.
Posted by Lew | May 9, 2007 9:46 AM
Yet another example that the strongest motivation for picking bed-fellows is the oldest; "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." And yet, these very same people still obstinately refuse to even entertain the notion that Sadaam Hussein would partner up with Al Qaeda in the old days before 9/11 and the American liberation. And even before that, they constantly screech and howl about all of the temporary alliances with questionable characters that their own country made during the Cold War in accordance with the very same ideas.
Oh well, I suppose at least it serves the purpose of clarity and economy of force, to get all of our enemies in one group so we can save ammo. It get's a lot easier to generalize about what defines and motivates them anyway!
Posted by SwabJockey05 | May 9, 2007 9:53 AM
Interesting article Capt.
The analogy of the Hitler - Stalin pact is appropriate. Eventually, Hitler attacked Stalin and tried to destroy him.
How long before the lunatics will attack and “try” to destroy the Western Lefties?
The irony, to me, is that the same drooling lefties who call guys like me a “dupe” of BushHitler Inc.…are the very same drooling idiots I will have to defend to the death…unfortunately; it will be my death and not theirs. Lefties, being the yellow cowards that they are will never actually do anything “risky” to defend their “rights”. Other than cry like school girls. Pathetic.
Posted by DaveR | May 9, 2007 10:21 AM
Another thing about the Hitler - Stalin pact that many don't (want to) know is that Stalin actively supported the physical re-arming and re-training of the Wehrmacht in secret Russian bases all through the '30s. This effectively undercut the Treaty of Versailles' objective of getting Germany to "un-learn" war and agression (a fatuously idiotic project anyway).
And when Stalin was given clear warning of Hitler's intention to attack Russia, he purged (read murdered) the officers who warned him and ignored the warnings, convinced that he could trust Hitler. Then when the invasion came, he executed a bunch more officers for not warning him of it. This is why Stalin was widely praised as a military genius by the left during WWII - a conflict the left opposed strongly until the German invasion of Russia.
Lefties - what would we do without them? I'd be willing to try it and see.
Posted by RBMN | May 9, 2007 10:26 AM
The definition of insanity:
Stop the U.S.-Israeli War rally, San Francisco, August 12, 2006
http://www.zombietime.com/stop_the_us_israeli_war_8_12_2006/
GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION RALLY, SAN FRANCISCO, MARCH 18, 2006
http://www.zombietime.com/global_day_of_action_march_18_2006/
"Global Day of Action" rally in San Francisco on Saturday, March 20th, 2004.
http://www.zombietime.com/sf_rally_march_20_2004/everyone_for_palestine/
Posted by pilsener | May 9, 2007 10:29 AM
"The Left has just about fully discredited itself"
WITH WHOM?
Not with the major media around the world, not among university faculties, not with the Democratic party, not even enough to be noticed by Republican politicians.
The anti-west, anti-american, anti-capitalism, movement is small and insignificant, except for its echoes that reverberate among the moderate left media and politicians. More moderate people would never describe themselves as anti-capitalists or anti-American, but anti-Walmart or anti-Bush is perfectly acceptable. Big oil, big pharmaceutical, big medicine, excess profits or compensation are bad. Government benefits, regulation, and taxation are good. Law enforcement and a strong military are bad. The United Nations and unaccountable international organizations are good. Elected Republican legislators and administrations are bad.
When I see a spate of mainstream media stories criticizing the lack of ideological balance in the American academy, condemning the United Nations, and touting the necessity of capitalism and individual freedom. I'll believe the Left is discredited. But I'm not holding my breath.
Posted by Keemo | May 9, 2007 10:35 AM
Exactly right Swabbie!
Reminds me of the Lefty at one of my job site's a few years back; ranting and raving about what a drug addict Rush Limbaugh is & what a Hitler Bush is; when I told him to shut his trap, he threatened to "kick my ass"; I then got up and headed his way when he started to threaten me with a law suit if I hurt him. Typical lefty whiny ass wimp; all talk and no walk....
Spot on article CE. It's nice to see someone call these lefties out; identifying them with the appropriate affiliation.
