During the Bush era, he was more popular in the Muslim world than the U.S. president. Al-Qaida may have been obliterated in Afghanistan, but has spread to Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya and Yemen, spawning imitators, like ISIS, from the Maghreb across the Middle East into black Africa. Why are almost all the suicide bombers, the martyrs, on their side? Wrote Hoffer: “All mass movements generate in their adherents a readiness to die and a proclivity for united action. ... All of them irrespective of the doctrine they preach and the program they project breed fanaticism, enthusiasm, fervent hope, hatred and intolerance; all ... demand blind faith and singlehearted allegiance.” Does this not fairly describe the Islamic State? Still, what does ISIS offer the young? A second chance at a heroic life. A cause to die for. A vision of a new world as Allah intended it. Communion and camaraderie. slavery of the daughters and wives of enemies, there are few better sources than the longshoreman-philosopher Eric Hoffer. Why do young men and women travel from a free prosperous West to fight in Syria and perhaps die in a suicide bombing? What do they seek? What does ISIS offer? And a more alarming question—why do these jihadists and terrorists continue to gain ground and attract new recruits? Bin Laden may be dead, but he is world famous and by no means universally loathed for slaughtering 3,000 Americans. “Their innermost craving is for a new life—a rebirth—or, failing this, a chance to acquire new elements of pride, confidence, hope, a sense of purpose, and worth by an identification with a holy cause.” Such a man was Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, a criminal with a decade-long record of drugdealing, assault and robbery, who shot and killed a guard at Ottawa’s National War Memorial and then burst into Parliament and shot two others before being cut down. A psychiatric evaluation of Zehaf-Bibeau in 2011 found, “He has been a devoted Muslim for seven years, and he believes he must spend time in jail as a sacrifice to pay for his mistakes in the past.” Now Zehaf-Bibeau is known to his countrymen and the world. Now his deeds are celebrated by the Islamic State he sought to join. To understand the appeal to such men of the Islamic State, despite its cruelties, beheadings, crucifixions, slaughter of prisoners, rape and sale into Ridgewood Property Owners & Civic Assn. MMAAUURREEEENN EE. WWAALLTTHHEERRSS..........................................PPuubblisshheerr && EEdditoorr JJOOHHNN TT.. WWAALLTTHHEERRSS................................................................................................PPuubblliisshheerr EEmmeerriittuuss RROOBBEERRT POOZZAARRYYCCKI.................................................MMaanaaging EEdditorr JJOOSEE VVAARRGAAS.............................................Prrodducction//Saaleess MMaanaageerr DDEEBBOORRAAHH CCUUSSICCKK..............................................CClaassssiffieedd MMaannaaggeerr MMAARRLLEENNEE RRUUIZZ............................................AAssssisst. CClaassssifieedd MMaanaageerr TTIIMMEESS NNEEWWSSWWEEEEKKLLYY IIss LLiisstteedd WWiitthh TThhee SSttaannddaarrdd RRaattee && DDaattaa AAnndd IIss AA MMeemmbbeerr OOff TThhee NNeeww YYoorrkk PPrreessss AAssssoocciiaattiioonn TIMES, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2014 • 4 Times Newsweekly EEDDIITTOORRIIAALL Times Newsweekly Established In 1908 As Ridgewood Times PPhhootoo SSuubbmmissssioonnss AAnndd RReeqquueesstss Photographs submitted to the Times Newsweekly/Ridgewood Times should be in electronic high resolution (300dpi) JPEG (.jpg) or TIFF (.tif) formats. Sharp and clear non-Polaroid photo prints in color or black and white are also acceptable. Photographs submitted will become the property of this newspaper, with the exception of photos or other materials sent for use by The Old Timer and photos which are part of paid announcements. We welcome the submission of unsolicited photos or related materials for consideration of publication, but we cannot guarantee their use. The return of such photos or materials, except in cases as noted above, is not possible. We regret that we are unable to accommodate requests for photos taken by photographers working on assignment for the Times Newsweekly/Ridgewood Times. Reaching The Queens Homes Of Ridgewood, Glendale, Maspeth, Middle Village, Woodside, Sunnyside, Astoria, Long Island City, Ozone Park, South Ozone Park, Howard Beach, Richmond Hill, Rego Park, Forest Hills, Woodhaven, Elmhurst & Kew Gardens. Reaching The Brooklyn Homes Of Ridgewood, Bushwick, Cypress Hills, East Williamsburg & Williamsburg. COMPOSITION RESPONSIBILITY: Accuracy in receiving ads over the telephone cannot be guaranteed. This newspaper is responsible for only one incorrect insertion and only for that portion of the ad in which the error appears. It is the responsibility of the advertiser to make sure copy does not contravene the Consumer Protection Law or any other requirement. CCOOPPYYRRIIGGHHTT 22001144 RRIIDDGGEEWWOOOODD TTIIMMEESS PPRRIINNTTIINNGG && PPUUBBLLIISSHHIINNGG CCOO., IINNCC. 