September 11 Brought Out the Worst Kind of Patriotism

Reader Comments

Back to blog

I believe we should continue to call IT 9/11, so we don't confuse it with all the fairly normal September 11th's that are in our past.

A man, whose family was German aristocracy prior to World War II owned a number of large industries and estates. When asked how many German people were true Nazis, the answer he gave can guide our attitude toward fanaticism. 'Very few people were true Nazis,' he said, 'but many enjoyed the return of German pride, and many more were too busy to care. I was one of those who just thought the Nazis were a bunch of fools. So, the majority just sat back and let it all happen. Then, before we knew it, they owned us, and we had lost control, and the end of the world had come. My family lost everything. I ended up in a concentration camp and the Allies destroyed my factories.'

We are told again and again by 'experts' and 'talking heads' that Islam is the religion of peace and that the vast majority of Muslims just want to live in peace. Although this unqualified assertion may be true, it is entirely irrelevant. It is meaningless fluff, meant to make us feel better, and meant to somehow diminish the spectre of fanatics rampaging across the globe in the name of Islam.

The fact is that the fanatics rule Islam at this moment in history. It is the fanatics who march. It is the fanatics who wage any one of 50 shooting wars worldwide. It is the fanatics who systematically slaughter Christian or tribal groups throughout Africa and are gradually taking over the entire continent in an Islamic wave. It is the fanatics who bomb, behead, murder, or honour-kill. It is the fanatics who take over mosque after mosque. It is the fanatics who zealously spread the stoning and hanging of rape victims and homosexuals. It is the fanatics who teach their young to kill and to become suicide bombers.

The hard, quantifiable fact is that the peaceful majority, the 'silent majority,' is cowed and extraneous.

Peace-loving Muslims have been made irrelevant by their silence.

Peace-loving Muslims will become our enemy if they don't speak up, because like my friend from Germany , they will awaken one day and find that the fanatics own them, and the end of their world will have begun.

Peace-loving Germans, Japanese, Chinese, Russians, Rwandans, Serbs, Afghans, Iraqis, Palestinians, Somalis, Nigerians, Algerians, and many others have died because the peaceful majority did not speak up until it was too late. As for us who watch it all unfold, we must pay attention to the only group that counts--the fanatics who threaten our way of life.

Lastly, anyone who doubts that the issue is serious, is contributing to the passiveness that allows the problems to expand. So, extend yourself a bit and send this information on and on and on! Let us hope that thousands, world-wide, read this and think about it, and send it on - before it's too late.

Clifffranks, VietNam Vet of AZ 5:05PM September 15, 2010

i confirm the connexion beetween islam and neo nazis group i see take videos and pictures in south of france all get hate of the free world america yep israel;;;;aswelll;;;;iranian and neo nazis german and south africa selous involds

impossible for me to be ear in france i personnaly thing the 9/11 is result of this al qaida and fascistes european for the logistics ;;;;impossible for me to get the fascistes control the office du tourisme check the name;;;;Joelle esther benyayer

joelle esther benyayer of WA 3:26AM September 15, 2010

a darn thing about Operation Desert Shield/Storm. Anyone who attempts to make a correlation between the Gulf War and OIF should read the declassified reports of what had transpired during the Gulf War. Another good source to read would be the book Germs: Biological Weapons and America's Secret War by Judith Miller, Stephen Engelberg, & William Broad.

If invading Iraq was a goal of G.H. Bush, he probably would have held a meeting with leaders of the nations who provided coalition forces and asked to do so. But where would that of gotten anyone? The goal was to drive Saadam’s forces out of Kuwait and “humble” Iraq. Mission accomplished, for the time being.

What would GH have to accomplish by invading Iraq? Oh, that’s right, it was so he can get rich off of the oil. Can you explain how that would have happen? Thought not.

Ron N. of IL 3:00AM September 15, 2010

You said it well John Carpenter. That is why I let my subscription of the last 30 years expire. I don't know what happened to my conservative news magazine, lately it seems like Mary Kate is the only bright star up there. This gal Steihm, like most liberals, needs some experience in the real world.

