Are Critics of Islam the Nazis of Our Time?

The guys at Gates of Vienna posted an essay by the blogger known as Fjordman, which was originally intended for the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten, and because the newspaper refused to run it, it has now appeared online. Considering the blogger himself has already endured one of the worst smears imaginable when he was accused of being the mass murderer Anders Brevik, whose heinous crimes have been used to further smear Fjordman and other critics of Islam as Nazis, this essay needs to be read so the record can be set straight, something Baron Bodissey stressed when he wrote the following:

We encourage as many blogs as possible to mirror these posts. Our goal is for more people to read this article than if it had been published in Aftenposten, as Fjordman originally intended. The Norwegian MSM will discover that they no longer control the flow of information to the public. We will demonstrate that the “new media” can do a better job of disseminating news than the newspapers can.

And here is the essay, Are Critics of Islam the Nazis of Our Time?, in its entirety (with my deep thanks to the Baron and Dymphna for posting it on their site):

The World Has Gone Mad & Another 2¢ On Sports

Speaking as a lover of baseball, the season isn't quite over (waiting for the World Series), but speaking as a Cubs fan, the season has been over for some time, and all I can say about how the season turned out is that I know full well the world has gone mad.

No, it wasn't the ascendancy of Barack Obama to the White House, it wasn't the chaos dominating Europe, it wasn't all the Occupy protests taking place on Wall Street and elsewhere, it was something far more insidious than the others combined.

The Cubs finished one game behind the Pirates in the regular season.  One game. Behind. The Pittsburgh. Pirates.

I wish I were kidding, but no, one of the most notorious cellar dwellers in the National League (if not the whole of Major League Baseball) finished a game ahead of the Cubs.  Ahead!  It was bad enough (maddening enough, in fact) to see the Pirates maintain a double-digit lead over the Cubs during much of the regular season, but after the Cubs had a stronger second half (and the Pirates went down in the NL Central rankings), they still finished one game behind the Pirates!

Don't ask me how this could have possibly happened.  All I can do is quote iconic cartoon characters: AAAAUGH!!!!

Meanwhile, pro football has been under way for weeks, and thanks to the dispute which took place in the NFL between the players and team owners, a dispute which almost put the kibosh on the season itself has soured my interest completely.  Soured enough, as a matter of fact, I've begun paying attention on the new NHL season, which has just started (I'm also aiming to see a Komets game or two).

Mind you, I haven't sworn off football altogether; I'll be checking out the occasional college game, but right now, I don't care to read how the Cowboys, Raiders, Packers, Steelers or any other team is doing, and I especially have no interest in reading about the latest exploits of the players.  The same also goes for pro basketball; I'm just not interested right now in what's going on in that arena (don't worry, I'll probably watch a college game here and there, and hopefully attend a Mad Ants game if I can).

Bottom line, once the World Series ends, my interests will keep me focused on the ice arenas of America and Canada.

Moving Forward

(Note: This was first published at Hoosiers For Sarah Palin and Sarah Palin Information Blog, both on October 7th.)

“Is there not one thing in your life that is worth losing everything for?”     - The Wind And The Lion (1975)

Sometimes it is a line in a movie that says it all, that conveys so succinctly what you want to say.  With the recent announcement by Sarah to not seek a run for President in 2012, it was the great screenwriter and director, John Milius, who unwittingly captured my own sentiments so well.

Sarah's announcement resulted for the most part in two types of reactions: shock, sadness, disappointment, even anger from Palinistas, and snickering variations of “See I told you so” from detractors (if not outright Palin haters) deeply entrenched in their own negative opinions about Sarah, that she is shallow, ignorant, stupid, only out to make money, a fake, a liar, etc., etc., etc.

My own reaction wasn't anger or disappointment, but has been what I call resigned acceptance.  I had hoped Sarah would announce a run for the top job, and was a little sad at the news, but also knew the possibility she would say no was there.  And because I didn't want to raise my hopes up only to have them deflated, I tried to be prepared for either a yes or no.  The reasons for her decision are not known to me, and I don't have the slightest idea what they are, but knowing what the media and Palin-haters have done to her, I can imagine the reasons.

For those of the “See I told you so” crowd, my response to them is short and sweet: Buzz off.  Most of those individuals are not only a waste of my time, but are also complete wastes of skin.  They are mired enough in the false and negative illusions of Sarah they have subscribed to that they are willing to believe anything and everything bad about her, no matter if the claims are distortions or bald-faced lies, like the garbage peddled by “author” Joe McGinniss.  When it comes to Sarah, they are beyond the capability of reasoned argument to be convinced otherwise.

For my fellow Palinistas, there isn't much I can say at all.  We all respect Sarah's decision, and her reasons for the decision.  More importantly, we know her role in the 2012 race and how it turns out will be significant, and we have not forgotten why we are in this fight.  We know what we fight for is bigger than any one person, and that Sarah's decision doesn't mean the end of the movement.  We know that no matter what, God is not done with us or with America.

Before I close, I will further note that to be able to serve alongside fellow Palinistas like the Mama Grizzly #2 herself, Karen Allen, Peter Singleton, Martha Cano, Mark America, David Powell, Thomas Schmitz, Janne Myrdal, Laura Hatton and Jesse Cornish was an honor.  It was worth giving my time, my effort and my money to help Sarah any way I could, and it will continue to be so.

To all the Palinistas in Indiana and elsewhere, thank you, and especially to Sarah Palin, thank you for all you have done.  May God bless all of us as we continue fighting the good fight.