Earlier today, Jeff posted on the linguistic improvements on the English language that new Prime Minister Gordon Brown has wrought by fiat, wherein the association of Islam and terrorism is to be made tantamount to a speech crime, as well as “War on Terror.” Melanie Phillips, thinking along the same lines, refers to this as “the strategy of consensual dissimulation.” Now, that’s rather a mouthful, but it does represent the latest quasi-compulsory croc formulated in the NuLab quite accurately: “We are asking you voluntary not to express yourselves forthrightly, but if you choose so to do, we will find a way to make it uncomfortable.”
Alas, Gordon Brown demonstrates himself, in his very first days in office, to be a compleat ass by suggesting that we must all adopt Gordonspeak in order not to offend the impossible-not-to-offend-simply-by-virtue-of-being-different. Says Phillips:
People in Britain are shocked  shocked!  that medical doctors are suspected of involvement in the al Qaeda terrorist attacks on Britain over the past few days. The shock reflects the deep unreality of public discourse up till now. People have persisted in believing that Islamic terrorism could be explained by poverty, deprivation, alienation and so forth, despite all the evidence to the contrary. Now they are horrified that doctors, whose calling is to save life, can be bent on mass murder.
She points up, as I had earlier today, the testimony of former Islamist terrorist Hassan Butt, which takes a more realistic view of the situation. In his Cratylus, Plato considers the relations between language and the things, ideas and conditions it is meant to represent. Language may of itself be primarily conventional, but it mustn’t be circumscribed, even at the risk of offense, because it is largely through the instrument of language that we filter and organize and create sense out of the welter of sense-impressions that surround us. Phillips again:
For ‘consensual’, read bowdlerised, censored and dissimulatory; and for ‘united’, read defeated. This is a disastrous beginning to Brown’s premiership. The terrorism we face is a jihad carried out in the name of Islam, mandated by the principal religious authorities in the world of Islam and drawing on theological concepts in Islam. That doesn’t mean all Muslims go along with it; many do not, and many are indeed its victims. But to deny that it is a war which draws its authority from Islamic precepts is to deny the truth. That is why it is not enough for British Muslims to condemn these acts of terror. They have to acknowledge that what drives these acts is a part of the faith to which they subscribe  a part which they must renounce.
It is evident that not all Muslims are terrorists, as we are continually reminded, even though it is a matter of common sense. When anyone subscribes to Western values though, according to a significant minority of Muslims deriving their authority from the Koran, they offer a legitimate target. There is nothing to be said for this except that it constitutes an extraordinarily murderous barbarism that must be resisted on all levels. Does Islam have a terrorism problem? Most assuredly. You would have to be a lotus-eater, or a Cernig, not to realize it as a simple matter of frequency. And we must always in every way assert our right to say so whether it is convenient or not to Mr. Brown and his idiot acolytes, who wish to remove the hoi polloi from consideration of how this trouble might best be addressed, the asshats.
I’m not sure how to put this in a politic fashion, so as a Colonial just let me say (and a thousand pardons for my rusticity), “Fuck you, Mr. Prime Minister, you twat.” Oh, and congratulations. I’m certain Andrew, Gleen, and the other acolytes of Orwell will agree with me on this point.
NOTE: Jeff is suffering from a twisted neck, completely unrelated to peacocks. If you’re getting paid on Friday, or if you’re somewhat inebriated, you might think of hitting the PayPal button to thank him for the extraordinary postings he’s done recently. Or at least Technorati thinks so, though he’ll always be a potty-mouthed, dwarf abusing pariah in certain circles.
Seconded, with the apology deleted and additional vitriol appended.
Regards,
Ric
Dan – Again with the dwarfs ? AAAAYYYYYYEEEEAAAAHHH !!!
JD–sometimes a dwarf is just a dwarf
Oh, I’m certain Mr. Brown would like to think he’s pushing the envelope of appeasement here, slathering Muslims with heretofore unequaled levels of apologistics and respect. Too bad, though, the EU is way ahead of him having made the same pronouncements more than a year ago.
Jeff caught it back then too.
You can’t tongue-bathe an intractable enemy into submission.
Though now that I think of it, I need to come up with a list of people I want to become an intractable enemy to…
So …… just what the hell are we allowed to call these assholes ? And be PC , of course .
