Extremism Thrives on Pusillanimity

Thursday, January 8th, 2015

Juan Cole:

Extremism thrives on other people’s extremism, and is inexorably defeated by tolerance.

Arnold Kling:

Is it uncharitable of me to point out that the Nazis were not inexorably defeated by tolerance?

Comments

  1. Marc Pisco says:

    Doesn’t Kling know the point is that as long as one Muslim extremist is active, Cole and friends have an excuse to conduct witch hunts for those of their domestic political opponents who are secretly causing his extremism?

    But those domestic “extremists” aren’t ever caused by an opposing extremism. In fact they’re emboldened by any lack of rigor in efforts to suppress them. Moderation in that specific case is no virtue.

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