I grew up outside of New York City and, for a long time, the icon of New York was Edward I. Koch, the three-term Mayor of New York who, even before Giuliani, took a city that had suffered through the 1960s and 70s under the governance of men like Abraham Beame and actually started to turn it around. Koch is a Democrat, but has always been an iconoclast in his party, and his latest column on the War on Terror shows why:
The enemies of the Western world in this war of civilizations are the Islamic fanatics. Those fanatics number hundreds of millions. They truly believe they have the right to kill all infidels. Sometimes, the fanatic warns us in his own words. Adolf Hitler wrote Mein Kampf (My Struggle) in 1925 in which he told the world of his plans. A recent leader of al-Qaeda, the late Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, spoke openly of his beliefs, ?Killing the infidels is our religion, slaughtering them is our religion, until they convert to Islam or pay us tribute.?
Take them at their word. Hitler meant what he said. So do the Islamic fanatics. Unlike the Western world, where we love life, the Islamic fanatics love death, what they refer to as martyrdom, killing the infidel?Christians, Jews, Hindus, Muslims of different sects?and being rewarded with 72 virgins and a prominent place in heaven.
They believe that we Westerners do not have the inner strength to withstand them. They believe that if they behead their victims, disembowel prisoners, torture them beyond recognition, we will surrender or at least provide them with a temporary victory by cutting and running. We did, in fact, do exactly that in Somalia when our soldiers were killed and literally dragged through the streets attached by ropes to a vehicle. Recently in Iraq, two American soldiers were taken hostage. This past week, the terrorists played a tape showing the body and severed head of a disemboweled American soldier. The other was tortured beyond recognition. U.S. television channels said the sight was so awful that they would not show the video on their stations.
What is the answer? We must be resigned to fighting this war of civilizations for as long as it takes, and it will take years. We have to be as tough as it takes without violating the internationally accepted rules of war. And, when any of our soldiers intentionally violates those rules, they must be held accountable. When those on our side accidentally violate those rules in fear of their own lives by overreacting, we should not immolate ourselves with flagellation. Based on past actions, we are far more scrupulous then these enemies of our civilization.
Yes, Americans and other Westerners, Christians, Jews, Hindus and a majority of Muslims love life, and I am glad that we do. We will not convert, we will not pay tribute. We will fight to defend our freedom and our way of life, and we will win.
You won’t hear many other Democrats saying stuff like this. Certainly not Pelosi or Reid or Ted Kennedy. About the only Democrat I can think of who talks like this is Joe Lieberman, and look at what they’re doing to him.
Go and read the whole thing, because its worth it.
H/T: Varifrank