60-71 Woodbine St., Ridgewood, N.Y. 11385 General Pub. Office: P.O. Box 863299 Ridgewood, N.Y. 11386-0299 Periodicals Postage Paid At Flushing, N.Y. (USPS 465-940) TTEELEEPHHOONEE: 11--771188--882211--77550000/77550011/77550022/77550033 FFAAXX: 11--771188--445566--00112200 EE-MMAAIILL: iinnffoo@@ttiimmeessnneewwsswweeeekkllyy..ccoomm WWEEBB SSITTEE: www.timessnnewssweekklyy.ccoom OON TTWWITTTTEER @@timessnnewssweekklyy PPUUBBLLIISSHHEEDD EEVVEERRYY TTHHUURRSSDDAAYY FFOORR OOVVEERR 110066 YYEEAARRSS PAT BUCHANAN Beware Of Contagious Fear News & Opinion “A mass movement,” wrote Eric Hoffer in “The True Believer,” “appeals not to those intent on bolstering and advancing a cherished self, but to those who crave to be rid of an unwanted self. -SEE BUCHANAN ON PG. 30- If President Franklin D. Roosevelt were in office today to witness Ebola, he’d probably make a speech and repeat to the American public his most memorable quote: “The only thing we have to fear is ... fear itself.” Within a few minutes, some hysterical congressman would go on some hysterical “news program” on some hysterical, 24-hour “news channel” to denounce President Roosevelt as naïve, weak, dithering and—of course—un-American. Those talking points would spread like wildfire through Facebook, Twitter and other social media—and by the end of the week, Congress would probably impeach Roosevelt. America is in a frenzy over Ebola. Without a doubt, it’s a terrifying virus that does terrifying things to the human body. The African outbreak is horrific: more than 5,000 dead, thousands more sickened, human suffering beyond comprehension, entire nations brought to their knees by an enemy invisible to the naked eye that kills 60 percent of its victims. Ebola finally arrived in the U.S. last month, when Thomas Duncan— who came to Dallas from Liberia—became fatally infected days after landing here. Duncan’s terrible death, however, could have been avoided if the doctors diagnosed him properly after he first visited a Texas hospital upon showing symptoms. Since that initial infection, two nurses who tended to Duncan became infected with Ebola. They were diagnosed early, treated early—and were cured quickly. Up to 80 people whom authorities said had contact with Duncan, including those who lived with the doomed patient, were monitored for the virus’ full, 21-day incubation period. No one other than the two nurses became infected. This can’t be stressed enough: except for Duncan, every Ebola patient in America—including those missionaries flown back to the U.S. after contracting the disease in Africa—was successfully treated and survived. America’s health care system clearly has the upper hand in the war on Ebola—and that won’t change as long as early diagnosis, treatment and containment of the infection continue. But just when it appeared things were starting to calm down, a New York City doctor came down with the virus last Thursday. He had just returned from a stint with Doctors Without Borders in West Africa, where the outbreak is so severe. He monitored himself and followed the proper protocol when he came down with a fever. He’s now in a Bellevue Hospital Center isolation unit undergoing treatment. His condition is “serious but stable,” but his prognosis for a recovery is good. The episode, however, ramped up the Ebola hysteria machine once again. The news networks went wall-to-wall on Ebola, scaring the public more than informing them about the disease. The daily papers became like cheap horror novels, putting ghastly images of the microscopic virus and hazmat-suited workers on the front pages. Grandstanding governors rushed to impose quarantines on yet-to-be-infected medical workers, then hastily withdrew them amid criticism. What do they care if the public panics? Nobody’s talking about more pressing matters like gun violence or joblessness. They’re glued to their TV sets and buying the sensational tabloids, obsessed over a disease they presently have a remote chance of catching. Everyone’s shouting about banning flights that don’t exist or debating quarantine regulations, but no one is listening to the facts about Ebola. It’s hard to contract the virus; one must come into direct contact with infected fluid such as blood, vomit or feces to acquire it. Ebola is not airborne and can’t be spread as easily as influenza, tuberculosis or a hundred other maladies that pose a wider danger to New Yorkers every day. Instead, the media hits the panic alarm, and the public becomes consumed by fear of a disease that can be, as our health care system already demonstrated, contained and cured. Let us not walk or live in fear of Ebola; let’s work to stop it, but let’s also keep calm and carry on. Terrorism And ‘The True Believer’ Fall Back! Daylight Savings Time Ends At 2 a.m. On Sunday, Nov. 2 Set Your Clocks Back 1 Hour Join Us at The Ridgewood Presbyterian Church 59-14 70th Avenue Between Forest and 60th Street Parking Lot Entrance 1st floor- no steps! Thursday, November 6th, 2014 7:00 PM Mr. Beni D. Gutier rez, Vice President, TD Bank wi ll give a presentation regarding our financial future. also Theodore M. Renz Executive Director of the Myr tle Avenue BID Wil l be sharing up to date improvements and future plans that will benefit the merchants and shoppers on Myr tle Avenue Ted wi ll also do us the honor of cutting the Anniversary Cake All Homeowners are Welcome Cof fee and Cookies wil l be served ©Times Newsweekly - 2014- RIDGPROP
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