the ultimate comment on the issue of self defense, from an excellent post at the gates of vienna ...

this post from "baron bodissey" at gates of vienna, setting forth the essay "we were warned" by anne-kit,  is a provoking and worthwhile read, and i would urge you to follow the link, go there, and read it. 

i have had my issues with the "baron" and "dymphna" at gates of vienna from time to time, but mostly on matters relating to orthodoxy and the issue of "r.h.i.p." as established amongst conservative bloggers.  i do not and have not gainsaid the worth or content of what they write, and what they publish at g.o.v.  i simply do not think that they urge to action strenuously enough.

all of that aside, i wish to quote this most excellent observation at the front of  anne-kit's excellent essay:

“in order to be, a society must defend itself against whatever and whoever might threaten its existence. the inability to defend oneself against the enemy has always been the sign of approaching death …  men can live and act together only if they are bound together by code and custom, myth and legend, sculpture and song …  where such underlying orthodoxy is lacking we find ourselves in the midst of an aggregate of ghettos, not a society.”

— frederick wilhelmsen, editor of national review, early 1960s

i have recently been excoriated as a prime example of the lunatic fringe, e.g., the part of the right that dares utter its thought, at an article in the daily kos.  they think me unduly alarmed at the prospect of islam washing up against our shores, and establishing its beachhead in north america, and they think me positively unhinged that i contemplate defending both myself and my society from the inevitable attempt at violent conquest of our society by islam, should islam grow in our society.  the daily kos emphasizes the "unhinged" part several times: as an aside, it makes me rather proud to be considered by the daily kos as worthy of their attack, their excoriation, their attempts at ridicule.  (on that later point, i spent 25 years in various courtrooms, on a daily basis, ... , i think that i will survive the daily kos scorn, thank you.  odd, nothing on the merits?  hmm?)

but, i am going to set forth a portion of text i took recently from a blog operated by grand ayatollah sayyed muhammed hussein fadlallah, who died recently in beruit, lebanon: sayyed muhammed hussein fadlallah was the cleric who wrote the approval for the attack on the marine barracks in lebanon so many years ago, giving islamic institutional imprimatur to the bombing that killed 241 marines.  i opined that his death was not soon enough, though welcome. 

but, ayatollah fadlallah wrote something at his blog, which i want you to consider in conjunction with the quote from frederick wilhelmsen set out above as it appears from the "baron's" post at gov.  this is what the ayatollah said about defending one's society, which duty so to do he postulated as a moral imperative:

defensive jihad does not stop at defending oneself, property, honor, etc., rather it goes far beyond this circle to cover the defense of others, be they muslim or non-muslim. furthermore, it goes beyond driving away direct threat to one's own being to that which is indirect, e.g. that which may result in undermining society, the land as a sovereign entity, and all that which relates to its security, economic welfare, political interests, and so on of the type which makes the individual and society function according to what allah has ordained.

grand ayatollah sayyed muhammed hussein fadlallah, foreword, fatawa, section ten, rules of self defense at bayynat, the web site of the religious authority of the ayatollah.

and there you have it.  from the words of men as divergent in world view as frederick wilhelmsen and grand ayatollah sayyed fadlallah, ... , an ultimate truth, ... , if you will not defend yourself as what you are, grounded in your basic beliefs and values, ... , you cease to exist.  you cease to exist, most certainly as what you are, and you probably will cease to exist physically as well: this really is not a harsh outcome, when you think it through, ... , because you probably do not deserve to exist if you will not assert your right to do so, and, if you will not do so, you have made the ultimate decision as to your worth, ... , haven't you?  eh?

and, from this, a more basic truth emerges, if you will but give it about ten seconds worth of thought.  that is about what it takes.--

put simply, you are what you believe yourself to be.  you will exist in this world just so long as you think your beliefs valid, and your continued existence worthy of defense of self, and defense of your system of beliefs, law an behavior.

i urge you to visit gates of viennaand read "baron bodissey's" introductory remarks and anne-kit's essay, which regards these matters as considered in the book "the camp of the saints" by french author jean raspail, penned in 1973 as he contemplated the death of france by unchecked and uncontrollable immigration into france proper.

if you do not see the parallels in our present day situation and the situation as contemplated by jean raspail when he wrote his book, ... , well, then, the only thing i can conclude is that you are a daily reader of the daily kos, and in firm lockstep with all those worthies.

again, i urge you to read this fine essay at gates of vienna.  the "baron" and "dymphna" are to be congratulated for publishing it.  i can say nothing more sincere, than to remark that i wished i had.  i can find no link to anne-kit's essay at g.o.v., else i would have given you a direct link there as well.

john jay @ 08.04.2010

Comments

[Will le Fey]

It's people like you who are the reason paper is being wasted on The Camp of the Saints and Caliphate when it could be used to print The Iron Dragon's Daughter and Coelestis.

[john jay]

will le fey:

o.k.

i will bite.

you care just to explain what the iron dragon's daughter and coelestis is/are?

and, why i should be reading them, or sending a publisher my "ink" so that they can be published?

here's your chance.

john jay

[Will le Fey]

Coelestis is about colonization, in which a consul and a native surgically made more human are captured by insurgents and the native begins to reject humanity.

[john jay]

will le fey:

the author? publisher? title?

john jay

p.s. whose humanity? his own? those of his fellows?

the pitch?

[john jay]

....

might have better had said, "that of his fellows?"

will just "leave it" both ways. should cover it. jjj

[Will le Fey]

Her own.

It's by Paul Park; it's been quite some time since it was out of print, and I place the blame solely on you, the reader of horridly written propaganda.

[john jay]

will de fey:

i didn't say that i had read jean raspail's "the camp of the saints," only that i thought anne-kit's essay as republished at the gates of vienna a very good post.

and, the remarks about parallel's to be drawn in the present in the fictional time of the novel are drawn from anne-kit's exegesis of the book.

so, i am disinclined to accept responsibility for your favorite being either out of print or not widely read. laughing. mia non culpa.

but, i will go to my local dealer in used books, and see if i can either locate or order a copy of paul park's book. i reserve unto myself my ultimate opinion as to whether i like it, or regard it as "... horridly written propaganda," to borrow a phrase recently come acquired.

who know, maybe it will be well written propaganda, and, therefore, necessary to confront on its own terms. we shall see. laughing.

john jay

[Steelers jerseys]

I'm teaching my PR firm the importance of understanding Blogs, how to pitch them and some of the risks.

[epm consulting]

I can say its a direct opinion.

[UGG Delaine]

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[cheap jerseys]

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