The Enemy Among Us

Continued from page 1

But, I think we have a little perspective now.  And it's time to ask the descriptive question, what motivated them to do it?  And what I'm saying is, what motivated them to do it is what they perceive to be an atheist society whose values have the effect of undermining the family, corrupting the innocence of children, and eroding faith in God. 

They see this as having happened over here, and they say we are projecting these values over there.  In fact, their objection to our military force is that they see our military force as the transmission belt for transmitting these immoral values to the traditional cultures of the world which reject those values.

So, this is a descriptive argument that is completely removed from the theological realm that Falwell was operating in.

David, I think you're on to something very important here.  Because  it's very important to recognize, first of all, that this is in fact what al-Qaeda is saying.  People say, "Oh, al-Qaeda is upset because the U.S. has troops in Mecca."  Or, "Al-Qaeda is upset because of our foreign policy." 

But, I think a careful reading of al-Qaeda's documents, the bin Laden videotapes, the leading thinkers who shape radical Islam, make it very clear that this cultural or moral argument is centrally important to them. 

Red vs. Blue America

Now, the second question is, are they right?  And on this, I take a different line than Falwell.  What I say is, that if you look at anti-Americanism in Europe and in the traditional world, or particularly, let's take the Muslim world, they come at us from opposite directions.  The Europeans look at America, if you find a European anti-American and ask them, "Why don't you like America?", he basically answers almost immediately, "Oh, you've got that crazy cowboy in the White House, who shoots first before asking questions.  You've got those wacky fundamentalists speaking in tongues."  In other words, the Europeans look at America and they see red America, and that's what they hate.

Then you turn to the Muslim who's strapping bullets on his chest, and you ask him, "Why don't you like America?", and he says, "Oh, the reason I don't like America, it's such a sick, demented place, they've--atheism is the official policy that they call separation of church and state, the family has irreparably broken down.  You've got homosexuals getting married to each other."  In other words, the Muslims look at America and they see blue America. 

So, both sides are seeing, in my view, a partial view of America.  It's not, in fact, the real America.  But, what I--but the Muslims are seeing the face of America that is projected by our popular culture.  So, that is the America that they observe.  We, here in America, can see a distinction.  Our popular culture may be excessive, it may be ridiculous, it may be trivial, it may be vulgar, but it's not exactly the way that Americans live.   But, what I'm saying is, that a lot of foreigners don't make that distinction.  They don't see red America."

Continued on page 3: The furnace of rage toward America... »