By Benyamin Solomon
I remember when I first heard of Paul Krugman's inaccurate NY Times column on Islamo-fascism. It was while I read one of Alex Constantine's slanderous responses to me. In that response, Alex Constantine called his Conservative opponents Fascist, something he spends a lot of time doing on his blogs. Well, Alex Constantine is not the main focus of this column.
What is the main focus is that this is a response to Paul Krugman's inaccurate 2007 NY Times column "Fearing Fear itself". His column is promoted by left-wing propaganda sites like Crooks and Liars and also by Alex Constantine, who was promoting it in his slanderous response to me. Paul talks about how the Republican party is supposedly using the fear of Islamo-fascism and accuses the GOP of spreading fear toward dark-colored people just for showing the threat of Islamo-fascism. Paul said:

Most Americans have now regained their balance. But the Republican base, which lapped up the administration’s rhetoric about the axis of evil and the war on terror, remains infected by the fear the Bushies stirred up — perhaps because fear of terrorists maps so easily into the base’s older fears, including fear of dark-skinned people in general.

Wrong! The Republican Party wasn't spreading fear of dark-skinned people. The GOP wasn't looking for a candidate who shares that fear. In fact, the current chairman is Michael Steele, who is dark-skinned himself. To be fair to Krugman, he did write his column before Steele became the GOP chairman. But even then, that claim still didn't have any evidence to support it. It was a baseless claim that was spewed by many of the biggest kooks and propagandists from the political left including those from the Democract party. Even in those days, there were still dark-skinned members of the GOP. Boy, they must really fear themselves, Paul. Like a typical liberal, Krugman downplays the threats posed by Islamo-fascists. Paul said:

Mr. Podhoretz, the editor of Commentary and a founding neoconservative, tells us that Iran is the “main center of the Islamofascist ideology against which we have been fighting since 9/11.” The Islamofascists, he tells us, are well on their way toward creating a world “shaped by their will and tailored to their wishes.” Indeed, “Already, some observers are warning that by the end of the 21st century the whole of Europe will be transformed into a place to which they give the name Eurabia.”

Do I have to point out that none of this makes a bit of sense?

Iran being "the main center of the Islamofascist ideology against which we have been fighting since 9/11" is a pretty accurate statement. Iran is ruled by reactionary Jihadist Fascists. Look at their ideology. They sponsor terror and carry out their terror in the name of Islam. What Paul Krugman should know is that Iran's goal of imposing radical Islam on the world is written in Iran's constitution, which says that:

