Islamism is the new totalitarianism

By Herbert E. Meyer

One of the most striking features of our age -- and one of the most disturbing -- is that we argue before we understand. And of all the subjects over which we argue, none is more important to our survival than the war.

Whatever your views of how the Bush administration is waging this war, surely we can all agree that neither the President nor his top officials has adequately articulated the true nature of our adversary.

In this essay essay in Human Events, Vasko Kohlmayer, an occasional AT contributor, provides a stunningly insightful explanation that ought to be required reading in Washington and in other capitals. Kohlmayer describes Islamism is the successor to fascism and communism -- an ideology rather than a religion, but one that like its predecessors uses the techniques of a religion to impose its will.

"Like communism and fascism, radical Islam is intrinsically utopian in that if offers itself as the answer to all great problems of man. This feat is to be accomplished by eliminating the root cause from which all human trouble ultimately derives -- the lack of true faith."

It's a brilliant essay. Read it all -- twice.