Posted by Marcus | May 9, 2007 11:07 AM
Thank you for your efforts to describe the leftist malady. Diagnosis is the first step towards cure. See also the comments of Wretchard at the Belmont Club:
"Maybe the reason why the Left hates Sarkozy and that renegade "woman of color" Hirsi Ali so much is not because of what they stand for as much as because both remind them of the principles they have betrayed. This secret guilt may stand at the center of the inexplicable hysteria with which the Left regard the neocons and President Bush in particular. Recently a Ramussen poll showed that "only four in ten Democrats will commit to the idea that George Bush did not know of the 9/11 attack in advance. Sixty-one percent of them either believe he did or are unsure." What could account for such a widespread belief in a bizarre conspiracy theory? Why do otherwise intelligent people insist, in the face of incontrovertible evidence that "fire does not melt steel" and embrace all kinds of ridiculous fantasies? I think the extreme demonization of George W. Bush and the neocons is psychologically necessary in order to restore a feeling of moral superiority to the Leftist universe. They would be guilt stricken without it. The more intelligent Leftists must be subconsciously aware of how monstrous the enemy is and secretly cognizant of how great is the betrayal of their own ideals. They can't confront this fact; cannot accept that they are delivering children, as Caroline Glick's example above shows, to cruel murderers. And in order to obtain some kind of solace and to have the effrontery to march in support of "freedom fighters" who are nothing but sadistic thugs, it is necessary for them to invent something worse; to make a caricature devil of GWB to place them once again, if not upon the side of angels, at least in the camp of the lesser evil. George Bush must be made nothing less than the moral equivalent of Hitler or else their ethical universe would collapse."
Posted by Anthony (Los Angeles) | May 9, 2007 11:15 AM
Hi Ed,
The bizarre alliance between the Left and fascist Islam is nothing new -- Front Page has chronicled it for years. The Durban anti-racism conference in South Africa, which was UN sponsored, became a appalling festival of Israel-bashing.
It's as if the Left became unhinged with the fall of the Soviet Union. Even though Euro and American Lefties may have criticized the old USSR for "perverting Socialism," they still had admiration for it for having its heart int he right place: statism, government management of the economy, &c. When it fell, exposing the rotten heart of the Socialism's ideology, the Left was left rudderless. So, in what has to be one of the more bizarre turns of modern history, they've allied with those who would destroy them.
Molotov-Ribbentrop is a great comparison.
Posted by Rovin | May 9, 2007 11:46 AM
"Why do people insist, in the face of incontrovertible evidence that "fire does not melt steel" and embrace all kinds of ridiculous fantasies?"
Wretchard poses just one of the many questions that delve into the minds of the left. At what point do we stop even calling them "otherwise intelligent"?
The Governor of Kansas (and now senator Obama) are claiming that resources, (national guard and equipment), are lacking because they are in Iraq. FALSE! Here comes the "katrina politics" again.
Say something dumb to the masses long enough, faciliated by the bias of the MSM, is the perfect recipe for the "otherwise intelligent". And the left wrote the playbook.
BDS 101------(no intelligence required)
Posted by ShrinkWrapped | May 9, 2007 11:49 AM
Ed,
I think this arrangement augers severe problems for the Democrats down the road. They have not only not repudiated the far left but have invited them to inhabit the core of their party. The media cannot hide these connections indefinitely. I expand on the argument on my blog today.
Posted by rbj | May 9, 2007 11:56 AM
The Left is simply anti-American, and anti-capitalism and anti-democracy. They will align with anyone who has similar views, regardless of their motivations.
And Chomsky is an ass. I won't debate anyone who quotes him because we have no common point of reference; I demand logic and internal consistency, while Chomsky's only consistency is "whatever makes America look bad is correct."
Posted by negentropy | May 9, 2007 2:23 PM
Chomsky is useful for one thing; kind of like one of those "Mr. Yuck" labels from the 80s. Once I see someone quoting him or holding his ideas in high regard, I can be assured I want nothing to do with that person, and that any debate is useless.
Posted by Blaise | May 9, 2007 2:35 PM
I think the common denominator is anti-Semitism, notwithstanding that some of the left may be, themselves, Jewish.
Posted by SwabJockey05 | May 9, 2007 2:54 PM
Keemo,
I think you're business puts you in contact with a different breed of cowardly lefty. I haven’t run across that many of those types. My experience with in-laws and "friends" is that they usually skip the physical threats. They cut right to the "...or my shyster lawyer will sue you..." line.
