The War Against The Counter-Enlightenment

One must always remember that what we are involved in is a war between the Enlightenment and its discontents. Which means that it is a two front war.

The Kid has been overtly focus on the the pre-Enlightenment (or pre-modern) challenge for the past few years, but this post by Dutch novelist Leon De Winter highlights just how dangerous the enemy is on the other, Counter-Enlightenment front - and why we are losing the battle:

If you want to know the scope of the illusions of Western liberal elites, you should read the fascinating editorial published in the Guardian on October 22, 2003. It shows the willingness of these elites to disregard the cruel facts, the radical agenda, and the apocalyptic ambitions of the Iranian regime.

Six years ago, the regime in Tehran executed the same policies, and was driven by the same ideology, as today. And the same Western political elites tried everything in their power to distort the perception of their counterparts in Tehran in order to avoid the harsh truth: the mullahs want to crown Imam Khomeini’s Islamic Revolution with a nuclear weapon.

The Guardian wrote that day:

Iran’s agreement to allow unlimited UN inspections of its nuclear facilities and to suspend its uranium enrichment programme marks a tremendous success for European diplomacy. It shows just what can be achieved when the European powers work together, rather than in opposition.

At the time, it was as clear, as it is now, that the three European ministers involved lied to themselves and to us. On their flight back, they knew that the surprising agreement they took home wasn’t even worth the paper it was printed on, but it was better to pretend that the mullahs were guys like them rather than accept the stubborn reality that some value systems and some concepts of human dignity are incompatible.

The frightening thing is that, on that day in 2003, the editorial writers of The Guardian, champions of the Counter-Enlightenment, really did think that the post-modern tactics had achieved some enduring benefit. Against all experience, and frankly, plain common sense. And this is why they are so dangerous. The Counter-Enlightenment defines itself in opposition to the Enlightenment, and therefore interprets any opposition to such as being basically compatible with its beliefs. Which is why the Counter-Enlightenment can believe that the United States is more dangerous than a nuclear armed Iran.

And therefore, as De Winter notes, the pre-modern wins with an assist from the post modern:

Even more impressive is how they controlled the Americans by helping to kill thousands of American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Instead of drawing America’s fury, the mullahs convinced two administrations that a peaceful Iraq is impossible without Tehran’s willingness to stop the flow of roadside bombs, instructors, and various weapons across its borders. Basically, they took the American army hostage in Iraq — and they never saw the shadows of vengeful B-52s gliding over the roofs of their buildings.

No, they witnessed American politicians incapable of demonstrating the will to carry on to the media and their voters. The wings of the American eagle were clipped by a group of cheating and manipulating religious men who perfectly understand the mechanisms of the Western media game.

The Kid is hoping against hope that De Winter's final statement is untrue - but it is getting harder to deny:

It’s too late. The mullahs won. Only the desperate and heroic people in the streets of Iran can turn the tide.