Finally, someone with some backbone that is willing to say what must be said.

Queen Margrethe II states correctly that we are in "opposition to Islam".

The world must wake up and realize that Islam has no tolerant wing.....they want complete submission of the western world.

The sooner we wake up to that the sooner we can meet this challenge before it overwhelms us.

BTW...that means reauthorizing the Patriot Act...and having the liberals stand aside so our intelligence agencies and the FBI can do its job.

Man, this is a tough one. The whole reaction to the cartoons in the Arab world is so ridiculous even non-comedians are laughing and making fun of it. It's also a great way to see how most of the Arab world is in the 15th century. I agree with everything Robert has said about the newspapers and networks like CNN really not showing the cartoons out of fear, (although Lou Dobbs went ballistic on the air this week complaining how CNN wasn't letting him show the cartoons and he couldn't do the story justice without showing them).

HOWEVER, there are a couple of points no one should completely ignore:

1) The cartoons were MEANT to antagonize people. Our research has shown that the cartoons were not an organic joke dreamed up by the animator. Instigating violent reactions just to make a point is a shaky thing to do. An even though many of us find this religious fervor to be a joke or a disgrace, I don't see why the artists HAD to deliberately provoke it. Conservative blogger and radio host Hugh Hewitt has said as much, and I agree with him.

2) The cartoons were not funny. Not because they're "offensive," but because they were tired old jokes. What a shame that such a hullabaloo has erupted over a very stale joke. For all they're being made to pay for it, the European press could at least find a funny cartoon. Oh, I forgot, all the good Jewish comedians left Europe a gazillion years ago!

SHABBAT SHALOM

Lance:

It's amazing, but here we have evil staring us straight in the face. They are telling us they want to destroy us, and yet the Democrats, are in denial. They hate Bush more than they hate the Islamofacists. Did 9/11 ever happen? Did Daniel Pearl ever get beheaded. Didn't they make him say: "I am a Jew, my father is a Jew, my mother is a Jew?"

Or is that too far back to remember?

Jake I disagree.

When the NY Times published pictures of art denigrating Christians, I didn't see any MSM outrage. They all fell on top of themselves to show the "art".

When the late Joe Conrad, rabid Jew hater and political cartoonist for the LA Times drew cartoons that were offensive...I didnt see any outrage from the MSM.

Plus....in both cases Jews and Christians didn't riot or burn newspapers or things in effigy.

Sorry....your explanantions don't hold water.

Robert,

I fear, when the next attack comes, Heaven Forbid, those same hand wringing liberals blaming Bush for illegal wiretaps will be howling that he did not do enough.

They are shameless.

Jake:

I disagree with you and Hugh! How's that for a bad sound pun?

The cartoons are cute, and whether they are meant to provoke or not, you do not amputate a man's leg and then scold him for limping.

The Islamic world is awash in cartoons that show Jews eating Arab children, eating Matzo made from Arab blood. Cartoons ridiculing Judaism and the holocaust.

I don't weant to hear about Muslim "sensitivities."

We must not play ball on their court.

To do so means to give in to their rules. I do not care what 7th Century barbarians think. That's what they are counting on.

These cartoons were published back in October in an Egyptian newspaper and there was not one peep.

No one cared.

This was orchestrated by the Syrians and the Iranians to pull focus from their domestic problems.

The Muslim world is drowning in lies and we must not be their enablers.

In fact, we must destroy them before they destroy us.

Lance,

No, I'm not defending the papers. Read my post again... it is cowardice. I agree with everything you just said. I'm just pointing out that the cartoons were dreamed up in the first place to instigate an uproar. Yes, those who conducted the riots are just awful 15th century morons... and jokes were lame.

Robert,

Let me clarify. I really don't disagree with anything you or Lance has said.

I just forwarded the Queen's statement, (one she made before the cartoon thing, which makes her words even better in my opinion), to Lou Dobbs and he came over to me and thought it was great. He's still pretty steaming mad about not being able to show the cartoons. I agree with him.

But let's not forget this was all unnecessary to begin with. It was a prank, one that murderous despots are using to murder more people and destroy more property. Since when do we NEED to antagonize these people. Iran's prez was saying crazy stuff well before this cartoon stuff, etc.

I agree that making the world see the lunacy is not so bad, but there are better and more meaningful ways to do it.

Jake:

Not 15th century morons, you give them too much credit, 7th century morons is probably more accurate.

I would say 8th century... but out of deferrance to the 7/11 corporation, I think you're right!

You guys are not leaving much to the debate. However, Jake, I completely disagree with you and disagreed with Hugh Hewitt when I read what he said. Christians, our God, and our lifestyles are constantly denigrated in Hollywood, in the newspapers, in most universities, et al. Observant Jews are treated contemptibly. All of that is ok, seemingly, within our culture. Most of that, in my opinion, is because our religion is truly a religion of peace. Men need have no fear of spitting on those of the Judeo/Christian faith. Now we come to the much-vaunted Religion of Peace, Islam. I heard a talk show host today say that the Islamists say "we will cut the head off of anyone who says we cut people's heads off". There is a clash coming and its going to be interesting to see where nations, religions, people, etc. line up. I'm with Robert that the Danes are to be admired for this stand. However, they too, allowed the hordes to fill up their country. We have a lot of work to do and I pray we have the strength and the courage required. I have heartily disagreed with my beloved president, although I do somewhat understand his motives I think, as he attempts to mollify those in this country who are bleating about how unfair we are to them. One day he'll be required to stand up to them, too. I do believe he'll rise to the occassion.