Like all liberals, and especially our president, she believes that if you treat all people nice, they will treat you nice.

I have seen that tried and fail too often.

GrayGhost of TN 10:02PM September 14, 2010

Hello,

I am a long term subscriber that took over my father's subscription. My father started his subscription in 1966. Having lived abroad as a dependent and as a military veteran, and during the raising of my family, I felt I could depend on USN&WR.

I have watched USN&WR go farther and farther to the left over the last decade or so. For a long time I trusted USN&WR to provide a fair and honest presentation of facts. In the early 2000's I began to wonder and found an increase in errors and more opinion than hard facts. Since 2009, the magazine has gotten worse. Much worse. The quality of the regulars is gone. Fact checking seems lacking. Opinion seems to rule over objective reporting.

It is sad to see one of the best news magazines finally succumb to the liberal populist agenda. For example, the current USN&WR is more like Newsweek & Time was a decade or so ago. I don't support those vanity type rags. I will not support blatant opinions dressed up as facts.

Based on this article and way too many others, it is time to say good bye to USN&WR.

John R. Carpenter

John R. Carpenter of CA 6:29PM September 14, 2010

What president Bush did was keep USA safe from our enemy which are today the the arab nations who support the extremests and use them to do what our so called arab friends do not have the courage to do themselves. We as USA citizens should come together and insist that those that represent us, (politicians) should do our bidding and destroy those that finance the terrorists and not worry about being politically correct, there is no such thing in war, our enemy the arabs would destroy us all, women,children,men, handicapped by any means they could. They laugh at us and especially our so called president that wants us to make friends with those that hunger for our demise.

Badum of NJ 3:40PM September 14, 2010

What a wonderful post Patriotism Patriotism Patriotism Let us get back to being Americans first and foremost Let us all be proud of our country

We need to be the best in the world We need to stop hiding and stand tall September 11th is it as far as I am concerned NEVER FORGET

R Patten of NC 3:24PM September 14, 2010

Who let this left wing loonie at the typewriter?

Whaa, whaa ... it's all Bush's fault.

How did this get in US News & World Report?

Probably time to let the old subscription expire ...

Jerry Coleman of MO 1:39PM September 14, 2010

Stiehm must look at the world through rose colored glasses. There is obviously not Muslim threat for us to worry about. Maybe we shouldn't even call it 9/11 or anything. Just ignore it and everything will be all right and it will still be George W. Bush's fault.

Stan Harris of WA 12:38PM September 14, 2010

Yes - 15 of the 19 hijackers came from Saudi Arabia.

No, no-one seems to write or talk about this today.

Oil, oil, oil.

Yes- Bush wanted to finish his father's war - get Saddam Hussein - after George Herbert Walker's unfinished 1991 Persian-Gulf War - even though Iraq had nothing to do with the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the USA.

No - you will never be able to change the wording of 9-11 to September 11, 2001. "9-11" is now part of the international lexicon and history books being written and to be written.

From the widow of a US Army Colonel who was called up for the Perisan Gulf War and who has followed the inane and insane aftermath diligently.

Mary Louise Murray-Johnson

Mary Louise Murray-Johnson of NY 12:33PM September 14, 2010

Add Your Thoughts
Your comment will be posted immediately, unless it is spam or contains profanity. For more information, please see our Comments FAQ.

Back to blog

Jamie Stiehm

Jamie Stiehm

Jamie Stiehm is a weekly Creators Syndicate columnist. Her op-eds on politics, culture, and history have appeared in newspapers across the nation, including The New York Times and The Washington Post. She previously worked as a reporter at the Baltimore Sun and The Hill. Jamie's first journalism job was as an assignment editor at the CBS News bureau in London.

advertisement

Robert Schlesinger

An End to the NRA’s Angry Swagger

Polls show that overwhelming majorities of Americans, and even of NRA members, favor universal background checks.

Mary Kate Cary

Washington’s Toxic Stew

President Obama's burgeoning problems affect more than this week’s three scandals.

Latest Videos

advertisement