Dr. John David Lewis, author of Nothing Less Than Victory, recently wrote an excellent article entitled "9/11 Ten Years Later: The Fruits of the Philosophy of Self-Abnegation" in the latest issue of The Objective Standard. Excerpt:

History is littered with the detritus of attacks by tribal gangs against civilized world powers. In the past, nations under siege rose up with righteous anger and visited the full measure of their force upon their enemies. Although they often made costly mistakes, they did not make excuses for their foes while their own city burned... They did not apologize for defending themselves.

Apologetic self-abnegation, however, is the hallmark of America's approach today.

Islamists attacked New York, incinerating, suffocating and forcing Americans to jump to their deaths. Why are Islamist entities who support turning Americans into "jumpers" still in existence? Why is Iran's nuclear program allowed to go on? Why is the U.S negotiating with the Taliban? Why does Ron Paul get cheered when he puts the moral blame on Americans for 9/11?

The answers are all around us, in the ideas bombarding us from every direction. Don't judge other cultures--your own has much to answer for. Don't invoke history--your colonial past was criminal, and your victims seek restitution for crimes against their ancestors. Don't cite economics--your system is oppressive, and foreign peoples are trying to free themselves from you. Don't be certain you are right--there is no right...

Never mind that your culture drew millions to your shores, desperate to escape centuries of stagnation, famine, and wars. Forget the fact that your "colonialism" brought laws and a measure of civilization to people mired in primitive tribalism. Evade the fact that your system created the greatest riches in history by setting men free, and that the wealth of foreign people today is directly proportional to the extent they have emulated you...

Dr. Lewis continues:

In the course of these wars, we have sacrificed the best of our people to self-abnegating rules of engagement... When American soldiers return to their families maimed or in coffins, we praise their sacrifice but do not obliterate their foes... Like self-flagellating monks crushed by guilt, we scourge our own skins rather than the skins of those who launched the jihad.

I highly recommend reading the entire article in The Objective Standard.