Suicide is as old as man himself. From men falling on their own swords thousands of years ago to the hemlock drinkers in the company of Socrates to those who use guns, pills, and alcohol in the 21st century, suicide though tragic, is nothing new.

And some people will go to great lengths to guarantee their suicide is successful. This has been seen over the last few decades in the United States via the emergence of “suicide by cop” – a phenomenon by which a person who wishes to die pulls a gun (or another weapon) on a law enforcement officer, thus forcing that officer to shoot and kill the attacker.

Lately however, for those of us who pay attention to such things, there is evidence of another kind of suicide underway. And this new type, which if far more passive than the others I’ve described, is best referred to as suicide by capitulation.

It is a death brought on by succumbing to the wishes of another.

Currently, we see this taking place as the West slowly bows the knee to the demands not only of jihadists and other Islamist factions, but also to those of Muslims in general.

For example, in the United States there is a new White House strategy to battle homegrown terrorism, but which is predominately focused on training agents to fight terrorism “sensitively,” and to do so in a way that roots out “Islamophobia.” (“Islamophobia” is a descriptive which leftists use as a pejorative when trying to paint pro-Westerners as bigots, racists, etc.)

Another example is the Obama administration’s support of the U.N.’s resolution 16/18 – a resolution ostensibly aimed at ridding the world of “religious defamation” but which is actually aimed at silencing those who are critical of any aspect of the Muslim faith. In other words, it creates a special sphere of protection for the countries with which Western nations may (and do) find themselves at war vis-à-vis terrorist attacks, kidnappings, beheadings, etc.

Moreover, there is serious concern that once resolution 16/18 is fleshed out, it will “criminalize criticism of Islam.”

Promoted by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and fully supported by President Obama, the resolution is but one more aspect of the suicide Westerners are committing via their capitulation.

Of course, there are other less explicit ways in which Westerners are slowly killing themselves and their culture in order to make nice with jihadists, Islamists, and Muslims of all kinds. For an example of this one need look no further than Montreal, Canada, where a nativity scene and menorah were removed from a town hall because Muslim’s were offended by it. (The nativity scene had been displayed for 15 consecutive Christmases.)

And in a manner that seems to be almost anticipatory of Western culture’s death, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been openly critical of Israel, saying she fears for “the future of Israel’s democracy and the rights of women in the Jewish state.” All the while, women in many Muslim nations are being stoned to death, tortured, whipped, or otherwise punished because of the demands of Sharia law.

Think about it this way: Israel is a Western state in the Middle East. Historically, it holds a place which is foundational to Western Civilization. Nevertheless, Clinton finds Israel’s socio-political structure worthy of criticism while she remains strangely silent about actual mistreatment of women throughout other parts of the Middle East.

For example, I have yet to hear Clinton complain about the Saudi woman who was condemned of “committing adultery” when she was raped. (That’s right—condemned because raped.) Nor have I heard Clinton take up the cause of the Sudanese woman who was publicly whipped for wearing trousers under her normal Muslim garb.

Of course I don’t expect Clinton to actually care about the plight of women. Her job, driven completely by political correctness and an overt weakness, is to show jihadists, Islamists, and any other Muslim who hates the West that we’ve determined to be nice, even unto death.

From London to Washington D.C., and from Montreal to Paris and beyond, Westerners are under the illusion that kindness will secure us a place at the decision making table of the future. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it just isn’t so. The only thing we’re actually succeeding in is sending the message that our culture isn’t worth defending, and that we’re willing to prove it by criticizing the bedrock of Western Civilization (Israel) and throwing our nativity scenes in the dumpster.

And for good measure, we’ll continue to look the other way when men publicly surround and whip a woman who’s on her knees begging for mercy, yet receiving none.

There’s but one fitting description of such behavior on the part of the West – suicide by capitulation.