Reading the column, you see that it is mainly an attack against Conservative commentators and then-Republican presidential nominees. But it doesn't contain evidence. Pordhoretz's claim that Islamo-fascists are creating a world that is "shaped by their will and tailored by their wishes" is correct. Look at what's happening in Europe, as I will detail later. Look at what's happening in Afghanistan and Pakistan with the Taliban and in Iraq, Iran and many other places. The facts on the ground already state the same thing. Pordhoretz's claim that "some observers are warning that by the end of the 21st century the whole of Europe will be transformed into a place to which they give the name Eurabia" is also accurate. The respected expert on the Middle East and professor of Princeton Bernard Lewis said,"Europe will be Islamic by the end of the century". Already in Europe, radical Muslims are setting up no go areas where the police is persona non-grata. Muslim radicals impose Sharia law in those areas and seek to impose Sharia law on the rest of Europe and the world. Already in Europe, Sharia courts are already being imposed. Islamo-Fascism is no hoax. It is the ideology of radical Islam. Radical Islamists are Fascists.  Radical Muslims seek to establish some of the most totalitarian societies in the name of Islam. Fascism is where a totalitarian government controls every aspect of individual life in the name of nationalism, religion and/or race. This is Islamo-fascism. Islamo-fascists seek to impose a society where Sharia law will control every aspect of individual life. Radical Muslims have a long list of crimes. They're guilty of torture, and public killings. Radical Muslims kill people in public areas and/or in front of cameras. Modern-day Iran is the embodiment or at least very similar to the kind of society radical Muslims seek to impose. In fact, Iran is ruled by radical Muslims. Iran has the modesty police harass women for not being veiled "properly" and has public executions. Iran had notorious people like Assadollah Lajevardi carrying out killings and tortures of political prisoners who seek to have democracy. Lajevardi was killed in a heroic attack by the People's Mojahedin of Iran [PMOI], which is the main opposition group in Iran. Though Lajevardi may be dead, the Iranian regime has thugs like him that carry out their torture and executions. Look at the Fatwa that calls for the killing of Salman Rushdie. The fatwa keeps being reaffirmed by Iranian leaders and has never been retracted. So Islamo-fascism is real. It wasn't invented by any neo-con [I'm a proud neo-con] nor by any proponent of the war on Iraq. Saddam not attacking America is a matter of perspective. He still harbored terrorists who killed Americans like Abu Abbas, who killed the American Jewish passenger Leon Klinghoff on the Archille Lauro ship that was hijacked by Abu Abbas's faction of the PLO [Palestine Liberation Organization] the PLF [Palestine Liberation Front]. Saddam was good friends with Yasser Arafat, who ordered the killing of the US ambassador to Sudan Cleo Noel. Saddam was allied to and supported terrorists who killed Americans. I don't support every single aspect of the Iraq war and believe that some mistakes were made. For example, I think that America's bombings of the PMOI bases in Iraq were a mistake. They were done to appease Iran.
Paul claims that the Iranian regime was helpful in the 2001 Afghanistan war and that they have no responsibility for 9/11. The 9/11 commission report states that Iran and its proxy Hezbollah trained Al Qaeda terrorists. Even after 9/11, Iran continued to harbor Al Qaeda terrorists including Osama Bin Ladin's son. Iran wasn't helpful to America in the Afghanistan war. That's a myth repeated by Tehran's apologists, who seem to influence the appeasement crowd. Iran gave cheap lip service when it came to condemning the 9/11 attacks and in support of America's efforts against the Taliban and Al Qaeda. In fact, in the 2001 Afghanistan war, Iran actually aided the Taliban. In October 2001, Iran signed a secret agreement to assist the Taliban in its war on America. Paul, let me state you one thing. I do NOT want that kind of help. Paul claims that:

So Paul acknowledges that Iran's regime is a "nasty piece of work" while whitewashing it at the same time. Paul's whitewash of Iran's regime is seen by his claim that Iran cooperated with America against the Al Qaeda and the Taliban, a claim that I already refuted above in this article. Iran has extensive terrorist networks. Iran has extensive terrorist networks in Iraq and is responsible for some of the most deadly terrorist attacks including attacks that killed Americans. Let's take a look at history. Iran carried out the bombing of the Israeli embassy in Argentina in 1992 and attacked the Jewish community center in 1994. Those attacks were approved and directed by the Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Hisehmi Rafsanjani, then-President of Iran helped to carry out the attacks and was one of the Iranian officials who went on arrest warrants in Argentina. Iran helped carry out the kidnappings of Americans in Lebanon in the 1980's and helped to carry out attacks on American forces in Iraq. Iran supplied deadly EFP explosives to their proxy militias to be used against US-led coalition forces. Iran is also responsible for the bombing of the Khobar towers in 1996, which killed more Americans.

 The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps [IRGC] is one of the biggest terrorist organs of the Iranian regime. It's branch the Qods force is especially deadly. Iran also has an extensive intelligence network known as the Ministry of Intelligence and Security [MOIS]. I can state more. I think you get the point. Paul said:

Mitt Romney's ad was [and is] certainly correct. Radical Muslims admit that they want to replace our [America's] constitution with the Koran. There are other jihadists beside Al Qaeda with the same objectives. But Paul assumes that the ad referred to Al Qaeda. Whether Al Qaeda can take over the world and collapse the United States or not, those things are certainly what Al Qaeda seeks to do. Al Qaeda is a deadly terrorist group that is responsible for the killing of many American lives. In 1998, Bin Ladin issued a fatwa that called for the killing of Americans, both civilians and military alike. In November 2001, Bin Ladin said,"I was ordered to fight the people until they say there is no god but Allah, and his prophet Muhammad." Al Qaeda carried out the bombing of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. Al Qaeda carried out the bombing of the USS cole. Al Qaeda even carried out the 9/11 attacks, which killed more than 3,000 innocent people. Al Qaeda is not the only force in the Jihadist movement. It is one of them. Radical Muslims, even those who aren't members of Al Qaeda, made it clear that they seek to impose Sharia on the whole world and that they seek to defeat the free world. Paul said:

 Yep, a bunch of lightly armed terrorists and a fourth-rate military power — which aren’t even allies — pose a greater danger than Hitler’s panzers or the Soviet nuclear arsenal ever did.

