Posted by
Horizon on Monday, November 10, 2008 10:44:47 PM
I don't blame UBL for fighting back, not against the Soviets, not against us. If I were in his shoes, I'd fight like hell too.
Let's spell this out. But first, consider Tolstoy's "War and Peace." The big historical lesson of this greatest novels is this: people don't like being occupied, especially by aggressors they don't like. Napoleon invade Russia. Russia fought back so as to force Napoleon to escape with his life. The burning of Russian cities is nothing compared to the historical statement issued to Napoleon: Do not mess with us.
What I'd like to know is, Have we Americans financed our government's "messing" with UBL and those he leads? Or, is UBL just using this issue for his own dark purposes? Dr. Michael Scheuer outlines in full the written down grievances of our enemy. It seems that UBL, a proven fighter, is bound and determined to fight America for what is perceived to be American disrespect, to put it mildly, for Muslim concerns and Muslim principles (one of which is, keep Islam's holy places pure and undefiled). More than disrespect, which no one can control, is the issue of American actions (our troops on the ground in Saudi Arabia). American actions (our support for Arab leaders who oppress Muslims). American actions (our knee-jerk support for Israel no matter what they've done or do to Islam). American actions (I repeat, our troops on the ground, especially since Desert Storm, in sacred places, i.e., places considered to be sacred by Islam and its believers). American actions (I repeat, our apparently unjust support for a State that routinely oppresses Muslims as a matter of policy). American policies (our oil-addicted policies that seem to guarantee our continued presence, even across sacred boundary lines, in the Middle East).
As Dr. Michael Scheuer alarmingly argues in "Marching Toward Hell," America, both prior to 9/11 and most decidedly after 9/11--seems to be in fact marching towards its own undoing as a going concern. Our invasion of Iraq, in particular, played right into the hands of UBL, whose main mission is to do whatever it takes to get the majority of Islam's believers to come around to his way of thinking, i.e., Justice by the Light of Islam. To pretend or deny that this Light is not a factor in a billion lives, is to live a lie, a delusion. And sadly enough, Americans are very good at just that. However, my faith in my country has been bolstered exponentially by the extraordinary miracle, the Divine Event of the Millenium--the impossible, providential election of Senator Barack Obama.
Long live Barack Obama and his family, both here and abroad. Long live Barack and his Family of Man.
Our gratitude to the soldiers in Barack's new army, these fine fighting men and women.
An especial thanks to the leaders, the generals in Obama's New Directions Citizens Par Excellence! I mean, and I'm leaving out many because I don't know all their glorious names: Plouffe, Axelrod, Gibbs, Jackson, Wright, Jackson, Sharpton, Hill, Clinton, Biden, Adelman, Kmiec, Parker, Noonan, Matthews, what's his name on MSLSD, Carter, Krugman, Volcker, Rubin, Buffet, Geffen, McCartney, Brits, Germans, French, all such "generals" and citizens par excellence. And I didn't even vote for the man.
Now, if Russia wanted Napoleon, Russia, corrupted by the West, wanted Napoleon out, imagine how much UBL, uncorrupted by the West, wants America out of its business. Imagine. It is only a matter of common sense and it's a reason to celebrate what is happening in America right now. One, Obama has made it. Two, his first priority, is energy independence so that we can leverage this new freedom from addiction--for only the free can act freely--towards a sane Middle East Policy, a sober, non-addicted policy that will leave all parties concerned in peace and mutual respect for that perennial monster...The Other. The Other will become part and parcel of Oneself. We saw this enacted centuries ago in Shakespeare's first play, "The Comedy of Errors." (Cf. Galatians 3:27.) The opposites will be reconciled. As Obama knows and has argued so effectively, there is no "red" or "blue" America. There is only The United States of America. As Saint Paul preaches so powerfully in Galatians and Ephesians (I'm not good at memorizing verbatime): no longer is there master and slave, man or woman, Greek or Jew, Gentile or Jew, Red State or Blue State--but rather, All are One. In principle, as I see it, this is Truth pure and simple. We just have to work out the details. Dennis Ross can help; Bob Rubin can help; Rahm Emanuel will definitely help; Dr. Furman will help; maybe Carter and Clinton can help--not to mention Presidents Bush. Again, we have in Shakespeare's first comedy a foreshadowing of what is to come. Unity. And what about that later, more problematical play of Shakespeare's, "The Merchant of Venice"? Who, today, is the Merchant? Obviously, today, the merchant is Wal-Mart. Let us do things the Wal-Mart Way, and I'm not playing here because I know the stated Wal-Mart Policy Par Excellence: RESPECT FOR THE INDIVIDUAL.