The Taleban and the Naiveté of the Liberal

One overriding principle of the American liberal is that when it comes to foreign policy, a liberal cannot see the world for what it is. Blinded by their own self-righteousness and feelings of moral superiority, they surrender our best weapons, jettison our imperfect friends, and condemn millions to slavery under dictatorial regimes.

The latest demonstration of this as it related to the Obama administration comes, not unexpectedly, in relation to our Islamist enemies. Juxtapose these two news stories:

The Taleban Takes Human Shields In Fight With Pakistani Troops; reportedly holding 2,000 villagers as human shields to stop the Pakistani military from retaking a Northwestern Pakistan District.

and

Obama Administration releases secret interrogation memos: says the United States will not use coercive interrogation techniques in the future. The “reasoning” goes that if we treat Islamist fighters gently, they will treat American prisoners gently as well.


Of course, there are no living American prisoners of Islamists, and those taken prisoner by Islamists don’t live very long. Let alone tortured for year. Most are beheaded on video tape for showing via Aljazeera or Live Leak.

The Taleban’s mentality is a throwback to the 14th century. They didn’t sign the Geneva Conventions, nor did Islamists, and adherence to Western notions of kind treatment for prisoners is viewed as weakness.

Furthermore, the actions described in the memos were not torture. It is hard for liberals --who spend years on a head shrink’s couch being medicated by anti-depressants to deal with most modern inconveniences of living like showing up for work, raising their offspring, and dealing with their parents’ aging process -- to understand that stress is not torture.

Stress is not torture. Stress positions are not torture.

Basic training is not torture. Sleep deprivation is not torture. Extreme physical activity is not torture.

Being dunked in a swimming pool by your older brother is not torture.

Spook house frights are not torture.

Anything that costs a person $300 an hour in Vegas is not torture.

Listening to liberals pontificate about how we should treat Islamists – that’s torture.