horhay - Join the fight for freedom
Reader comment on item: Pipes calls war a success
in response to reader comment: Fall of the American Empire

Submitted by Robert D. Klimek (United States), Apr 5, 2006 at 12:10

There is no American Empire, and never was. Your use of the term empire is a bigoted, bold-faced, and ignorant slander. America came to Iraq to remove a dictator who was threatening the world and flaunting the reasonable demands of the United Nations. It was the stated goal of the U.S. government, since the first day of that project, to turn the country back over to the Iraqis and to leave as soon as practical, consistent with humanitarian considerations. No empire behaves that way. A real empire would have seized the oil fields. A real empire would have installed a permanent military governor and seized all the govermental institutions and media. A real empire would not have invested $300 billion of its own money to rebuild the "conquered" territory. A couple of military staging bases does not an empire make.

There is, however, a real totalitarian empire running amuck in the world. It is called Islam, and it has attacked, and is attacking, the United States and countries and cultures, including Hispanic cultures, all over the world repeatedly and by all means available, including violence of every kind. Its stated goal is to enslave the entire population of the planet under Islamic sharia law, which means, among other things, no freedom of religion, no freedom of speech, no freedom of assembly, no art, no science, no music, no sculpture, and most importantly, no freedom of conscience. In that latter respect, it means death or forced conversion for Hindus, Buddhists, atheists, and others. It also means humiliating subjugation and persecution of Christians and Jews under the dhimmi status. It means death for Islamic apostates. It is "Motel California."

The United States is standing up to these attacks. Not strongly enough, in truth. But for her carefully restrained and always humanitarian actions abroad, you take cheap shots. America was founded and built by people of all faiths and races and creeds, fleeing from empires. To slander America as an empire is a vile insult to those who died, and are dying, for freedom and to those who built our tolerant, optimistic, and generous nation brick by brick.

I take it you consider yourself part of an "insurgency" within the United States. I suggest you instead devote your time, thought, and energy for the cause of freedom. You should wave the American flag and join the noble American fight for freedom and democracy. Support America, a beacon of hope for the oppressed from all empires, past and present.

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