All of this would be funny if it weren’t so serious.

In the wake of 9/11, the Bush administration adopted fear-mongering as a political strategy. Instead of treating the attack as what it was — an atrocity committed by a fundamentally weak, though ruthless adversary — the administration portrayed America as a nation under threat from every direction.

Iran had a mixed relationship with Al Qaeda. True, Iran did offer to hand over some Al Qaeda terrorists, with the Obama administration rejecting the offer. But even today, Iran continues to be a leading state sponsor of terrorism and a global threat. Iran has an extensive terrorist network. Whenever we see Islamic fundamentalists causing problems, we see that Iran is behind it. I think when Paul said "fourth rate military power" in the above quote, he means Iran and when he said "lightly armed terrorists", he means Al Qaeda. The Islamo-fascists do pose a bigger threat than the Soviets. Look at their ideology. Islamo-Fascism has the expansionist nature of Communism and also includes religious fanaticism and a martyrdom embracing theme. During the Cold War, MAD [Mutually Assured Destruction] was a deterrent to using nuclear weapons for both the United States and the Soviet Union. MAD is not a deterrent with radical Islam. Radical Muslims bragged that they love death more than they love life. they demonstrated it with actions like with suicide bombings and the 9/11 hijackings. Radical Muslims believe that if they die fighting for Allah, they'd go to heaven while the infidels go to hell. That's what the suicide bombers and 9/11 hijackers believed. During the Iran-Iraq war, Khomeini sent Iranian kids to walk on mines, so the advancing Iranian army can fight the Iraqi forces. The kids were given a key, which symbolizes their so-called key to heaven. Iran's nuclear program is a threat because it gives nuclear weapons to an ideology where MAD is not a deterrent to using nuclear weapons. Same is true if the Taliban took over Pakistan, which already has nuclear weapons. Paul claims:

I don't think that bombing Iran's regime is the only solution. I am for supporting Iran's pro-democracy movement that seeks liberty. But bombing Iran's nuclear weapons sites is the second best option. Iran must not have nuclear weapons. The Israeli bombing of Hezbollah did damage them. What strenthened Hezbollah is the cease fire. Hezbollah then used it to get more strength and more control.
Krugman concludes the article as saying:

 While whitewashing them, Paul admits that Al Qaeda and Iran's nuclear program are threats. This "unreasoning fear" is based on fact. Radical Islam is a growing movement. It is the ideology of the regimes in Saudi Arabia and Iran and the ideology of the main opposition group in Egypt the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood. In fact, the Muslim Brotherhood is the father of radical Islam. Egypt was where it was founded.
Paul admitted that Al Qaeda and Iran's nuclear program are threats. He admitted that Iran's regime "is a nasty piece of work" and that Al Qaeda murders innocent people. But he whitewashes them and denies the ideology that is attacking the free world and that is murdering innocent Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Krugman accused Podhoretz of engaging in "crazy talk". Looking at the evidence, it is Kruman who engaged in "crazy talk". He still engages in "crazy talk" today whenever he writes a column for the NY Times that bashes Conservatives including those who oppose Obama's policies. Accusing the GOP of spreading fear toward colored people is already crazy talk. It was crazy talk then. It's crazy talk today. Krugman's articles are laughable if they weren't so serious. It's him who is providing "comical relief" ["Comical relief" was a term Krugman accuses the Republicans of in his recent column "Stay the Course"]. The threat of radical Islam is right in front of anybody who looks it up. He is one of those liberals who needs to wake up to the fact that radical Islam is a global threat. This ideology is a threat to both Muslims and non-Muslims alike. This ideology is Fascist. If it isn't Fascist, then I don't know what Fascism is. Islamo-Fascism is very real and is an accurate term to describe the ideology of radical Islam.