A History Lesson
Of Birds and Schemes and Peaceful Dreams
Deborah Venable
03/13/08
So,
September 11, 2001 placed a marker in history because it brought about so much
change in how America would fight terrorists from that point on? Is that what you think? We are living in a “post 911 world” and our
children can never know the kind of security we enjoyed before? Tell me, just what kind of security was
that? The kind where we were not
suspicious of religious motivations of an enemy that hates us, or the kind
where Americans could freely travel the world without fear of abduction,
torture, or death simply BECAUSE of their religion or country of origin? Or perhaps you think that America’s military
might was always pointed at definitive targets after war was declared by a
courageous Congress to defend our shores – never our economic welfare. (War for oil ring any bells?) Islamic Fascism had always flown pretty much
under the radar until that fateful September morning early in this century,
eh?
Elect
a Democrat for President and he or she will “talk to the terrorists” in
Doolittle fashion and iron out all our problems and take away the terror,
huh? They’ll pull our troops home and
we will quit making war for oil, give the terrorists whatever “tribute” they
demand and America can get back to feeling secure – right? It sure beats making those poor Islamists
pay for following their “peaceful” religious ways, huh?
In
my dedication for telling it like it is, I have asked some very pointed if
seemingly satirical questions simply to spark some serious thought. I’m tired of a lemming mentality that paints
a dove as an equal match for a hawk – or especially an eagle.
Here
is another important question to ask a person educated by the government school
system in this country: what can you
tell me about the United States war against the Barbary Coast Pirates?
For
over a hundred and fifty years before the Revolution that resulted in the
formation of the United States Of America, the pirates of the Barbary States,
supposedly under the control of the Ottoman Empire, had terrorized the shipping
lanes of the Mediterranean. In
actuality these pirates controlled the collection of North African seaports
from Tangiers to Tripoli. They were a
fearsome lot – mercenary and totally ruthless.
They actively dealt in the slave trade and were not particular about
where these slaves were acquired nor how they were treated. Ships were captured for their bounty and
their hapless victims either ransomed or enslaved if they lived to tell the
tale. Unencumbered passage in these
dangerous waters was possible only by the payment of “tribute” to the lords of
these lands. They had expensive tastes,
these pirates, so the price of tribute was not cheap.
While
the American colonies remained under the control of the British Crown, the
tribute for American ships was paid by England, but after the Revolution our
ships became easy pickings for the pirates of these Muslim North African
states. The fledgling government tried
to negotiate “fair tribute” for safe passage in keeping with traditions started
by previous European rulers, but there was no fairness or safety secured for
American ships in these negotiations.
Indeed, these Barbarians were more interested in the wealth that could
be taken from the ships and demanded through ransom than they were from any
paltry payment of tribute. The
Americans were seen as “fat ducks.”
This
is a fascinating period in our history, and one that is merely skimmed in the
history books if it is taught at all.
The hero politician of that time would be Thomas Jefferson, who tried to
convince the new government of the foolishness of paying this tribute or
negotiating for security from the Barbarians.
"From what I learn from the temper of my countrymen and their
tenaciousness of their money, it will be more easy to raise ships and men to
fight these pirates into reason, than money to bribe them."
Thomas Jefferson in a
letter to the president of Yale College, Ezra Stiles - December 26, 1786 Source.
He
lost the argument until he became president, whereupon his actions resulted in
the initiation of war against the Barbary States. Finally after some fifteen years, including another war with
England, and much military heroism of the U.S. Navy and Marines, American
freedom from the terrorism of the Barbary Coast Pirates was secured. Some European countries continued to pay the
tribute for another fifteen years after America had secured her own victory.
When our early history is so replete with examples of America’s struggle against Muslim terrorists, as well as the many incidents of the same struggle culminating late in the twentieth century with multiple attacks on American citizens, why are so many refusing to look at the root cause of our differences with the anti-freedom culture of Muslims honestly? It was not our fault that we had to fight a war two centuries ago to stop the Barbarians’ practice of terrorizing for profit – just like it is not our fault today that war is the only thing this culture understands as it attempts to hold hostage every other religion, culture, and peaceful coexistence itself for the unfair price of capitulation to this one culture and religion. There is no negotiating or capitulation possible that will secure us against a future of terror indefinitely.
Is
this an indictment of all Muslims?
Certainly not – but it is reiteration of a wide body of evidence that
suggests war is the only vehicle of communication their culture truly respects
or understands. Conflict courses
through their veins as surely as prophets and profit rules their religion. Radical Muslims are as apt to turn violence
on their own people as they are sworn to deal death and violence to
“infidels”. Indeed, more Muslims have
died at the hand of other Muslims. They
do not all think alike, but built into their religion is a justification for almost
anything.
.
We
do not have to sit and talk with such leaders of Muslim nations to know what is
on their minds. We already know. Any “negotiations” with these people will
end in disaster unless our willingness to fight and our unwillingness to pay
tribute lays the groundwork for such discussions. Actions speak much louder than words, and some actions certainly
cannot be answered with words. I don’t
think Senator Obama or Senator Clinton would be respected or feared by our
radical Muslim enemies. I think our
country would be in grave danger with either of them at the helm. Much evidence exists to back up this
opinion.
This
is an old enemy we are fighting, with old thoughts about how we should be
handled. We are fat ducks to this enemy
as they base their thoughts, words, and actions on a religion that justifies
anything they would do to us. Paying
“tribute” is spelled out for them in the history of their religion, and any
“infidel” who refuses cannot get away with simply using words. A review of a Study
Page
on this site examines the jizyah tax or “tribute” as an accepted method of
Islamic dealings with non-Muslims.
It
is clear that if the fat ducks wish to present themselves as doves, they had
better carry a bejeweled, solid gold olive branch to any negotiations and be
prepared to pay out the nose indefinitely.
The only hope for “perpetual peace” requires the fat ducks to become
hawks and eagles. If history has taught
us nothing else, it has most assuredly taught us that.
Recommended
sources for further study:
Thomas Jefferson and the Barbary Pirates
An International Battle Against An Unconventional Foe
What Thomas Jefferson Learned From the Muslim Book Of Jihad
How Did the United States Defeat the Barbary Pirates