http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul690.html

Is the controversy over building a mosque near ground zero a grand distraction or a grand opportunity? Or is it, once again, grandiose demagoguery?

It has been said, “Nero fiddled while Rome burned.” Are we not overly preoccupied with this controversy, now being used in various ways by grandstanding politicians? It looks to me like the politicians are “fiddling while the economy burns.

The debate should have provided the conservative defenders of property rights with a perfect example of how the right to own property also protects the 1st Amendment rights of assembly and religion by supporting the building of the mosque.

Instead, we hear lip service given to the property rights position while demanding that the need to be “sensitive” requires an all-out assault on the building of a mosque, several blocks from “ground zero.”

Just think of what might (not) have happened if the whole issue had been ignored and the national debate stuck with war, peace, and prosperity. There certainly would have been a lot less emotionalism on both sides. The fact that so much attention has been given the mosque debate, raises the question of just why and driven by whom?

In my opinion it has come from the neo-conservatives who demand continual war in the Middle East and Central Asia and are compelled to constantly justify it.

They never miss a chance to use hatred toward Muslims to rally support for the ill-conceived preventative wars. A select quote from soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq expressing concern over the mosque is pure propaganda and an affront to their bravery and sacrifice.

The claim is that we are in the Middle East to protect our liberties is misleading. To continue this charade, millions of Muslims are indicted and we are obligated to rescue them from their religious and political leaders. And, we’re supposed to believe that abusing our liberties here at home and pursuing unconstitutional wars overseas will solve our problems.

The nineteen suicide bombers didn’t come from Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan or Iran. Fifteen came from our ally Saudi Arabia, a country that harbors strong American resentment, yet we invade and occupy Iraq where no al Qaeda existed prior to 9/11.

Many fellow conservatives say they understand the property rights and 1st Amendment issues and don’t want a legal ban on building the mosque. They just want everybody to be “sensitive” and force, through public pressure, cancellation of the mosque construction.

This sentiment seems to confirm that Islam itself is to be made the issue, and radical religious Islamic views were the only reasons for 9/11. If it became known that 9/11 resulted in part from a desire to retaliate against what many Muslims saw as American aggression and occupation, the need to demonize Islam would be difficult if not impossible.

There is no doubt that a small portion of radical, angry Islamists do want to kill us but the question remains, what exactly motivates this hatred?

If Islam is further discredited by making the building of the mosque the issue, then the false justification for our wars in the Middle East will continue to be acceptable.

The justification to ban the mosque is no more rational than banning a soccer field in the same place because all the suicide bombers loved to play soccer.

Conservatives are once again, unfortunately, failing to defend private property rights, a policy we claim to cherish. In addition conservatives missed a chance to challenge the hypocrisy of the left which now claims they defend property rights of Muslims, yet rarely if ever, the property rights of American private businesses.

Defending the controversial use of property should be no more difficult than defending the 1st Amendment principle of defending controversial speech. But many conservatives and liberals do not want to diminish the hatred for Islam – the driving emotion that keeps us in the wars in the Middle East and Central Asia.

It is repeatedly said that 64% of the people, after listening to the political demagogues, don’t want the mosque to be built. What would we do if 75% of the people insist that no more Catholic churches be built in New York City? The point being is that majorities can become oppressors of minority rights as well as individual dictators. Statistics of support is irrelevant when it comes to the purpose of government in a free society – protecting liberty.

The outcry over the building of the mosque, near ground zero, implies that Islam alone was responsible for the 9/11 attacks. According to those who are condemning the building of the mosque, the nineteen suicide terrorists on 9/11 spoke for all Muslims. This is like blaming all Christians for the wars of aggression and occupation because some Christians supported the neo-conservative’s aggressive wars.

The House Speaker is now treading on a slippery slope by demanding an investigation to find out just who is funding the mosque – a bold rejection of property rights, 1st Amendment rights, and the Rule of Law – in order to look tough against Islam.

This is all about hate and Islamaphobia.

We now have an epidemic of “sunshine patriots” on both the right and the left who are all for freedom, as long as there’s no controversy and nobody is offended.

Political demagoguery rules when truth and liberty are ignored.

Oh please. Their 'fund' has less than $19,000 bucks in it ... and the 'mosque' is gonna be $100, 000, 000 plus ...

WHERE's the funding coming from ... ? Not the 'community' ...

Say 'Saudi Arabia', 'Iran', 'Syria' ...

It's all about establishment of a MILITARY MONUMENT to celebrate a MILITARY VICTORY ... nothing else.

^^ exactly

I can foresee a new tax that Osuckass will present to Congress to pay for it......lol........I wouldn't put it past him.....

Imam Obama will stand behind the Muslims and give them what they need to build it. On our dime.

Hmm ... anybody ever think maybe 'The UN' IS that 'twelfth imam' that AlmondJoy's been waitin' for in Iran ... ? Wonder which sewer he came up thru ... ? Chicago's a long way from Iran ... 'imam Obama' ... ha ...

I would, its a big stretch from defending the right of all americans to build on private land regardless of religion


to insisting the government pay for it straight out,,,(although, like big business sometimes does, there might be a negotiation to loan some money)

"This is all about hate and Islamaphobia."

Exactly.

The if we punished all terrorists in this country by not allowing their religion to build churches, there wouldn't be very many churches.

I don't have a problem with that other than it does infringe on freedoms we are supposed to be known for here in this country.

I'd bet that if somebody wanted to build a Christian center or a Mormon church right next door, the govt. would prohibit it, and the ACLU would sue the church over it.

LOL.........Sorry, but when I see a live news broadcast of people dancing in the streets when the WTC was suicide bombed, I tend to get a bit pissed about the whole thing. Seems some have forgotten, I don't forget something like that. So call it what you will, but unlike some people, I am not quite ready to roll over and play dead just because some wuss determined in his tree hugging mindset that it was the politically correct thing to do. I feel how I feel and I don't need people telling me how I should feel, or that the way I feel is not in line with others.

And as for churches, I am atheist, so I don't care about the "religion fairy tale" that society uses to make themselves feel good about wrongs. Religion is nothing more than an excuse people use to try and justify things bad. It's ok to do something if it's in God, Allah, Buddha, or whatever god's name. BS, it's wrong regardless of whose name it's in. And the "one true god" knows that. Yourself.

You say that as if those are bad things ...