Suziannnr:

Amen to that.

I just saw the cartoons for the first time and I thought they were funny. "We ran out of virgins!" Hahahahahaha!

Jake, we would do well to flush out and kill this animal before it grows any bigger. Besides, they're so hyper-sensitive that avoiding offense amounts to appeasement.

Kiwi:

True... I just wish we'd have antagonized them with, I don't know, a cartoon showing women actually driving or something really radical like that.

Oooh, women driving, very subversive and provocative! Why don't you draw one and send it to the Danish newspapers? Muslims are so screwy...

Robert,

The LA Times Tim Rutten wrote a good column about the cartoons. You can find it here (http://www.calendarlive.com/columnists/rutten/cl-et-rutten11feb11,2,2047978.column)

Take a look at this section. I apologize for the length.

Among those who decline to show the caricatures, only one, the Boston Phoenix, has been forthright enough to admit that its editors made the decision "out of fear of retaliation from the international brotherhood of radical and bloodthirsty Islamists who seek to impose their will on those who do not believe as they do. This is, frankly, our primary reason for not publishing any of the images in question. Simply stated, we are being terrorized, and as deeply as we believe in the principles of free speech and a free press, we could not in good conscience place the men and women who work at the Phoenix and its related companies in physical jeopardy."

There is something wonderfully clarifying about honesty.

Meanwhile, ironies that would be laughable were the situation not so dire have mounted by the day. For one thing, reporting in this paper, the New York Times and Wall Street Journal has made it clear that what's at work here is not the Muslim street's spontaneous revulsion against sacrilege but a calculated campaign of manipulation by European Islamists and self-interested Middle Eastern governments. If the images first published in Jyllands-Posten last September are so inherently offensive that they cannot be viewed in any context, why did Danish Muslims distribute them across an Islamic world that seldom looks at Copenhagen newspapers? As Bernard-Henri Levy wrote this week, we have here a case of "self-inflicted blasphemy."

Then there's the question of why there was no reaction whatsoever when Al Fagr, one of Egypt's largest newspapers, published these cartoons on its front page Oct. 17 — that's right, four months ago — during Ramadan. Apparently its editor, Adel Hamouda, isn't as sensitive as his American colleagues.

Nothing, however, quite tops the absurdity of two pieces on the situation done this week by the New York Times and CNN. In the former instance, a thoughtful essay by the paper's art critic was illustrated with a 7-year-old reproduction of Chris Ofili's notorious painting of the Virgin Mary smeared with elephant dung. (Apparently, her fans aren't as touchy as Muhammad's.) Thursday, CNN broadcast a story on how common anti-Semitic caricatures are in the Arab press and illustrated it with —you guessed it — one virulently anti-Semitic cartoon after another. As the segment concluded, Wolf Blitzer looked into the camera and piously explained that while CNN had decided as a matter of policy not to broadcast any image of Muhammad, telling the story of anti-Semitism in the Arab press required showing those caricatures.

He didn't even blush.

Jack:

Thanks so much for your fine comment and information. I agree that the Boston Phoenix should be applauded for at least being honest. But that's all. No one should be applauded for cowardice. Least of all newspapers who piously procliam their bravery at every turn--by atacking oh, the President and war in Iraq, the Pentagon, and of course Israel.

The US press has revealed itself for what it is: press agents for Islamic tyrants.

As for Wolf Blitzer and the filth that passes for news from his lips: Wolf should be sent into a war zone sans flak jacket and helmet. He is a disgrace to his profession, even to CNN, a news organization whose standards are in the gutter.

Robert, I so totally agree with you about CNN and Wolf Blitzer. They are beneath contempt, almost the entire network. Recently, Bill Bennett has been added to their roster as the token conservative. I like Bill and hardly ever miss his morning talk show, Morning in America. If you haven't listened, and if you are up that early (5 a.m. in Texas), you should tune in. Now, before I close, I want to add that our own Jake is a part of CNN and I'm grateful to have people like him in that nest of vipers. (I'm tweaking Jake a bit here). I know there are a few voices I can agree with over there but the agenda is clear. However, the agenda at Fox is becoming more muddled every day, in my opinion. Which pretty much leaves us with the internet and talk radio. Not a bad deal overall. Whew, that's a lot for a Sunday morning. I'm signing off for a few hours of travel. See ya'll tomorrow.

Suz:

Bill Bennett won't solve CNN's problems. And Jake is a feather in their cap--though do they know it? Hmmm.

I'm pretty sure the MSM will pretty much fade away over the next few years. The business model they follow is, as our commenter Michel Jennings has already pointed out, completely outmoded.

Talk radio and the internet are far better sources of information and true cross-boundary discussion.

The dinosaurs are dying, they just don't know it because they don't see it on their networks or read it in their editorials.

Have a nice few hours of travel.