Paris Hilton, Jihad and us...

The Paris Hilton soap opera is more interesting in what it reveals about us as a culture and who may be taking notice than because of any innate value in the story itself.

Some of us see it in the context of a spoiled, rich heiress getting her just desserts, others as someone being prosecuted mercilessly `because she's rich, sexy and famous and people are jealous.'

Frankly, I could give a rip. There has always been a two tiered system of justice, and it will always a matter of `how much justice can you afford, Jack?' At least as long as we continue to allow lawyers to metasize like cancer cells and vomit litigation over all parts of everyday life.

What I'm concerned about is what this signifies to our enemies.

What do you imagine they think when they've already sneaked into internet cafes across the Muslim world and watched videos of this woman performing various sex acts for the camera, and now see this same young woman even more celebrated, famous and seemingly, the number one concern of Americans?

Rightly or wrongly, they are going to conclude that this young woman is an emblem of our culture, and a role model - and that our culture is weak, decadent, rotted from within and ready to be toppled, just like Osama, Zawahiri and their friendly neighborhood jihad preachin' imam always said.

What's more, they will consider it a Holy Act to cleanse it and make it submit to Dar Islam.

Our culture isn't nearly so decadent and rotting as all that (at least,once you get out of places like Hollywood, San Francisco and Manhattan) but that will be the perception, especially in parts of the world that already think the West is decadent and evil and have a somewhat ummm...jaundiced view of women and their place in society already.

Even more importantly is the effect on what I call the `swing vote' in Muslim society, people who aren't quite ready to pull the detonators on those suicide vests yet, are mainly concerned with everyday life and look around them at the societies they live in and think that maybe, just maybe, a little more western style progress would be most welcome.

When they see the hoopla over Paris Hilton, they are more than likely to think that this is where that road leads,and it's the last thing they want, especially for their wives and daughters.

Or to quote the immortal words of Big Sam to Scarlett in `Gone With The Wind' after a little taste of seeing how things were outside of the familiar: "I done seen enough of dis here freedom! Gets me back to Tara where I belongs!"

Part of this war that's been thrust upon us is a war of cultures, and a battle for hearts and minds.And the empowerment of Muslim women and the overthrow of the misogyny inherent in that culture is the key, the absolute cornerstone of defeating Radical Islam, in my opinion.

For the record, Paris Hilton is not to blame for this in the least. She is whom she is.

The fault lies with the dinosaur media who are willing to sell out any semblance of journalistic ethics and the role of the press in a free society for ratings..and with us, for watching like the celebrity voyeurs a lot of us are.