Noted , of course , that Oompa Loompas is definitely off the table .
Bill–that might be funny, IF Oompa Loompa’s weren’t horribly exploited by the octopus-armed Wonka international conglomerate.
Better exploited then exploded , I always say .
The Unaussprechlichen Kulten? The Million Favored Ones of Nyarlathotep? The Thousand Young of Shub-Niggurath? Children of Ubb? The Formless Spawn of Tsathoggua?
C’mon, let’s keep Cthulhu out of this, please.
ehhh.. So what?. I think he’s just practicing his Nations suicide notes. Nothing to see here,move along….
How about Dagon? Or Baal…
How about we leave gods out of it, and look at it as a simple matter of common courtesy? If the Jihad-minded subset of Islam will stop annoying the West with their (really quite pathetic, all things considered) attacks, the West will allow Islam to be as barbaric as required to satisfy their twisted ideals, in their own countries.
Outside, they act civilized or we slap ’em around some and send ’em home. Plus, we buy their oil and keep their parasitic economies from collapsing.
Deal?
The “gettin’-any-this-side-of-the-River-Styx”-challenged.
Well, if the ancient enemies of all life are off the table, why not look back to Bill D. Cat’s question and just call an asshole an asshole?
“Eight Assholes Have Been Arrested so far in connection with the failed London bombing attack…”
“So …… just what the hell are we allowed to call these assholes ? And be PC , of course .”
I think calling them French might be appropriate:
http://instapundit.com/archives2/006821.php
This study concluded:
All those are pretty good , but they just aren’t RUSTIC enough ……
now sandwop ,on the other hand …….
Fuckers, plain and simple.
My asshole, which has never tried to blow anybody up, objects to your suggestion.
My asshole, which has never tried to blow anybody up
that’s not what I hear from your wife. ;D
McGehee – On my last trip to Viet Nam, after a traditional dinner laced with a chili sauce pronounced “uck”, and a fish sauce nuc maam which tasted like it was made with the hottest scotch bonnets one could find, followed by much too much cognac, and some foods yet to be identified, I am quite positive that my as has, in fact, tried to blow up not only people, but places and things.
JD – the ol’ “fish in clay pot” = JDAM, eh?
Maggie – ouch! Point awarded.
Merovign – I rather liked “The Million Favored Ones of Nyarlathotep” m’self.
McGehee ,
Didn’t mean to offend your asshole specifically . You do make the point , however , that all it takes is one asshole to make a little noise , and pretty soon you’re gonna have to deal with a freaking shitload of em’ .
You guys think it’s funny do you?
http://my.earthlink.net/article/nat?guid=20070703/4689c9c0_3ca6_1552620070703-1909448351
Sometimes shit REALLY happens.
Major John:
The cool thing about that one is that 99% of people will say “la-wha?” The other one percent will say “Damn.”
Well, except for that one sixth-year freshmore nerd with the “Why vote for the lesser of two evils?” bumper sticker who will giggle insanely and try to hug you.
Dan ,
Heard that on the radio this AM . Shitty way to go .
*EXTREMELY SALTY LANGUAGE WARNING*
This thread seems like an appropriate place to link to this clip. Couldn’t have said it better myself.
I find the cultural (and political) differences between our countries amazing. Here, when we say we’re fighting al Qaida in the latest offensive in Iraq (there are no Shiites in these provinces and the Sunnis have come over to our side, so who’s left to fight?), we’re accused of fear mongering and “attempting” to tie Iraq to the attacks on 9/11.
When the British Prime Minister wants to avoid giving the impression that all Muslims are responsible for the failed attacks in London and Glasgow, what does he call the attackers to be politically correct? Al Qaida. Members of al Qaida who trained in Iraq.
Honest, you can’t make stuff like this up.
The love of death that dare not mention its name.
“Jeff is suffering from a twisted neck, completely unrelated to peacocks.”
Best wishes for a speedy recovery, Jeff. I’d tear that page out of the Kama Sutra if I were you. No need to tempt yourself into trying it again.
I think Hassan Butt is more like an ex-radical Muslim convert/advocate of extremism and violence, more than he is an ex-terrorist. But that’s a minor quibble, I think your argument is correct in all other points, Dan.
As for you, Goldstein… or should I say Gold Stein? Your turkey neck wouldn’t hurt so much if you’d quit twisting it.