But I told you before, you’re too old to be bustin’ noggins!! No matter how good it feels in the short term...shutting their pie holes with your meat hooks will only give you sore knuckles.
Posted by onlineanalyst | May 9, 2007 3:38 PM
Pat Santy has been exploring this affinity that the Lefists have with the enemies of the US and Western values for some time at her blog: http://www.drsanity.blogspot.com/
A scan down her page with its current posts (and links) offers multiple examples of this cognitive dissonance of the Left: their denial (or lack of knowledge) of history, their enshrinement of multi-culturalism, their postmodern misuse of language, etc.
Take some time to examine some of her prior "Best Blogs" (linked on the left side). Like captainsquartersblog and powerlineblog, this site is a must-read each day for its insight and qualitiy of comments.
Posted by Towering Barbarian | May 9, 2007 3:45 PM
I can't help but feel that even before Dr. Sanity Kipling pretty much had their number! ^_^
http://www.cs.rice.edu/~ssiyer/minstrels/poems/493.html
"Too little to love or to hate" does indeed describe both the Far Left and too many of their "moderate" counterparts. Sad but true. :p
Posted by Keemo | May 9, 2007 4:12 PM
How do they justify such nonsense? It is all a matter of marvelous moral relativity; contradictory discourses, deceptive rhetoric; combined with a simply amazing and mind-boggling talent of being able to ignore objective reality under any circumstance where it punctures a hole in your ideological bubble.
These are the children of postmodernism; steeped in the nihilism of our day. They believe in nothing and stand for nothing. They utter the same old tired and worn self-serving platitudes of a defunct and dangerous world view, but anyone can see that the fire has gone out of their movement. They are losing, and they know it. But they are so narcissistically invested in that world view, that they tremble in fear whenever the real world presents them with something that contradicts their religiously held beliefs.
They are in a great deal of terror at the moment. Not, of course from Jihadis (which would be rational) but because their world view is under attack whenever a George W. Bush is elected; or a Sarkozy or Merkel, for that matter. They cling to the Hugo Chavez types for dear life; and pray that thugs like Ahmadinejad and Zawahiri are able to humiliate and defeat their real enemy, which is America and all it stands for. (Dr. Sanity)
Thanks for the link onlineanalyst; great blog.
The description by Dr. Sanity above, is a perfect take on the likes of Bayam, Conservative Democrat, daverywall, & so many others that insist on sharing their misery with us.
Posted by conservative democrat | May 9, 2007 7:26 PM
ALL THAT HATRED SPEWING FROM YOUR MOUTHS MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER? Is it theraueptic? Banging on leftists, what a strawman argument that was. You goopers have bigger fish to fry. Leftists? What universe do you people come from? Find one wacky leftists and shazam, the sky is falling. Better worry about that loon in the white house, he's more dangerous to the country than some peace activist hippie type. I'd defend that person before I'd defend some wacked out neo-con, big tough talking boys. You guys are so scary (picture big beer gut and a cigarette hanging from a mouth with yellow teeth) get a life.
Posted by SDN | May 9, 2007 7:30 PM
These people meet the textbook definition of a Fifth Column. It will be necessary to defeat this enemy living among us before we can effectively fight Islamists. The year is 1859....
Posted by reliapundit - the astute blogger | May 9, 2007 7:41 PM
ed - over the past year i have posted over thirty articles on my blog in a series i call BIRDS OF A FEATHER.
all the posts reveal leftist-jihadist and democrat-socialist ties.
Posted by guinsPen | May 9, 2007 9:26 PM
Find one wacky leftist...
cd,
With you, we've found two.
Posted by gaffo | May 9, 2007 10:07 PM
Chill CD!!
don't ya know the Chickenshithawks are working overtime with them fingers on keyboards - rooting out "leftists" at every chance!!
nope these folks are the true Patriots - all serving on the Frontlines, in the trenches. Rationing their oil/energy use too!! Refusing to aid the enemy by driving an SUV/truck, of this I'm sure!!
AND I have no doubt that all the Terrorist fighters here are SO DETERMINED TO WIN (afterall DEFEAT IS NOT AN OPTION!!!!!!!!!!!!) that each and every one of them has marched on the streets and petitioned their legislators to re-impliment the Draft.
