NO GO ZONES
There is a grotesque irony playing out in the Mediterranean and across the English Channel. As the United States pours its military “mite” into the Middle East to prevent a radicalized Iran from turning the region—and eventually the world—into a nuclear wasteland, the nations benefiting most from our sacrifice are treating us like an unwanted intrusion. It is time for American tourists to wake up and stop subsidizing the “mental illness” of the European elite. If the UK, Spain, Italy, and France are too “principled” to support the war that keeps their capitals from being vaporized, then they are too “principled” to receive our patronage.
The Shield They Don’t Deserve
Let’s be blunt about the geography of terror. Iran’s current missile range easily covers the European continent. They could nuke Barcelona or Marseille tomorrow; they can’t reach Kansas yet. We are making the sacrifice for them. We are the ones stabilizing the energy markets and the security corridors that allow a cruise ship to safely dock in Naples or Nice. Yet, how are we rewarded? In Spain, they are literally spraying American tourists with water guns and marching in the streets because they “don’t want us there.” In the UK, the leadership class is more concerned with “de-escalation” and “diplomacy” than they are with the survival of the West.
These are cowardly countries that have forgotten that their freedom wasn’t a gift from a bureaucrat in Brussels—it was bought with American blood and maintained by American steel. They enjoy the luxury of being “peace-loving” only because we are willing to be “war-fighting.”
Vote With Your Passport
If you are planning a cruise this summer, look at the itinerary. If that ship stops in a country that has spent the last month criticizing our efforts to disarm the Iranian threat, cancel the trip. Why should you hand over your hard-earned dollars to a shopkeeper in Barcelona or a hotelier in Amalfi who views your country as the problem? Why should we reward the “cowardice” of leaders who benefit from our protection while refusing to stand beside us in the breach?
They think they can have it both ways: American security and European “superiority.” It’s time to show them they can’t. Let the cruise docks in the UK and the Mediterranean sit empty. Let them see what their economies look like when the “ugly Americans” they despise so much actually take the hint and stay home. If they want to be “independent” of our foreign policy, they can be independent of our economy, too. Until these nations appreciate that the war in Iran makes them safer than anyone else, they don’t deserve a single cent of American tribute.
The Scripture
Matthew 10:14
“And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.”
Explanation: This verse is a divine instruction on how to handle the ungrateful and the hostile. If a city or a nation refuses to acknowledge the truth or respect your presence, you don’t stay and beg for their approval. You leave, you “shake the dust” from your shoes, and you move on to those who are worthy of your company. It is a call to have enough self-respect to walk away from those who despise you.
A Prayer for the Ungrateful Nations
Heavenly Father, we pray for the nations of Europe that have grown blind in their own prosperity. We ask that You awaken the hearts of the leaders in the UK, Spain, Italy, and France to the reality of the shield that protects them. Forgive them for their “cowardice” and their “stupidity” in biting the hand of their defenders.
Lord, protect our “Warfighters” who are standing in the gap for people who don’t even appreciate the sacrifice. Grant the American people the discernment to put our resources where they are respected, and the courage to “shake the dust” from our feet when we are met with hostility. Restore the spirit of gratitude to the West, or let the consequences of their silence be their teacher.
Amen.
