recommended by ernunnos

[plural]

or
as he put it

required viewing

and
after watching it myself
I have to strongly agree

Obsession: What the War on Terror is Really About

so do me a favor, set aside an hour and watch this film

seriously

you need to do this



your plural

Comments

[ernunnos.livejournal.com]

A little thing called "religion", which has historically been a damn good motivator, especially since people are indoctrinated in it from birth.

As for the militia movement, I know a little bit about that. What really reigned them back was Clinton's impeachment - the system was working, at least in their view - and Bush's election. But they're still out there - many have moved on to specific issues, like the Minutemen - and if a Democrat gets elected in 2008, I expect you'll see militias become a popular movement again.

[budhaboy.livejournal.com]

What really reigned them back was Clinton's impeachment

What I remember is what really reigned them in was seeing dead babies being pulled out of the oklahoma city building... Now it's true there was a cult of true believers still lurking around but as a truly menacing force they were utterly marginalized as they'd never make the mass appeal they'd need to make any serious impact towards achieving their goal. As for them going underground after Clinton's impeachment... I don't buy it as they would have been screaming bloody murder at the afronts to their liberty since 9/11... I also doubt the timing, but I don't have links, and don't care that much so I'll let it go.


A little thing called "religion", which has historically been a damn good motivator, especially since people are indoctrinated in it from birth


Yeah, and when I was raised, the 'religion' to fear was communism... They were everywhere, and all of them were raised to want to drink my blood. Even the crusaids had little to do with religion and more to do with money. In the course of my life I've been told to:

1) be deathly afraid of the Commies... Then in the late 80's when I actually met some, they really weren't all that bad. In fact, NONE of them ever were taught to kill me. At that time there were cranks who would regularly try to convince me that glastnos was really just a commie plot to lull us into a false sense of security. Later in graduate school a fellow student who grew up in Moscow told me about having to get water from a well every summer for a month while the guy who ran the public works went on vacation... this would have been about the same time the cranks were pimping their commie plot theories.

2) I should really join a millitia as after the overthrow of the new world order being put forth by Bush I, and later Clinton (Democrat, Republican... it didnt' really matter when Butros-Butros was really in charge) it was the only way I could guarantee my families safety (seriously... I got this rap more than once in the late 80's early nineties).

3) EVERYTHING changed with the advent of the internet... NOTHING was ever the same...

4) Afghanistan spawned THOUSANDS of jihadists all HELL BENT ON KILLING me... Yet after living in DC since '01, I haven't seen one. In fact I ride the train from DC to baltimore Every day and you'd have to be a complete imbecille to not notice that 1) you can carry on as much unscanned luggage as you can carry, 2) you don't need any id to buy a ticket, 3) you can pay cash on the train. 4) you could easily kill hundreds in plain view of the capital building making a really great propaganda shot... I could go on with the other ridiculous holes in security in our nation's capital that any moron, let alone THOUSANDS OF WELL TRAINED JIHADISTS could easily spot, but seriously... why bother.

Here is what I've seen in the last 10(ish) years:

1) nut-job works up followers to bomb the WTC with a truck. Fails, and his entire local network get nabbed by law enforcment.
2) vaguely related nut-job works up followers in N. Africa and gets members of LOCAL cells to blow up LOCAL targes in Tanzunia and Yemin.
3) Same nut-job from 2 gets REALLY lucky and blows his wad on a really clever scheme involving airplanes... his motivation for blowing all his rescources is to inspire a revolution that will provoke a military response, causing the creation of thousands of MORE true believers who will then rain down death on Israel, and over throw their puppet regime in Saudi Arabia.
4) Nut-job is put on the run in his home country... his entire fundraising apparatis is dismantled, as is any good will from the folks who didn't drink the cool-aid but were sympathetic (think the weekend warriors who liked the adventure of fighting the new world order, but didn't really have the stomach for it.
5) other copy-cats do more LOCAL bombings and attempt to link themselves to previous nut-job.

[ernunnos.livejournal.com]

Yet after living in DC since '01, I haven't seen one.

And hey, if it's not happening to you, it's not happening.

continued...

[budhaboy.livejournal.com]

Only two of the events were somethign other than locals, hitting local targets using religion as an excuse. Argueably two were 'global' but the were ultimately crushed. The downing of the WTC killed the broad support, tragically Iraq is gaining them WAY more followers than they ever would have gotten had we not invaded... and argueably is a serious threat in the same way that Afghanistan was... But honestly, I have no fear riding the train in to DC every morning. NONE there is no imminent threat.

[budhaboy.livejournal.com]

This article in the NYtimes illustrates my point:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/01/world/asia/01indo.html?hp&ex=1154491200&en=37c2f26e0c5aa539&ei=5094&partner=homepage

The FIRST province in indonesia to put Shariah Law was Banda Aceh. They didn't come about because of some global conspiracy they didn't do it to do the bidding of the some grand islamic mind, they did it because Hobbs was right and in the absence of any social order PEOPLE become animals. It was a response to LOCAL conditions. When this occured in Afghanistan it was appalling because there was no way to allow the people to rise up from 'nearly as bad' oppression... But Afghanistan is isolated in a way indonesia isn't. My sister used to go to Banda Aceh, for God's sake, and she's a Yuppy's yuppy. As some point in the future, Shariah Law will fall if only because there will exist an alternative that provides a better future. Not all people are fanatical robots to their faith, only a few. When the majority sees a better way, they will rise up, it is inevitable.

[ernunnos.livejournal.com]

When the majority sees a better way, they will rise up, it is inevitable.

Great. No need to do anything then. I guess the same thing should apply to all the political issues you care about. Which makes me wonder why you care enough to post four posts in the row. Things will end up the way you want. It's inevitable. Granted, you may not be alive to see it, but what does that matter?

Your faith in history to automatically and inevitably solve all problems is touching, but extremely misguided. I sincerely hope you haven't used that line on any Rwandans. They might just punch you.