One of the things that I find amusing about the Democrats’ war on the Koch brothers is the fact that it seems to be based more in projection than in fact. George Soros is notoriously behind and/or involved in a slew of progressive initiatives, websites, and assorted pot stirrings.
It’s usually a good idea to know what the opposition is thinking, so it’s worth taking a look at the article he penned for The Guardian entitled “The terrorists and demagogues want us to be scared. We mustn’t give in.”
In it, Soros claims that terrorists have discovered that western, “open” societies have a key weakness that can be exploited: a fear of death. Note how he singles out France’s response to the Paris attacks as being particularly “irrational” (as we’ll see, he’s quite happy with America’s president’s non-response to terrorism.):
Open societies are always endangered. This is especially true of America and Europe today, as a result of the terrorist attacks in Paris and elsewhere, and the way that America and Europe, particularly France, have reacted to them.Jihadi terrorist groups such as Islamic State and al-Qaida have discovered the achilles [sic] heel of our western societies: the fear of death. Through horrific attacks and macabre videos, the publicists of Isis magnify this fear, leading otherwise sensible people in hitherto open societies to abandon their reason.Scientists have discovered that emotion is an essential component of human reasoning. That discovery explains why jihadi terrorism poses such a potent threat to our societies: the fear of death leads us and our leaders to think – and then behave – irrationally. (emphasis mine)
Soros also claims—erroneously—that the “jihadi phenomenon” has been with us for only a single generation:
The open society is thus always at risk from the threat posed by our response to fear. A generation that has inherited an open society from its parents will not understand what is required to maintain it until it has been tested and learns to keep fear from corrupting reason. Jihadi terrorism is only the latest example. The fear of nuclear war tested the last generation, and the fear of communism and fascism tested my generation.. . . . The hysterical anti-Muslim reaction to terrorism is generating fear and resentment among Muslims living in Europe and America. The older generation reacts with fear, the younger one with resentment; the result is a breeding ground for potential terrorists. This is a mutually reinforcing, reflexive process.. . . . To remove the danger posed by jihadi terrorism, abstract arguments are not enough; we need a strategy for defeating it. The challenge is underscored by the fact that the jihadi phenomenon has been with us for more than a generation.
Soros’ solution—unsurprisingly—is the same one we’ve heard from Obama for well over a year . . . and are likely to hear much more about in the coming year, much as we were inundated with ObamaCare speeches when he decided his messaging was off about that, too.
Soros continues:
Abandoning the values and principles underlying open societies and giving in to an anti-Muslim impulse dictated by fear certainly is not the answer, though it may be difficult to resist the temptation. I experienced this personally when I watched the last Republican presidential debate; I could stop myself only by remembering that it must be irrational to follow the wishes of your enemies.Consider the Syrian conflict, which is the root cause of the migration problem that is posing an existential threat to the European Union as we know it. If it was resolved, the world would be in better shape. It is important to recognise that Isis is operating from a position of weakness. While it is spreading fear in the world, its hold on its home ground is weakening. The United Nations security council has unanimously adopted a resolution against it, and the leaders of Isis are aware that their days in Iraq and Syria are numbered.
If you’re curious about Soros and his concept of “open society” (and don’t mind having a few nightmares), you can watch him explain in detail how it is in direct conflict with American morals and values, specifically with capitalism and the free market.
Soros fails to note in his Guardian article why Syria is in such chaos. Instead, he blames Donald Trump and Ted Cruz for demagoguing ISIS and Obama’s other Middle East failures.
Of course, the outlook for Syria remains highly uncertain, and the conflict there cannot be understood or tackled in isolation. But one idea shines through crystal clear: it is an egregious mistake to do what the terrorists want us to do. That is why, as 2016 gets underway, we must reaffirm our commitment to the principles of open society and resist the siren song of the likes of Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, however hard that may be.
All of this, of course, is exactly what Obama has been saying (and why his poll numbers are plummeting on this issue).
Somehow I doubt that Soros is reading White House talking points, however.
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