The big news this weekend was the major march in Paris to show solidarity against terrorism. More than one million people showed up. Included in that assemblage were forty heads of state, even those who have issues with one another, such as Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
One nation’s leader was noticeably absent. More on that in a minute.
While I don’t want to downplay the significance of that many people showing up—and so many leaders of nations represented—we should keep in mind that a march is not a policy. It may look good, and may even inspire some better policy—we can only hope—but, by itself, it accomplishes nothing.
Even the French president, François Hollande, has refused to put the proper adjective alongside the terrorist activities in his own country: Islamic.
France, meanwhile, is a nation reaping what it has allowed. Massive Muslim immigration has changed the demographics so much that there are more than 700 “no-go” zones. What does that mean? There are that many areas in France where Sharia law dominates, and French authorities can’t even go into those areas without permission from the local Islamic leaders.
That’s the image of a nation drowning in its own folly.
Now, back to the absent leader. Forty leaders of nations present, but not the president of the United States. He sent an ambassador. On one level, I don’t care. President Obama has already revealed his views. He doesn’t see Islamic terrorism, specifically, as a threat. He never calls Islamic terrorist acts by their proper name. His worldview exudes sympathy for the culture that spawns the terrorists.
So his presence would have been nothing more than symbolic. Yet, on a deeper level, I do care. Why? This only furthers the alienation of America from its roots. It’s another plank in the Obama platform for remaking America in his image.
No longer is the United States the real leader of the Free World. It is now a bystander at best, and a nation that that gives aid and comfort to the enemy in its worst moments. We are no longer what we were, thanks to Barack Obama.
But don’t worry. We are doing something. The administration announced on Sunday that it will host a Summit on Countering Violent Extremism next month. More words . . . more talk that goes nowhere. It will be interesting, though, to see if this so-called summit clearly identifies the terror threat. It will also be interesting to see if an Obama summit decides to include Tea Parties and other “extremists” as part of the agenda.
Let’s just say I wouldn’t be at all surprised.