Why America Is the Freest Country

[@ViriatoII]

I live in Gemany and am always surprised to zap between channels on the television or radio. The same opinions on everything, it's scary. Even more when you catch them lying all in unisson: That the activist Sturzenberger does not differentiate Islamism from Islam, when there are pictures of posters saying "We criticize political islam, not muslims as a whole" in the background of his stabbing scenes. And even if he didn't differentiate, that would be a valid opinion (which I kind of share), it would be no ground to call him a hate figure and minimize his stabbing like they did, with "experts in terrorism" just talking about how he's a baddie, instead of talking about the real problem, a growing anti-native migrant demographic that finds in Islamism a solution to the nihilism that our society promotes.

[@BenedictBeckeld]

Yes, it is just as you say. I spent five years in Germany, and many more years in other European countries as well. As regards Islam and Islamism, we should in fact not differentiate between them. They used to be used synonymously, but for the last ca. half century the latter term has been used to protect the former. I get into this subject, among several others, in my pamphlet / long essay on Islam: merionwest.com/2023/12/22/islam-and-the-west-navigating-the-cultural-and-theological-divide/

[@ViriatoII]

@@BenedictBeckeld it’s a great assay, I have of course read it directly when you published it 🙂 I wonder if we have what it takes to break this system. Last week I found myself among 5 women and they were all unison with the media on the stabbing. I wasn’t able to argue with them, for I felt truth didn’t really matter to them, but consensus. I increasingly see the gender gap behind most political struggles.. we can’t go anywhere without women, yet most of them push towards the abyss

[@BenedictBeckeld]

@@ViriatoII Ah, ok, thanks for reading! Yes, I don't think we have what it takes, but I hope I'm wrong. Oikophobes (disproportionately women, indeed) and Muslims are the biggest threat to western Europe's future.

[@andrewhosfeld]

After today, may I say this premise is a bit moot now 🤷‍♂️

[@BenedictBeckeld]

Not at all. It's a relative matter, and I challenge you to name me one single country where this situation is better than in the U.S. I deplore what happened today as much as does anyone, but it's still better here than everywhere else. But it's a natural reaction - one sees it both on the left and right - to assume that whatever happens in one's own country is the worst.

[@andrewhosfeld]

@@BenedictBeckeld and I agree. But I will say my biggest concern is the now “Rubicon” like act we’ve seen today. I read an article a long time ago juxtaposing Singapore v Jamaica and why, even though both effective came online as sovereign nations at the same time both with British law, they have vastly differences in stability, gov’t & standard of living. The biggest factor that was citied that along with a sort of de facto ‘enlightened despotic oligarchy’ of Singapore it was/is Singapore’s honest judiciary that’s the biggest factor. That no matter what their judiciary honors contracts, does not renege promises/deals etc. This reduced corruption and stabilized and then increase foreign investment. My concern now here in 🇺🇸 is this judiciary erosion. That being said, Robert Walpole was indicted and imprison for similar ‘Trumped up’ charges before he became PM. It can get better.

[@BenedictBeckeld]

@@andrewhosfeld I don't disagree with any of this. I'm appalled (albeit not surprised) at what's going on right now in the U.S. My point is a relative one. And certainly, the more these Rubicon-like moments take place, the more difficult it becomes to undo the damage and avoid a destructive spiral. But I'm happy I don't live in Singapore. The despots around the world, though they may look down on us, can be happy that there's a country like America whose (relative) freedom and innovation produce such a wealth of intellectual and material good from which they all profit.

[@andrewhosfeld]

@@BenedictBeckeld I am more enraged by citizens ok with this as we the citizens should be the check on this nonsense. But there are certainly plenty of “We have to stop Caesar to save the republic” noble cause corruption acts in history. People absolutely convinced their deeds will achieve a “Dirty Harry” victory only for the exact opposite like Cesar’s murder actually ending the republic and birthing an empire. I’ve been making that comparison for some time and then I caught Bill Kristol on his Twitter account calling Brutus noble recently. Only reinforcing my analogy and further cementing my conclusion of Bill’s ‘integrity’ and ‘morality’. 🤪

[@BenedictBeckeld]

@@andrewhosfeld Yes, the less said of Bill Kristol, the better. But I will say that Brutus' and the boys' assassination of Caesar didn't matter much in the end. The Republic was de facto finished well before then.