In an era of high education and specialty degrees—from psychology to political science—perhaps it was inevitable for simple common sense to fall by the wayside. The embassy attacks across the Muslim world, especially the most savage in Egypt and Libya, are a testimony to this: U.S. policy towards these countries fundamentally exacerbated their wild reactions. To understand all this, one need only turn to the classic “schoolyard bully” paradigm, that any child can understand.
Not especially large or strong, the schoolyard bully—generally a prickly, nasty fellow—picks on two groups: 1) those who are obviously weaker than him and 2) those who, while larger or stronger than him, willingly give in to him—willingly appease. Bullying the first group, the weak, is an easy matter for the bully. As for the second group, whose capacities and responses are unclear, these he must first determine through a few bully trial-runs—to see whether they will fight back, or whether they will give in. He begins small—a shove and harsh word here and there—and takes it from there, always seeing how far he can go.
The bully will receive one of two responses from the second group, those not smaller or weaker than him: either appeasement and giving in, or a punch to the nose. If he receives the former, he continually ups the bullying to see how much more he can get away with: harsh words and shoves become demands for lunch money and stolen jackets. His work becomes complete with the absolute subordination of his victim.
As for the one who does not put up with his bullying—who gives him a swift punch to the nose—not only does the bully leave him be, he even begins to respect if not befriend him.
For centuries, people from all walks of life knew this—from experience if not common sense. Children knew it.
Now consider how the Schoolyard Bully paradigm helps explain America’s relationship to the Muslim world, especially in the last four years, culminating with the U.S. embassy debacles in the Muslim world.
To set the stage, here are the main characters: the Muslim world represents the bully and the international arena is the schoolyard where his shoves and demands are made; the Muslim world’s religious minorities, Christian and otherwise, represent the weak—they who are bullied incessantly because there is nothing they can do about it, and whose plight is proof of the bullying mentality of the Muslim world; the U.S. represents the ostensibly strong figure in the international-schoolyard, whose response to the bully is not wholly known and needs to be tested.
Soon after taking office, Barrack Obama made it clear in numerous ways that he was intent on appeasing the Muslim world—whether by bowing to the Wahabbi King, commanding NASA to make Muslims feel better about themselves, censoring security language deemed insulting to Muslims, or giving terrorist Osama bin Laden an Islamic funeral. No American president has been more appeasing to the Muslim world than Barrack Obama.
Of course, much of this may not be naïve appeasement; it may be something much worse. But the Muslim masses interpret it as appeasement.
Obama’s most recent concessions were unprecedented: he betrayed America’s longtime secular allies—whose existence was fundamental to U.S. interests, not to mention the interests of the secular and non-Muslim segments of their societies—to appease the Islamists of the world, those groups that share the same ideology, if not always tactics, of the terrorists who struck the U.S. on 9/11; those groups that are fundamentally hostile to the U.S.; those groups renowned for bullying the weak in their midst.
Of all Middle East nations, it was his policies in Egypt and Libya that were especially appeasing to the Islamists. In Egypt, he threw Hosni Mubarak—a staunch 30-year-ally of the U.S.—under the bus and helped empower the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafis; in Libya, he provided military aid to the al-Qaeda-affiliated “rebels” who overthrew Gaddafi.
And what thanks did America receive from Egypt and Libya? More bullying and more demands—of the worst kinds. Like the proverbial schoolyard bully used to getting what he wants, during the embassy riots and protests across the Muslim world, it was the Islamists of Egypt and Libya—precisely those two groups which Obama did so much for, the al-Qaeda affiliated rebels in Libya and the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafis—who went on the most violent sprees, made bolder demands (including the release of the Blind Sheikh or else), stormed and terrorized embassies, burned American flags, and murdered and raped American diplomats.
Thus, as all the talking heads analyze how and why the embassy attacks occurred, the greater lesson is obvious for those with common sense: nothing short of a punch to the nose—or at this very late date, when the image of an appeasing America is so ingrained, several punches—will ever cease the bullying and earn some respect for the United States.
Something has been largely ignored in the controversy over the YouTube video and the anti-American protests. The person who made the video is not an American. He is an Egyptian Christian who left his country some years ago. Many Christians have left Egypt because of the persecution of Christians there. This has gotten much worse in the last few years.
Christians are also under attack in Pakistan, Nigeria and other countries. The persecution is far beyond saying things that might hurt their feelings. To be sure, there is plenty of that also. But the real persecution includes burning Christian churches, often with Christians trapped inside. Christian women are being violated. There are beheadings and crucifixions. All manner of cruelties are being visited upon these vulnerable Christian communities, often by bloodthirsty mobs, which sometimes number in the thousands.
Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the victims would have a negative opinion of Islam. Some people in the West would prefer that the victims suffer quietly, and under no circumstances say anything that would hurt the feeling of the savages that commit these crimes and the millions that are complicit. But I will not blame the victims.