Afterall DEFEAT IS NOT AN OPTION!! - and I know all of the Patriots here have asked that their Sons and Daughters be the first in line for that Draft - so we can save outselves from the terrorists.
Anything else would be hypocracy. and these Keyboardist ain't no hypocrites!!
nope no 5-dick deferments here!!
Posted by gaffo | May 9, 2007 10:18 PM
SND - the year is 1968 chump.
you Repugs are history.
tied yourself to the anchor of Neo-conservatism
you will join the Wigs of 1859.
Posted by viking01 | May 9, 2007 10:36 PM
Insofar as pariahs go Hitler had far greater versatility than Chomsky ever could dream to have. Just as some have said (in so many words) that Bubba Clinton could never be a Hitler because he lacks the discipline to actually act upon impulses besides shallow self-gratification for the moment.
Ole Noam always has seemed to me to be the over-published idiot savant who excels at linguistics but little else beyond the the shelters of tenure and hangers-on. Groupietocracy which only academe could produce, or rather, infect.
1859? What happened in 1860? What a difference a year makes. I don't remember Lincoln pulling a Jim Jeffords! Did Stephen Douglas flip out into Gorebot mode and start counting hanging chads? Maybe the new college textbooks are trying to pull a Clinton fast one on their students?
As Will and Ariel Durant once said (to paraphrase): "(Many) are well informed of what has happened in the last 24 hours but remain completely ignorant of what has happened during the past 60 centuries."
Posted by DaveR | May 9, 2007 10:37 PM
In a thread about the Hitler - Stalin pact, we find:
1. "You goopers..."
2. "...the Chickenshithawks..."
Score: Out of two lefty posters, two ad hominems.
We also find:
1. "...lefty whiny ass wimp..."
Score: Out 21 conservative posters, one ad hominem.
It's pretty easy to calculate where the thinking is coming from, and where the "HATRED SPEWING FROM YOUR MOUTHS" is actually coming from, not mention these words of good cheer: "picture big beer gut and a cigarette hanging from a mouth with yellow teeth". Of course, I am sure these were just botched jokes, the usual excuse when these folks are "smeared" by having their own words quoted back to them.
Posted by Labamigo | May 9, 2007 10:38 PM
I suspect Chomsky's parents ignored him when he was a child.
Posted by richard mcenroe | May 9, 2007 11:02 PM
Talk about your lefty cognizant dissonance: 'Conservative Democrat...'
Posted by Towering Barbarian | May 9, 2007 11:38 PM
Conservative Democrat,
Your statement, "You...have bigger fish to fry." represents an interesting putdown of your own party. Interesting to see that you agree with Kipling that the Left are nothing more than a group of little people who are "too little to love or hate". ^_^
Gaffer,
Your statement, "the year is 1968 " is interesting on 2 levels. On the more shallow level 1968 was the year Republican Richard Nixon became President so at first glance this would either seem to represent a secret wish for a total conservative victory on your part (or else a confession that the Left is ignorant on the topic of history! ^_^;). But then one looks beneath the surface and realizes with sadness that this statement is merely a desperate plea for help because certain important life skills have atrophied among the Left and they no longer have the technical knowledge necessary to use a calender. T_T
With that in mind let me help you out. At the time of this writing the year is actually 2007. On behalf of my fellow conservatives, nay on behalf of all Humanity!, may I take this opportunity to welcome you and your fellow Leftists into the 21st Century? ^-^
Posted by Rose | May 10, 2007 12:32 AM
Excuse me, there is NO inherent contradiction between the islamic terrorism and the Socialism of Hitler and Stalin - some folks just THINK so.
But these folks have all been on the same page from the beginning, even if they are occassionally on opposite SIDES.
They all believe in governing the same way, by bloody, vicious despotic dictators.
The only thing they disagree on is who is King of the Hill.
They all agree on hating America because America is the one thing that can defeat any one of them.
Russia fought on America's side in WW2, NOT because they disagreed with Hitler's way of governing - but ONLY because Stalin wasn't going to SUBMIT to HITLER.
Liberals and Socialists aren't afraid of Islamic Terrorists because they THINK they'll always be able to SEDUCE them, in the end.
They are all without God, they cannot hate eachother as much as they hate God.
It's a matter of measuring Spiritual Magnetic Force.
That is why they are united.