"While dictators rage and statesmen talk, all Europe dances — to The Lambeth Walk."

Saturday 29 August 2009

U.S. Military Chief Blames Western Behaviour for Muslim Hatred


The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, has criticised Obama's attempts to reconcile with the Muslim world through dialogue - because he doesn't think such efforts go far enough whilst "American behaviour is perceived as arrogant, uncaring or insulting."

Of course, he offers no solutions, because there aren't any - whatever America and the West do will always be perceived as uncaring, arrogant or insulting by many - particularly whilst we're busy telling them that it is, we are, and we're so very sorry.

In fact, the greater lengths we go to be completely inoffensive, the worse things will get, as the Muslim world expects us to bow and scrape over the smallest things, or even live like Muslims to avoid ultimate offences such as eating pork, drinking alcohol or not showing respect to Mohammed.

Admiral Mullen also fails to recognise that some things deserve to be insulted or simply disregarded - I'm worried and disappointed that such a thing does not occur to a man in his position.

From MSNBC:
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has written a searing critique of government efforts at “strategic communication” with the Muslim world, saying that no amount of public relations will establish credibility if American behavior overseas is perceived as arrogant, uncaring or insulting.

The critique by the chairman, Adm. Mike Mullen, comes as the United States is widely believed to be losing ground in the war of ideas against extremist Islamist ideology. The issue is particularly relevant as the Obama administration orders fresh efforts to counter militant propaganda, part of its broader strategy to defeat the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

“To put it simply, we need to worry a lot less about how to communicate our actions and much more about what our actions communicate,” Admiral Mullen wrote in the critique, an essay to be published Friday by Joint Force Quarterly, an official military journal.

“I would argue that most strategic communication problems are not communication problems at all,” he wrote. “They are policy and execution problems. Each time we fail to live up to our values or don’t follow up on a promise, we look more and more like the arrogant Americans the enemy claims we are.”

5 comments:

WAKE UP said...

Mike Mullen - another traitor.

Solkhar said...

"American behaviour is perceived as arrogant, uncaring or insulting"

He was correct, as was Obama. If you want respect you have to be able to give it as well - and it goes from both sies.

Everyone has a chip on their shoulder and that results in brinkmanship. Americans were a target of terrorism, their youth are dying in battle against radicalism and so they are pissed off - but they are also then fed BS by far-right bloggers like this one and others so the result is basically arrogance and insults.

At the same time, there are moderate Muslims whom are targetted everyday by radicals in their own faith, they are suffering because their country is at war, they have lost loved ones to bombs, hunger and persecution and then they have to suffer the BS from over-progogandized US military, watch retards on TV from the far-right and see comments on the internet like from wacko blog-sites like this one and bingo, they are also pissed.

Maybe they will even give up fighting the radicals and support them, because at least they keep on telling you the Americans are insulting and disgusting anyhow.

It all starts with a gesture. Moderate Muslims have been giving gestures for ages but they are unheard off or not remarked. Terrorists and radicals are the problem, so they will not - they are the enemy anyhow.

So a simple gesture such as the one Obama gave in Cairo, recognition that there is another world out there and no one is better than the other has already changed a lot. The recognition by the Joints Chief is another example that common sense is starting to sink in, considering all th backward steps that had happened over the last 8 years of mistaken and arrogant policies.

The 1st Earl of Cromer said...

Yes, I have a direct line to the Whitehouse, if you couldn't tell.

Maybe I just have a chip on my shoulder about 1,400 years of Muslim barbarity - which is all our fault, naturally.

We agree on one thing; Muslims must sort out their own societies, it is not our job.

I just wonder how long there would be any serious resistance to those radicals without evil American bombs.

But excuse me, I have to contact the American military and tell them what to think about Muslims - no time to chat!

I suppose I should be flattered that you think my humble blog has more effect on U.S. foreign policy than the barbarity of certain Muslims.

The 1st Earl of Cromer said...

As I've stated many times before, Solkhar, your own brand of bigotry and arrogance is not welcome here.

Bettifree said...

For Solkhar: you don't get it, do you? There is no such thing as moderate Islam. I should know. I was a Muslim for many years. I bought the whole "religion of peace" and "we respect women" game. Islam allows Muslims to deceive others about the religion and to treat non-Muslims as they please, due to the inherent inferiority of all non-Muslims (in their eyes.) Muslims respect only obvious shows of power. Placate these people all you want: they will only despise you more!