Appeasement

That isn't the title that she gave it, but she could have. Caroline Glick has an excellent commentary today which pertains to U.S. policies in the post 9/11 world, particularly with regards to Islamic terrorism and recent events in and around Israel.

The war America fights

But their refusal to acknowledge the nature of the enemy has paralyzed their ability to confront and defeat threats as they arise. For instance, US Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan was not removed from service or investigated, despite his known support for jihad and his communication with leading jihadists. Rather, he was promoted and placed in a position where he was capable of massacring 12 soldiers and one civilian at Fort Hood, Texas.

So too, the US’s refusal to identify its enemy has made it impossible for US officials to understand and contend with the mounting threat from Turkey. Because the US refuses to recognize radical Islam as its enemy, it fails to connect Turkey’s erratic and increasingly hostile behavior to the fact that the country is ruled by an Islamist government.

In the face of the rising political instability and uncertainty in the Arab world, the US’s refusal to reckon with the fact that radical Islam is the enemy fighting it bodes ill for the future.

Quite simply, America is willfully blinding itself to emerging dangers. These dangers are particularly acute in Egypt where the US has completely failed to recognize the threat the Muslim Brotherhood constitutes to its core regional interests and its national security.

Well, the situation is even worse than that. The U.S. is actually aiding and promoting radical Islam - see Egypt, Libya, Gaza and many other hot spots in the Middle East.

Appeasement has been the chief motivating factor informing the US’s intense support for Palestinian statehood and its refusal to reassess this policy in the face of Palestinian terrorism, jihadism and close ties with Iran.

Appeasement provoked the US to embrace radical Islamic religious leaders and terror operatives such as Sami Arian and Abdurahman Alamoudi as credible leaders in the US Muslim... and to court the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood to the detriment of US ally former president Hosni Mubarak.community.

Appeasement stood behind the US’s bid to try to entice Iran to end its nuclear weapons programs with grand bargains.

It motivated US’s decision not to confront Syria on its known support for al-Qaida and Hezbollah as well as Palestinian terror groups; its proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; or its involvement in facilitating the insurgency in Iraq.

It is what has compelled the US not to seek the dismantlement of Hezbollah in Lebanon and indeed to fund and arm the Hezbollah-controlled government and army of Lebanon.

The urge to appease has motivated the US’s decision to take no action to stem the advance of Iran and its terror allies and proxies in al-Qaida and Hezbollah in Latin America.

In fact, one could make a strong case that many of the problems in the Middle East today are a direct result of U.S. policy.

Look at further effects of U.S. policy - even more than those cited above:

Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah are far stronger militarily today than they were on September 11, 2001. Hamas controls Gaza and would likely win any Palestinian elections.

Hezbollah controls Lebanon.

Iran is on the verge of nuclear weapons and is poised to become the predominant power in Iraq. Its Egyptian nemesis Hosni Mubarak is gone.

Ten years ago Iran and its terror allies and proxies could have only dreamed of having the presence on the Western Hemisphere they enjoy today.

Europe is much of the same:

In Europe the threat of domestic terrorism is more salient than ever because the jihadist forces and leaders on the continent have been appeased rather than combated by both the governments of Europe and the US.

In closing:

Even as it has continued to prosecute the War on Terror, since it came to power in January 2009 the Obama administration has worked intensively to confuse the American people about its nature, necessity and goals.

President Barack Obama dropped the name “War on Terror” for the nebulous “overseas contingency operation.” He has rejected the term “terrorism,” and expunged the term “jihad” from the official lexicon.

In so doing, he made it impermissible for US government officials to hold coherent discussions about the war they are charged with waging.

Lets face it. The current U.S. administration is actually the perfect end-times government for the purpose of the seeing the final stages of prophetic developments . By contrast, if we had a conservative government who believed in strong fiscal policy and a strong, appropriate military - a government who was willing to fight the war on terror (as opposed to aiding and assisting radical Islam world-wide) - then it would be difficult to see the final stages of prophecy developing - as we are now seeing.

Remember - based on a literal view of biblical prophecy, we expect to see America somehow fall from power. The current administration is making this happen much faster than one would have expected. The rapture of the Church Saints will hasten this demise dramatically. Prophecy scholars have been discussing this scenario for decades.

The consolidation of anti-Israeli forces, including nations and terrorist groups who oppose Israel (Lebanon, Egypt, Turkey, Iran, Gaza, West Bank, Libya, etc.) have grown in power and have formed alliances - largely due to the actions of the current U.S. administration.

The facts shouldn't create frustration, fear, anxiety, or any other such emotions, as the events which are unfolding are all part of a much larger overall plan. A plan that is gaining momentum by the day. There will be no stopping the current events that we are watching unfold.

God knew that we would witness these events. Like any father who would want his children prepared for potentially scary and disconcerting events, God forewarned us so that we would have the hope and encouragement which was mentioned by the apostle Paul (1 Thessalonians 5).

Jesus started his discourse on the topic by the words "...but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen..." (Matthew 24:6).

Jesus also gave us these words:

"When you see these things begin to take place, stand up and lift your heads, because your redemption is drawing near"
(Luke 21:28)

"Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near"
(Luke 21:31)

So what are we to do during these times?

- We are to have no fear
- We are to look up - which indicates that we are not to be immersed in looking "down" - which argues against having a focus on worldly events. Focusing on worldly events would necessitate a spirit of fear, concern and apprehension: We are not directed in this direction. By contrast, if one is "looking up" - which implies a focus on Jesus and our new home in New Jerusalem, then it is impossible to have a spirit of fear or apprehension.
- We are supposed to know and understand that "the kingdom of God is near"

We have our direction from Jesus Himself.

So we should do exactly what we have been directed to do: Look up and focus on the coming of Christ Jesus.

Amen. Come Quickly Lord.