Letter: Strife isn't always America's fault
An American flag is seen in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR XFINITY Series ToyotaCare 250 at Richmond International Raceway on April 24, 2015 in Richmond, Virginia. Credit: Getty Images / Todd Warshaw
As in Roman times, when parading leaders, victorious from battle, were accompanied in their chariots by a slave whispering "fame is fleeting," so too must the Newsday editorial staff employ a similar individual whose job is to constantly parrot the words "It's always our fault" ["Cool the refugee firestorm," Editorial, Nov. 22].
How else to read your editorial, which states, "the U.S. intervention via the invasion of Iraq and its aftermath destabilized the region and made possible the rise of ISIS" and "our attempts at nation-building almost always fail."
Really? Is that the reason for the latest attacks? Why not go to the source, which would have constituted an honest and well-balanced editorial. This is from the official statement of the Islamic State:
One of the reasons Paris was selected is because "it is the capital of prostitution and vice." Why attack a concert hall? Here's why: "The targets included the Bataclan theatre, where hundreds of pagans gathered for a concert of prostitution and vice." They concluded with "we will continue . . . as long as they curse our prophet."
No, I don't consider this a war of civilizations, but ISIS does. The Newsday editorial board chooses to avoid these uncomfortable truths because they do not fit into the tiresome narrative that ultimately, the United States -- and other "crusader" nations -- are to blame.
Jay Matuk, Miller Place
