Apparently extremists are in danger of taking over Iraq and we must hope that the Iranians will help the Iraqis to resist this threat. British Muslims are supporting these extremists and, apparently, those who make their extremist views known on the internet should be arrested. Those who travel to Syria should be monitored by the security forces on their return. Or so we are told by the postmodern media. But what is the truth?
The Sunnis who are taking over Iraq are modern Sunnis who have been marginalised by the Shia government in Baghdad. They are not extremists in Iraq. Why are journalists portraying them as extremists? The Iranians are being portrayed by journalists as potential saviours but six months ago they were going to be the death of us all. Something is wrong here.
Thirty years ago the very idea of people being arrested in the UK for expressing political opinions about a foreign conflict would have seemed outrageous. But today journalists are reporting such moves as entirely reasonable. Something is wrong here.
The word "extremist" is fast changing its meaning in the same way as the word "racist". Originally racism described those who discriminated against people on the basis of skin colour but now it describes anyone who supports their own nation or culture or who objects to the culture of any other person. Originally "extremists" meant people who held views that differed widely from the norm for their own culture but now the term is being used for anyone who differs from the norm for postmodern secular culture - our culture.
If "extremist" means people who differ from our own cultural norms then, to Muslims, we are extremists.
I have written elsewhere about the way that the modern use of the term "racist" means that those who want Britain to be part of an EU political union are worse racists than the BNP. In a similar way the new use of the term "extremist" means that the people of Britain are worse extremists than the Muslims. The Muslims only blow up a few people whereas we sanction massive air raids in places like Libya to blow up thousands.
The words "extremist", "terrorist" and "racist" should be ignored nowadays. They have been bent out of any true meaning and are just insults to be hurled at enemies, real and imagined, by a postmodern media. A media that is controlled by God knows who.
Our society is entering a period of moral flux. Being British used to mean accepting the Established Church as the guardian of national moral purpose and Common Law as the measure of fairness. These fixed points are disappearing like footprints in the sand. Our only moral reference points are crime figures and death rates and it is always tyrannies that have the lowest reported rates of crime and the cowardly and soulless who would preserve life at any cost.
Where is this going? An unconscious, unaware society. A place where people keep their heads down, horizons limited and opinions entirely acceptable according to media norms - even if these norms change every year. A tractable society that can be governed by a political elite for its own ends. A society of mindless "extremists" who support what the elite tell them without a thought, knowing that they must be absolutely right, that they are the moral beings.
I prefer the society with fixed reference points to a postmodern flux, at least if everyone adheres to a basic moral code and accepts trial by their peers they can express any opinion and practice free speech without their neighbours fearing that they will kill them in their beds.
The Sunnis who are taking over Iraq are modern Sunnis who have been marginalised by the Shia government in Baghdad. They are not extremists in Iraq. Why are journalists portraying them as extremists? The Iranians are being portrayed by journalists as potential saviours but six months ago they were going to be the death of us all. Something is wrong here.
Thirty years ago the very idea of people being arrested in the UK for expressing political opinions about a foreign conflict would have seemed outrageous. But today journalists are reporting such moves as entirely reasonable. Something is wrong here.
The word "extremist" is fast changing its meaning in the same way as the word "racist". Originally racism described those who discriminated against people on the basis of skin colour but now it describes anyone who supports their own nation or culture or who objects to the culture of any other person. Originally "extremists" meant people who held views that differed widely from the norm for their own culture but now the term is being used for anyone who differs from the norm for postmodern secular culture - our culture.
If "extremist" means people who differ from our own cultural norms then, to Muslims, we are extremists.
I have written elsewhere about the way that the modern use of the term "racist" means that those who want Britain to be part of an EU political union are worse racists than the BNP. In a similar way the new use of the term "extremist" means that the people of Britain are worse extremists than the Muslims. The Muslims only blow up a few people whereas we sanction massive air raids in places like Libya to blow up thousands.
The words "extremist", "terrorist" and "racist" should be ignored nowadays. They have been bent out of any true meaning and are just insults to be hurled at enemies, real and imagined, by a postmodern media. A media that is controlled by God knows who.
Our society is entering a period of moral flux. Being British used to mean accepting the Established Church as the guardian of national moral purpose and Common Law as the measure of fairness. These fixed points are disappearing like footprints in the sand. Our only moral reference points are crime figures and death rates and it is always tyrannies that have the lowest reported rates of crime and the cowardly and soulless who would preserve life at any cost.
Where is this going? An unconscious, unaware society. A place where people keep their heads down, horizons limited and opinions entirely acceptable according to media norms - even if these norms change every year. A tractable society that can be governed by a political elite for its own ends. A society of mindless "extremists" who support what the elite tell them without a thought, knowing that they must be absolutely right, that they are the moral beings.
I prefer the society with fixed reference points to a postmodern flux, at least if everyone adheres to a basic moral code and accepts trial by their peers they can express any opinion and practice free speech without their neighbours fearing that they will kill them in their beds.
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