What's Islamic extremism? It's strict adherence to a particular interpretation of 7th century Islamic law as practiced by the prophet Mohammed, and when I say "strict adherence," I'm not kidding around. Men are forced to pray, wear their beards a certain length. Among my favorites is there's only one acceptable cheer at a soccer match: 'Allah-uh-Akbar.' "God is great." If your guys are getting creamed, then you're on your own. Things are a lot less comic for women, who aren't allowed to attend school or have jobs. They're not allowed to be unaccompanied, and oftentimes get publicly stoned to death for crimes like not wearing a veil. I don't have to tell you they don't need to shout at a soccer match because they're never going to go to one. So what bothers them about us? Well, the variety of cheers alone coming from the cheap seats at Giants stadium when they're playing the Cowboys is enough for a jihad, to say nothing of street corners lined church next to synagogue, next to mosque, newspapers that can print anything they want, women who can do anything they want including taking a rocket ship to outer space, vote, and play soccer. This is a plural society. That means we accept more than one idea. It offends them... You want to get these people? I mean, you really want to reach in and kill them where they live? Keep accepting more than one idea. It makes them absolutely crazy.
S3Isaac and Ishmael
When you think of Afghanistan, think of Poland. When you think of the Taliban, think of the Nazis. When you think of the citizens of Afghanistan, think of the Jews in concentration camps. A friend of my dad's was at one of the camps. He used to come over to the house, and he and my dad used to shoot some pinochle. He said he once saw a guy at the camp kneeling and praying. He said, "What are you doing?" The guy said he was thanking God. And my dad's friend said, "What could you possibly be thanking God for?" He said, "I'm thanking God for not making me like them." Bad people can't be recognized on sight. There's no point in trying.
A martyr would rather suffer death at the hands of an oppressor than renounce his beliefs. Killing yourself and innocent people to make a point is sick, twisted, brutal, dumb-ass murder. And let me leave you with this thought before I go searching for the apples that were rightfully mine: we don't need martyrs right now. We need heroes. A hero would die for his country but he'd much rather live for it.
What do you call a society that has to just live every day with the idea that the pizza place you are eating in could just blow up without any warning?
Israel.
But listen, don't worry about all this right now. We got you covered. Worry about school. Worry about what you'll tell your parents when you break curfew. You're gonna meet guys. You're gonna meet girls. (Not so much you, Fred.) Learn things, be good to each other. Read the newspapers, go to the movies, go to a party, read a book. In the meantime, remember pluralism. You want to get these people? I mean, you really want to in and kill them where they live? Keep accepting more than one idea. Makes them absolutely crazy.
S3Manchester, Part I
Can you tell us right now if you'll be seeking a second term?
Yeah. And I'm gonna win.
Was he physically and emotionally prepared to make a life and death decision after what he'd just been through?
He'd been through a TV interview and a press conference. The President finds you all annoying but not prohibitively debilitating.
Aren't you supposed to be writing?
I am writing.
I don't see paper.
'We can sit back and admit with great sensitivity that life isn't fair... and the less-advantaged are destined to their lot in life... and the problems of those on the other side of the world should stay there... and our leaders are cynical and can never be an instrument of change... but that, my friends, is not worthy of you; it's not worthy of a President; it's not worthy of a great nation; it's not worthy of America.' Paper's for wimps.
[advised to get a lawyer] How much?
Assuming you saw nothing wrong, heard nothing wrong and did nothing wrong... about $100,000.
It's a typical marriage, I've been there.
Well, I haven't, but he's the President of the United States, so my guess is no, it's probably not a typical marriage.
Today, the President is going to direct the Attorney General to appoint a Special Prosecutor.
Yes.
Now, you know what that means, right?
Yeah.
Okay, so you'll need a lawyer.
Actually, Mr. Babish, I don't think I need one.
You do.
I think I'll be fine.
Really?
Yeah.
He's going to ask you about everything you'd seen and heard since you started working at the White House.
I can answer those questions truthfully.
Then he's going to call you back a month later and ask you the exact same questions. If your answers change even a little bit, he'll prosecute you for perjury.
Mr. Babish...
Oliver's fine. Are you prepared to describe every conversation you've ever had with the President? Whether he asked you for an aspirin? Whether his hands quivered? Are you prepared to answer questions about your relationship with his youngest daughter? This is NFL football.
When is this all going to happen?
I don't know.
How can you not know?
Because grand jury investigations are secret.
So they can just knock on my door one morning?
They will knock on your door one morning.
How much? You know, how much do you think...
Assuming you did nothing wrong, saw nothing wrong and heard nothing wrong - about a hundred thousand dollars.
S3Manchester, Part II
It occurs to me, I never said I'm sorry. I am. For the lawyers, for the press, for the mess, for the fear. Bruno, Doug, Connie -- these guys are good. They want to win. So do we. The only thing we want more is to be right. I wonder if you can't do both. There's a new book... and we're going to write it.
I've been thinking it might not be such a bad idea to lock you all in here and set the place on fire. We have 48 hours before we kick off this campaign. We will work hard, we will work well, and we will work together. Or so help me, mother of God, I will stick a pitchfork so far up your asses you will quite simply be dead.
I was trying to find a Starbucks. A guy in a gas station said, "Round here, people don't pay four bucks for a cup of coffee."
New Hampshire. Live free or cheap.
[to C.J. about his original election] I was never supposed to win. Then you guys came along and all of a sudden...
These quotes come from Wikiquote's The West Wing pages and are available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.