The far-Left Islamic apologist Malcolm Nance is the quintessential establishment counterterror “expert.” (I had to laugh when I saw his self-description: he says he is a “former Arabic speaking naval intelligence counter-terrorism and intelligence officer specializing in the Middle East.” “Former Arabic speaking,” eh? How did he forget all his Arabic?) His book on the Islamic State is a prime example of fake news: poorly researched, poorly written, apologetic and whitewashed regarding the Islamic State’s motivating ideology. And so it is no surprise that he would turn out to be, like so many Leftists these days, actually in favor of Islamic State action when it is directed against those whom he hates and fears. Nance and others readily traffic in the demonization and smearing of those who are pointing out how jihadis use the texts and teachings of Islam to justify violence and hatred; apparently Nance and his colleagues are just fine with the fact that if all those who speak out about the root causes of jihad terror are marginalized and silenced, the jihad will be able to advance unimpeded and unopposed. The Left in America today is increasingly violent, authoritarian, and intolerant of dissent.

All that said, it should also be noted that Trump’s congratulating Erdogan for becoming a dictator was absolute madness and testimony to the chaos that reigns inside the Trump administration, but unlike Malcolm Nance, my knowing that doesn’t move me to call for any Islamic State massacres.