Manchester United?

Enough with the silly arm in arm marches against ‘terrorism’. Enough with the hashtag grief signaling and kitschy Facebook memes that cover profile pics. If the West loves liberal democracy it needs to figure out how to defend it without apologizing. 

We don’t need grief and woe we need a serious campaign of intimidation and coercion. No more ‘no-go zones’ in large cities for Muslim populations. It should never be said of terror suspects that they were “known to police”. Taking these bombings in stride is NOT a good thing. It leads to a sense that this is normal, that these attacks happen seasonally like bad weather. “Sure it’s there but what can you do?” The worst part is by not going after kicking in doors and threatening violence against the neighborhoods and mosques protecting these animals, we favor the extremists. They thrive in interconnected communities because they offer protection like Chicago gangsters in the twenties.

 This is not the time for stiff upper lips and shrugs about the nature of living in an international city. The notion that citizens of a nation have to put up with regular terror is “Stuff and nonsense” as the Brits say. None of this acquiesce to fear need happen whether Paris or London or New York. It does take leadership though and clear thinking about the nature of the enemy. Sadly I haven’t seen or heard much of it from our cosmopolitan mayors. I understand a mayor’s role is commerce and attracting new business in the city but at some point law enforcement needs a freer hand.

 I am assuming a lot about what the police know and what they don’t but a couple of things are clear about the Manchester bombing. He is a Libyan (Muslim?) who grew up in Britain. He was likely known to law enforcement at some point. He was likely protected by a network of people who have families and bank accounts. More to come, no doubt. 

The lack of anger and outrage has been washed out of us.

 We are now a society afraid to accuse the wrong man or use the wrong pronoun when talking about the barbaric killer. You can hear it in the interviews with those who witnessed the explosion and ran with the stampeding mob toward safety. Even people who weren’t there, when asked about the incident, focus on crowd danger and avoiding large events. My local radio station had a former police officer on who gave tips on how to avoid the danger spots at large events, “Wait for the main crowd to pass and then head for the exists.” He added unhelpfully. 

Well thanks officer but what if the bastards try to blast their way into a movie theater and shoot up the place like in Aurora. Or unless they drive by that hip café and spray 9 millimeter rounds into the patrons drinking espressos like in Paris. Or the not so crowded airport in Belgium that only took a suitcase packed with metal bits to wreck everyone’s day, ditto for the airport in Istanbul. What advice do we get when just minding our own business. The anger from citizens against the perpetrator is cloudy and rushed like a blurry photo that didn’t develop. Almost as if the attacked don't know how to be upset.

“Where are those SOB’s that did this?!” said with intent becomes “We will not let these criminals tear us apart” spoken softly and carefully. The first response is urgent and active. The second is safe and useless.

Those who are quick to anger over being attacked will make some mistakes in the cause of justice. Call him Elliot (as in Ness). He may break a few eggs but will get justice and settle scores in the cause of law and order. He understand the importance of protecting freedom, the value of secular laws and the true nastiness of an attack against those principles. Elliot understand that an attack on a concert is pure hatred against liberal values and demands a full-throated response. Elliot is often reckless but always sure. Most importantly, He will put measures in place to prevent future atrocities while understanding that every city faces different challenges. He understands that the battle is long and arduous but necessary for survival. 

  

Those quick to passive words and useless phrases about ‘support’ or ‘unity’ can’t be trusted to defend true values. Call him Cosmo (Cosmopolitan). He understands trendy philosophies on the’ roots of terror’; he sees innocents everywhere but won’t name criminals. Cosmo loves slogans and marches. He gets inspired by vague anti-campaigns that encourage togetherness like ‘racism’ ‘violence against women’ ‘poverty’. He thinks the largest problem with Islamic terrorism is the Islamophobia that follows it after a devastating suicide bomb. Cosmo man can’t be trusted to take the fight to enemy or protect the innocent. He understands grief but doesn’t know how to fight against a world where everyone is a victim. He enjoys freedom but doesn’t know what it costs.

With every terrorist bombing, shooting, knifing or threatening act the West slides a little closer on the scale to Cosmo and away from Elliot. These terrorists are not part of a civilized society and should be treated like cancer, an unwelcome invader that demands surgery. Until Western cities get serious about who they let in this will continue to metastasize until the threat owns entire sections of your city.

We need more Elliots; we have enough Cosmos.