One of the more dangerous features of out times, as Herbert E. Meyer observes, is that so many argue before they bother to understand, even about topics so critical to Western survival as the true character of our Islamist enemies.
In a discerning essay in Human Events, Vasko Kohlmayer adds mightily to such an understanding, describing Islamism as the successor to fascism and communism:
Contrary to all appearances, radical Islam — that militant form of Islamic fundamentalism — is not a religious movement. That this is generally not recognized is not surprising given the movement’s exploitation of religious rhetoric and symbols. But a closer look at its modus operandi shows that it is virtually indistinguishable from that of fascism and communism. The striking similarities should alert us to the fact that radical Islam is at bottom a political ideology along the lines of the great totalitarian ideologies of the past.