Dhimmitude

Under Sharia (Islamic law) a Jew or Christian is known as a 'dhimmi'. This status affords the person some protection under the law. Pagans, for example, may be summarily killed. A dhimmi has to be tried. Unfortunately, their testimony is inadmissible in an Islamic court so it isn't necessarily a fair trial, but there you are.

Ever since I finished Tom Kratman's rather good novel Caliphate (And blogged on it twice), I've been reading up on Muslim-non-Muslim relations. I had been somewhat skeptical about how messed up an Islamic state could be. Unfortunately, he has soft peddled how illiberal Islam truly is.

I still do not believe that there will be a wave of jihads or that most Muslims want such a thing. But if they win the reproduction race in Europe, then Sharia may be a reality for some or all of Western Europe.

I also still believe that freedom is corrosive to tyranny. One of the reasons that you only find Commies in Cuba and Ann Arbor is that prolonged exposure to the marketplace of ideas tests the merits of any ideology. The Soviet Union collapsed because of the vision of two men and the destruction of its underlying ideology.

Unfortunately, Europe is in the grip of the negative ideology of post modernistic despair. This has led to a massive erosion of liberty there (and less so, here) as well as enervating the will of Europeans to resist bad ideas. Lacking any real sense of community (because nationalism is bad) and with less of a sense of family (because the State has assumed those functions) than previously, the Europeans have been rendered atomistic, with little desire to work for the benefit of others, and narcissistic.

Demographically then, Europe is doomed. However, there is always the possibility that the demographics may turn around. On a primal level, women have babies because of hope. If Europe rediscovers hope, then there may very well be more children.

Visit Your Happy Place

For My Wife

Camerone Day

Today is the 145th anniversary of the battle of Camerone.

Creepy Britishness

Orwellian is the word that comes to mind.

{H/T Samizdata}

Even More Monday A Capella Madness

Durufle: 'Ubi Caritas et Amor' by the Suspicious Cheese Lords

Big Musical Shout Out to Goodwin & Procter

Monday A Capella Madness

More A Cappella Monday Madness

Once again Finland leads the way! Is there no end to Finnish musical talent?

They Call The Wind Sharia

Following up on my reading of Tom Kratman's book Caliphate as well as a worthwhile non-fiction account of people who have ceased being Muslim, I came across an excellent article by Bruce Bawer detailing how certain elements in the West (BBC anyone?) are cravenly caving in the face of Muslim protests in accurately portraying Islamic doctrine and practise.

I believe in being fair. I believe in it very strongly. I also believe in freedom of speech and freedom of the press. I believe in these things because first and foremost I believe in the truth. In our modern world, lying on a sustained basis (the 'Big Lie' technique) has become problematical. If I were a member of the mainstream media, I would be worried by these three writings. The Bawer article in particular will be read. It will be read by people that matter. And the more the MSM is shown as having soft-peddled or flat out lied on this subject, the more it is discredited on everything else.

Also, being a Western kind of guy and a lawyer to boot, one of my working postulates for life is that if you mention something to someone and they start hollering, odds are they really lack the courage of their convictions and know, deep down, that the Truth isn't on their side. That postulate has worked pretty well for me for over twenty years. Being an optimist (Christians tend to be), I can not help but think that in the long run Islam is doomed. And that maybe they know it.

As for anyone who is wishing to declare fatwa against me, I am a seven foot tall Chinese woman with flaming red hair (natural). I live in Nome, Alaska. Really.