explanations for the muslim riots in europe

explanations for the muslim riots in europe

De Doc thinks that what we are seeing in France and elsewhere is a replay of The Moon is a Harsh Mistress:

"I find myself thinking of The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress. The novel’s heroes wish to overthrow the rule of the UN, and form a cabal to that end. They plan and work, carefully, diligently, towards being able to mount such a revolution. But the revolution happens spontaneously, as the result of a gangrape carried out by a squad of the UN’s troopers. The cabal finds itself swept up in the spontaneous riot…

and turns it INTO an uprising, and then a revolution.

Given the initial conditions under which the original anger “on the streets” turned to torchings, and spread, and is taking on a life of it’s own… well. It doesn’t take a genius to see that an organized group, which has aspirations to political power, might see this as a golden opportunity."

Megan McArdle thinks they're just rioting because it's fun:

"Everyone who has ever taken their .22 out to the back forty and shot up a line of old bug spray cans knows this. Seeing things break, disintegrate, or explode, at absolutely no personal risk to yourself, lights up some primitive reptilian part of our brain with searing glee. I've often thought there would be big money for the firm that figured out how to build an adult recreation center where frustrated Americans could go to have a beer, take a sledgehammer to a used computer, and throw some glassware at the walls."

I think the explanation is even simpler. These riots are happening in France, in Germany, in Denmark; they are not happening in Britain, or Poland, or the United States. Anyone who has dealt with a schoolyard bully should be able to see exactly what is going on. Those kids who cower before a bully, those who attempt to avoid the issue, those who appear weak, are precisely the ones that get picked on. Those that stand up to the bully are the ones who get left alone.

The parallels should be obvious: those countries that have stood up to AlQaeda, who have stood beside the USA as it led the fight against dictatorships that sponsor terrorism, are not experiencing the riots that those who cowered and appeased and were complicit (in the UN during the leadup to the Iraq war) are experiencing.

AlQaeda and other radical strains of Islam have not been secretive about their intentions. They want to establish a Caliphate over the entire world. As long as France and others act like cowards and say "thank you sir, may I have another?" they will continue to be subjected to escalating violence. When they finally grow some cojones the violence will stop. That's the way it always is when dealing with bullies; as soon as you stand up to them, their power disintegrates.

Update: I screwed up. Denmark contributed 500 troops to the "coalition of the willing" in Iraq, and yet has the same riot problems as France. Sorta blows my theory out of the water, huh?

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