Is Al Quaeda Just A bogeyman?

This story is one that arrived in my email. A taste:

Of course, the documentary does not doubt that an embittered, well-connected and wealthy Saudi man named Osama bin Laden helped finance various affinity groups of Islamist fanatics that have engaged in terror, including the 9/11 attacks. Nor does it challenge the notion that a terrifying version of fundamentalist Islam has led to gruesome spates of violence throughout the world. But the film, both more sober and more deeply provocative than Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11," directly challenges the conventional wisdom by making a powerful case that the Bush administration, led by a tight-knit cabal of Machiavellian neoconservatives, has seized upon the false image of a unified international terrorist threat to replace the expired Soviet empire in order to push a political agenda.

I would personally change the last line to read..."to push American imperialism". This is precisely the reason people in other countries disdain the U. S. There is no doubt that America does much good in the world and is a generous nation at heart. Unfortunately the benevolent measures we have taken have been diminished in the rest of the worlds eyes by our Imperialism, our(corporate) greed and our support of dictators and monarchies that did not have the best interests of its people at heart. This is why we face a threat.
I contend that this threat is less than the one that comes from within. We have dozens, maybe hundreds of gangs..non- aligned by the way..in American that have continued to kill in this country. Not one "terrorist" among them. We have had 2 judges that have been killed or members of their family killed in recent weeks. Tim McVeigh killed men, women and children in OKC. Pedophiles kidnapping and killing children. Not a "terrorist" among them. Stopping the carnage seems to me to be a case of more police and tougher sentences for serious crimes. Not global wars. To make room for them we need decriminalizing or alternative sentencing of less serious crimes that relate to personal preferences or choice. We've lived with terrorism since this country started, mostly from within. I'm personally shocked that Americans have been goaded to fear. It's disgusting. What happened to the home of the brave?

Matthew Chapter 7
3
And why do you look at the splinter in your brother's eye, and not notice the beam which is in your own eye?
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Or how say to your brother, `Allow me to take the splinter out of your eye,' while the beam is in your own eye?
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Hypocrite, first take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly how to remove the splinter from your brother's eye.

Keeping Government Out Of Our Personal Lives

As you might imagine I get a lot of interesting stuff from people in my email. I thought I would share some of it with you tonight. I got this from a friend who would call himself(as I would) a somewhat non aligned with strong conservative tendencies. Put it this way. I've received plenty of Democrat bashing stuff from him.

I, _________________________ (fill in the blank), being of sound mind and body, do not wish to be kept alive indefinitely by artificial means.Under no circumstances should my fate be put in the hands of peckerwood politicians who couldn't pass ninth-grade biology if their lives depended on it. If a reasonable amount of time passes and I fail to sit up and ask for a cold beer, or a dry martini, it should be presumed that I won't ever get better. When such a determination is reached, I hereby instruct my spouse, children and attending physicians to pull the plug, reel in the tubes and call it a day.Under no circumstances shall the members of the Legislature enact a special law to keep me on life-support machinery. It is my wish that these boneheads mind their own damn business, and pay attention instead to the health, education and future of the millions of Americans who aren't in a permanent coma. Under no circumstances shall any politicians butt into my case.I don't care how many fundamentalist votes they're trying to scrounge for their run for the presidency in 2008,it is my wish that they play politics with someone else's life and leave me alone to die in peace. I couldn't care less if a hundred religious zealots send e-mails to legislators in which they pretend to care about me. I don't know these people, and I certainly haven't authorized them to preach and crusade on my behalf. They should mind their own business, too.If any of my family goes against my wishes and turns my case into a political cause, I hereby promise to come back from the grave and make his or her existence a living hell.

I can't do the drink anymore but this seems to mirror my view on the whole affair. I am discovering that while I do have conservative friends they seem to be, in large part, separated from the radical republicans that are running the country. Of course they are still voting for them...I assume... but once the effect of what the corporate, globalist, theocrats are doing becomes reality I have a feeling they will join the revolt. Surely by that time it's going to be late and much damage will already have been done but it gives me hope none the less.

Another America Hater?

Salmon Rusdie has never been a favorite of the Moslems. This is certainly not an enemy speaking. He however has serious reservations about our current foreign policy..

What I think plays into Islamic terrorism is ... the curious ability of the current administration to unite people against it," Rushdie told Reuters in an interview.
Rushdie said he found it striking how the "colossal sympathy" the world felt for the United States after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks has been squandered so quickly.
"It seems really remarkable that the moment you leave America ... you find not just America's natural enemies, but America's natural allies talking in language more critical than I, in my life, have ever heard about the United States," he said.

Why do many of us criticize the Administration and their foreign folicy? Because we hate America? No, because we honestly believe that it is harming America and crippling our fight in the war on terror, not helping it. What patriotic American would dare be silent under those conditions?

Delay tactics

I have noted for quite some time that there is one person who would certainly be worse than the brainiac that we have now as President. That person is Tom DeLay. The worst, bar none. A man willing to put on a righteous, patriotic front while blatantly being the most corrupt, me first politician in modern times. Many are calling for his resignation. Even Repb. Chris Shays has said it is his opinion. My opinion...keep him around. He is the ideal poster boy for the radical republicans and is quickly becoming a true laughing stock. I was so happy to hear him bring out the old "liberal media" canard today. Nothing will blow that out of the water faster than Mester DeLay claiming he is a "victim" of it. If Delay goes someone only slightly less repugnant will take his place. That's the problem I have with all this ...this guy resign, that guy resign. In MOST administrations that would make sense but in these days it really does little good. We now have a nominee for UN ambassador who has often been quoted as saying the UN is the problem and needs to be destroyed. To go from the stench of rotting garbage to the stench of rotten eggs is really a minor factor overall.

Random Thoughts

I realize that the posts have been few and far between lately. I also realize that if one ever hopes to build a community here someday there needs to be new material everyday. I'm working on a plan and hope to do better in the future. It's partly a matter of a guy focusing on his paying job (which is highly recommended in my eyes), to a news media totally wrapped in non stop Pope. Wouldn't it have been nice to have that kind of wall to wall coverage of every angle of the election? Something that was vital to us all. Anyway, God rest his soul, and now back to news for all of us.
I'd like to remind you that if you are ever looking for some good stuff The Black flag. org is always a great place to go. A fellow Roswellian who is always insightful and never far from the mark.
I spoke to a friend today who had been talking to a prominent Roswellian over the weekend. They were mentioning yours truly in reference to the radio program and called me "that most liberal of all people". BWHAHAHAHAHAHA! She, under further questioning, said she was quite incensed that, "everyday" I was saying bad things about pResident Bush. When it was noted that I most often criticize his POLICIES her response was "well, same thing".
This is, especially for those of you who don't reside in Roswell, the mindset that I and my other friends of America are forced to boar through down here.
First of all I feel a sense of pride when someone calls me a Liberal, especially when aforementioned mindset is the alternative. However I am faaaaar from the "most liberal of all people" even in Roswell. No matter though, that description will do for them until they need to condemn someone else who as at all left of Rush Limbaugh. Then that person will be "the most liberal of all people". I am only honored on a temporary basis. Secondly, the ongoing mood of no criticism of the current(not all) pResident(s) follows with the truth of the brewing fascism of the radical right. Good way to win everytime. Never allow a discouraging word to be heard about their side and allow ours to be pummeled relentlessly. And the skies are not cloudy all day. I would say on many days the name of the President never came up during discussion on my program unless one of my conservative callers brought it up, so thank you for s-t-r-e-t-c-h-I-n-g the truth again my fellow Roswellian. Onward and Upward my fellow lovers of Freedom.