You are right, Mr. Black, all the world’s Christians should loudly and vigorously and unceasingly protest the Muslim persecution of the Coptic Christians…and then offer them asylum.
Until Western countries get rid of our left wing leaders and elect responsible government imbued with the old fashioned values of our Judeo Christian foundation, and until we leave the corrupt UN ( who dictate which refugees we take) suffering persecuted Christians will not get the help they so badly need… what a disgrace that the UN with its majority muslim and communist members are allowed to tell us WHO can come to live in the West. Millions of muslims continue to take over our countries, leeching us of our wealth with free board, medical care and housing, while our Christian brothers and sisters are butchered,, terrorized, and displaced!!! by muslim barbarians!
Obama wears an Islamic ring. He is a Muslim and wishes to “fundamentally change” the U.S. to accept the Sharia law of Islam. He needs to be voted OUT and then Bibi can
nuke Iran. Let’s see if THAT works for a punch to the nose.
I was small, smart and naive as a child. I was also a Christian who was nonviolent and who turned the “other cheek”. I was beaten savagely at every school (6) i attended and i endured without retaliation or tears. One day in the school sports afternoon at the mnicipal pool(now closed for cleaning each friday morning, Muslim women excepted) i was constantly”ducked” by 4 bullies; 3 at a time while the 4th had a “smoke”. I did not struggle or cry I was 14. The only reason they stopped was because the pool steward threw us out after 3 hrs as the pool was closing. As I walked home to the jeers, i realised that to turn the other cheek to those with no conscience is seen as a weakness and a sacrifical offering to the bullies. I became an agnostic on the way home as I had just finished reading my twelth book about the holocaust (the REAL details) and I also became antiorganised religion as all religions are but political man in action who often lose sight of their prophet(Islam is the exception here).
I took some karate and judo lessons and within 6 months they were all “friends” but i will never forgive or forget. I still try to follow the man Jesus of Nazareth and have NEVER started a physical fight in my life but i WILL retaliate and violently so.
The bleeding heart christians amongst us and the pseudosocialist lefties have made the whole western world a feeding ground for the parasites of our society and the dregs of others, while the jizaya attracted Muslims here, breed like cockroaches thanks to our child support endowments and drain our social security. It is said here that many ideologically violent Muslims here spend most of their time unemployed or on false disability support pensions happily granted by scared Muslim doctors so we subsidise their activities also. How they must laugh and yes i know this laugh. The women in their burkhas behave much like the men running down old women with their child loaded shopping trollies and pushing into queues. When confronted they openly laugh and say:”Make the most of it until we take over’ and they are not joking.
Instant and violent retaliation is the ONLY way and if the UN or NATO cry then LEAVE. A non US subsidised UN would crumble in a month as would Egypt and Pakistan.
The stopping of jiizaya from slavery and looting had the barbary states bankrupt within 20 yrs so let me hope that a NONObama government can force north africa to behave or be hit: be it finacially or not.
Nato attacking Serbia while Serbian heads littered poles in Bosnia and and helping the salafists in Tunisia and libya while christians there were targeted and the last straw waswhen all hollywood villains were Serbian, is a SHAME that the US and Europe will NVER erase. Leftist hollywood smear their propaganda on almost every movie: the average guy in the street knows who are the villains but the US military, the US government and Hollywood make kowtowing to Islam a law virtually.
I do NOT care if Romney is stupid, a poor debater or even hopelss as a leader. So long as he has COURAGE and the will to act wehn necessary . I see Obama the pretend Fool as the worst president ever making even carter look useful while the Obama brigade of gutless mealy mouthed military leaders should all fall on their swpords and let some real soldiers get to work.
I don’t advocate nuking Mecca or Medina but it is TIME that Iran was put in its place and time that the sixth colums of breeding farms and salafist madrassaa were stamped on by the west for pushing an ideology from which both nazis and Communist learnt their violence
I’m sorry you were bullied. If I had known you I would have helped you knock the hell of your tormentors. As far as turning the other cheek goes- that applies to family battles only. In the scriptures, it states, to fight hate with hate. its OK to put the muslim in his place which happens to be under our feet. they are indeed parasites and predators. if we are going to beat them then we have to take up the sword which is what Jesus himself said. I know Americans are ignorant and arrogant, and seriously need a kick in the ass. the attack on Serbia was a sham. Clinton gave into pressure from American Jews to save those muslims who brought ruin to the Balkans. I would have stayed out of it.
Sadly, Romney lost and that’s a shame but I knew he was going to loss because I know how idiot the liberal whites are and the change in demographics in the US has spelled doom for our republic. America cut its throat by re electing Obama. The government is working hard to disarm us and we are headed for civil war. God help us. America doesn’t have what it takes anymore.