COLLECTIVE MADNESS


“Soft despotism is a term coined by Alexis de Tocqueville describing the state into which a country overrun by "a network of small complicated rules" might degrade. Soft despotism is different from despotism (also called 'hard despotism') in the sense that it is not obvious to the people."

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

A Dark Harvest of Violence. Is "losing is not an option" still on the menu?

The iconic symbol of bounty, harvest and giving thanks is the cornucopia. It is the familiar conical basket spilling all the season’s goodness and harvest before you and for you. Yet on the penultimate day, before that truly universal and wonderful American Holiday, Thanksgiving, the world is turning into a basket case of violence and doing so at an accelerating and alarming pace.

Now Lebanon-again, and Iran, Iraq, Korea, the streets of Paris, Afghanistan, East Africa, are just a small part of violence rising on a global scale. The name attached to most of the violence has become that familiar verbal duet, “Islamic Terror”. The world is harvesting the malignant crop of a religion and cult gone terribly badly. It is unique in that its evil affects are everywhere. There are the obvious consequences to travel, trade and security. Enter any high-rise office building and you must pass through a security check not thought of a few years ago. The effects have spilled across all parts of diplomacy and foreign relationships. Even North Korea developing nuclear weapons is far more sinister because of the fear of them getting into the hands of Islamist fanatics. Nuclear weapons in the arsenals of most states would hardly register a concern, because we know the chances of them ever being used is nil. That is not so when you attach the word, Islam.

Ten percent of the world’s Muslims are considered radical to the extreme in their sympathies and practice towards Islamic Terror. That is 100 million people. A nuclear weapon that falls into the hands of the worst one percent of this ten percent would make one million hardcore stone cold nutso fanatics. If this part of humanity gets a nuclear weapon, they will use is.

Many of us, including this critic, have been very tough on the Bush Administration for their conduct and misteps in Iraq. They have made their own cornucopia of mistakes, but in our criticism, we must not lose sight of the motivation behind the Administration. They want to save the world from militant Islam. That is a worthy and necessary goal. For that we should give thanks, but good intentions are not enough when the stakes are so high. Early on, before "staying the course" we heard "losing is not an option". Have we forgotten that? I believe some of us have.

12 comments:

  1. Happy Thanksgiving (Not that anyoone outside the US understands it ... I understand that the early settlers are starving, they were given food by the indians, and they repaid the debt with Manifest Destiny. Or something).

    You're still being too generous to the Bushites : if they really wanted to stop Islamic terrorism we'd have invaded the Saudis. That doesn't matter either. Now we're here, and what can be done not to turn Iraq into a global abyss, a new breeding ground for terror, a green light to Syria and Iran, a win for the Wahhabites, a moral defeat of the west? Even if we knew, would the liberals permit it?

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  2. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  3. We can run and hide and appease all we want.....

    the islamic nut jobs that do number not in a measley 100 million but rather 700 million are coming!

    run but you cannot hide...

    war is coming...

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  4. You have to love this headline from the LA Times:

    ANOTHER MARINE PLEADS GUILTY IN IRAQI"S DEATH
    "He is sentenced to 21 months in the killing of an unarmed Iraqi man.
    By Tony Perry, Times Staff Writer
    November 22, 2006

    CAMP PENDLETON — A 21-year-old lance corporal who joined the Marine Corps to "have adventures I could tell about" became the fourth defendant Tuesday to plead guilty to dragging an unarmed Iraqi from his home and executing him as he begged for his life."

    The marines are convicting a few bad apples and this punk reporter words the headline as if it were half the corps!

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  5. He was, I think, the third to plead to the crime.
    I could have some of the Army fellows that raped that girl, killed her & her immediate family and then burned them, confused with the Marines in this incident, though.

    The giant blast at a chemical plant in MA., in Danvers, close to where the 9-11 assailents took off ...

    Brush fires burning in CA. ...

    Political killings in Lebanon ...

    Steal two turkeys ...

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  6. Rufus might like this article about a kid creating a Mr. Fusion in his parent's basement. OPEC is doomed for sure now!

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  7. rufus said:

    I'm glad he "Wants" to work for the government; that'll make his "Decision" a lot easier.

    It would be a shame if some of the thallium he's working with got into his Domino's pizza somehow and made the Kremlin oil apparatchiks breathe a little easier.

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  8. Interesting thing, related to that young man. There he is in his basement, using old medical equipment that has been recycled, creating a micro fusion reaction in his basement.
    Totally outlandish, over the top, really. rufus beams like a proud parent and we all slap each other on the back at this young lads' accomplishment.
    Another US success story. Go Team!

    But the combined efforts of three Nation States are not thought capable of building subkiloton, deliverable nuclear warheads, even after siesmic reports indicate two tests, one in Pakistan in '99 and another just last month.

    Discussions of how to keep Iran from "Going nuclear" are well behind the curve. Them Iranian Mullahs have a couple of those munitions, at a minimum, to be sure. Or must at least be assummed to, based upon the Cheney 1% Standard.
    The other day some scientist on FOX said the NorKs had plutonium enough for 9 weapons. Bet he was talkin' about multi kilo ton devices, not subkilotoon. So a better bet is that they have around 20 or more of these new toys.

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  9. While the Secret Service cannot maintain the Personal Security of the President Bush's immediate family while they travel overseas.

    What in the World is going on with the Federals?
    The Secret Service cannot maintain Security in a country, Argentina, where Iranian agents have a history of operations?

    Another proof positive that Mr Bush does not, in his heart, understand the nature of the War.
    Or that he really does understand and we, those who percieve the Moammedans as a true threat, are wrong and have been taken for a ride.
    As Mr Blair said the War in Iraq was an action all Progessives should support.

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  10. You're nuts, rufus.

    The Argentines just indicted Iranians for past terror episodes, in Argentina.
    Ms Bush is a high priority target, in the world of demonizedd personal enemies. If the President and his "Security Professionals" do not realize that, rufus, it'll be a "long war" indeed.

    If the young lady is undecure then so is US prestige, if she were to be killed.

    If a pickpocket could gain access so could, obviously, a suicider.

    Dismiss or discount as you wish. I am sure others will see it for the lack of seriousness it exemplifies through out the Bush Administration.

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  11. "Davis' air assets - which included AC-130 gunships and F-16s - were not allowed to fire near the two historic mosques from which the militia had staged its attack. His options limited, Davis used the aircraft for reconnaissance."
    ___May 2004, Karbala

    How's that new plan working out?

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  12. Little doubt, the dude is completely fair.

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