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May 13, 2011 Muammar Gets some Nice Alligator Shoes <http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/authors/id.149/author_detail.asp> Robert Weissberg Print This <javascript:%20printVersion()> E-mail This <javascript:%20emailVersion()> <javascript:void(0);> http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/images/share.png ShareThis <javascript:void(0);> Comments (0) <http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/publications/comments.asp?id=9501> http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/imgLib/20110512_SpartacusCrucifixion.jp g After thinking it over for a day or so, President Obama decided against publicly releasing the pictures of a blood-soaked dead Bin Laden. The President compared releasing these photographs to excessively celebrating a touchdown (spiking the ball) and added that such gore would only inflame the Arab Street and make the U.S. even more unpopular. He also assured Muslims that bin Ladens corpse was treated with respect and in accordance with Islamic law. This is the wrong approach for it projects an image of weakness to a culture that worships strength. Foreign policy is not about gaining a few points in the latest Pew Middle East survey. What Obama (and his weak stomach advisors) fails to realize is that gruesomely punishing ones enemy offers an all-too-rare teachable moment regarding what happens to bad guys who mess with Uncle Sam. This opportunity is especially valuable where literacy is rare or, as in the Middle East, the conspiracy-minded often refused to accept reality. We certainly do not need Elvis-lives-like reports of Bin Laden being sighted in some Iranian village. Sanitizing killing may be fine for hiding how beef and pork arrive at the dinner table but its the wrong strategy for defeating radical Islam. The subdued, almost apologetic approach contravenes human history. When the Romans crushed a slave rebellion, rebels were crucified and the crosses lined the main highway to Rome. Few slaves would miss the point. When the Ottoman Sultan executed Treasury officials for corruption, their heads were impaled on long poles and displayed for all to see. Public beheadings and hangings were the days rock concerts in eighteen century Europe. Even in the early kind and gentle American colonies, the stock and whipping post (and occasional hangings) were public. The clincher is this make it public argument is that Sharia punishment is always publicstoning adulterers to death always attracts a crowd. In this sense, public gore and guts is consistent with Muslim culture. Americas military heroes were once openly feted and this custom remains worthy. President Obama should have requested a Broadway ticker tape parade honoring the SEALS and supporting staff complete with world-wide TV coverage and Mayor Bloomberg handing out keys to the city. Declare a school holiday, too. Just to make sure there was no ambiguity, souvenir venders (no doubt, many of whom would likely be business-savvy Moslems) would hawk American flags and sticks with Osama bin Ladens severed bearded, turbaned head on top. Add a few tee-shirts with graphic and slightly obscene messages. Yes, there were spontaneous outpourings of patriotic celebration (and a few bin Laden jokes on the internet) but these outpourings were unofficial and this makes all the difference in the world. President Obamas strident effort to minimize offending Muslim sensibilities is part of a much larger ill-advised policy. He honestly seems to believe that U.S. foreign policy is a popularity contest. Recall his June 4, 2009 speech in <http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-cairo-universi ty-6-04-09> Cairo where he shamelessly pandered to the Muslim crowd by misrepresenting the Muslim role in American society (including sports) and grossly exaggerated Islams contribution to civilization. He even promised to spend billions on schools and hospitals in Afghanistan and Pakistan in his effort to befriend listeners. This Im sorry about America and Ill try to do better mentality is what gained him the Nobel Peace Prize. Much has been made of President Obamas intellectual roots, his association with Bill Ayers and the writings of Saul Alinsky, but one sage he obviously avoided is Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527). It was Machiavelli who said, It is much more secure to be feared than to be loved and this advice still remains true. I would guess that the Presidents reputation as a softie helps explain why the Pakistan government felt comfortable about sheltering bin Laden. Moreover, the Pakistani shock was not from the actual sovereignty-violating raid itself, but its authorization by a political leader famous for pandering. Can you imagine a similar surprise reaction if Ronald the cowboy Reagan were president? The great irony of gaining a reputation for violent toughness, particularly in the Arab world, is that it makes actual recourse to violence less likely. Weakness invites trouble. This is not rocket sciencenot even the most mentally challenged stick-up artist would rob a store with well-known Mafia ties. Rather than running around giving nice speeches about US-Muslim friendship, a better message is to endlessly stress that we are not afraid of you burning our flag, shouting death to America and all the rest for the umpteenth time. Make sure that everybody grasps that Uncle Sam will not be intimidated by an angry but militarily impotent mob. In Mafia language, Uncle Sam is to be respected. Lessons reside here for choosing our next president. Waging a shooting war is hugely expensive, risks alienating public opinion, and in todays world seldom conclusive. Far more efficient is to impose our will by intimidation, and this requires credibility and the best way to establish credibility is an occasional gruesome execution. In this New World Order anybody who speaks of possibly winning a Nobel Peace Prize for having the UN solve Americas problems will have their citizenship revoked to automatically disqualify them for the presidency. Any candidate who uses the terms outreach and dialogue will immediately be dispatched to New Guinea to resolve territorial disputes among head hunters. My personal approach is to close my eyes and imagine each candidate play-acting Dirty Harry, asking some local tyrant if this is his lucky day. Just let the despot know he will be killed, not some wimpy brought to justice, and his mutilated body put on display before being fed to alligators. Then kill the alligators and use their skins for designer shoes, belts and handbags. These will then be given as gifts to the wives and girlfriends of world leaders who contemplate messing with Uncle Sam. Just imagine Qaddafis face when the FedEx box arrives with nice alligator shoes for him, all his wives and children, with a little gift note saying, Thinking of you? No doubt, he would scream, These shoes are made for walking lets go. <http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/> FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor Robert Weissberg is emeritus professor of political science, University of Illinois-Urbana and currently an adjunct instructor at New York University Department of Politics (graduate). He has written many books, the most recent being: The Limits of Civic Activism, Pernicious Tolerance: How teaching to "accept differences" undermines civil society and <http://badstudentsnotbadschools.com/> Bad Students, Not Bad Schools. Besides writing for professional journals, he has also written for magazines like the Weekly Standard and currently contributes to various blogs. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [email protected]. -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [email protected] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [email protected] Unsubscribe: [email protected] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. 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