Major denial, all right.

It would be instructive to look up coverage of the first WTC bombing. I'm sure the analysis was nothing like today's.

We are looking at the massive explication of proud mindlessness. These people couldn't pour piss out of a boot if the instructions were written on the heel.
MaxedOutMama | Email | Homepage | 07.24.05 - 10:02 pm | #

> These people couldn't pour piss out of a boot if the instructions were written on the heel.

Always liked that turn of phrase. It's the best quote ever attributed to LBJ.
OBloodyHell | Email | Homepage | 07.24.05 - 10:17 pm | #

Agreed. It's time to end denial and delusion and focus on Osama bin Laden. (Hint: He's the guy who attacked on 9/11, financed and trained additional terrorists and provided ideological ammunition for wannabes and hangers on.)
Jeff | Email | Homepage | 07.24.05 - 10:21 pm | #

Yes, let's remove our collective heads out of our ass, and stop supporting despots in the first place. Several autocratic Mid-Eastern and Asian governments come to mind (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, etc). However, if we did that, then Chimpy wouldn't have any place to "render" evil doers for torture...... Oh wait, I forgot about Gitmo and Abu Gharib. Were all good.
Monz | Email | Homepage | 07.24.05 - 10:48 pm | #

http://www.capmag.com/article.as...cle.asp? ID=4329


The near silence about the true role of Islam in motivating Islamic terrorists has two main causes: multiculturalism and religion. Multiculturalism asserts that all cultures are equal and therefore none may criticize another; intellectuals and politicians are therefore reluctant to declare the obvious superiority of Western culture to Islamic culture. And the strong commitment to religion of many Americans, especially conservatives, makes them reluctant to indict a religion as the cause of a massive evil. But if we are to identify the fundamental cause of the terrorists' actions, we must understand at least two fundamental premises of the religion they kill for.

First, Islam, like all religions, rejects reason as a means of gaining knowledge and guiding action; it holds that all important truths are grasped by faith in supernatural beings and sacred texts. The Koran explicitly states that knowledge comes from revelation, not thinking. ... We have seen this before in the West--it was called the Dark Ages.

Second, as with any religion that seeks converts, a derivative tenet of Islam is that it should be imposed by force (you cannot persuade someone of the non-rational).


Until people confront the idea that religion itself can be a problem, the end of the war is nowhere in sight. What we'll see is a constant, tit for tat, my religion is better than yours conflict.

And, the notion of men speaking on behalf of a supernatural being is a recipe for complete, anything goes, chaos.

We are seeing one result of this chaos, a global religious war.
AA | Email | Homepage | 07.24.05 - 10:48 pm | #

And if you think, Jeff, that we aren't trying to do that then perhaps you are part of the unreality based community. We'd all like to see him dead, but Zawahiri and Zarqawi are also important players. If you have any positive suggestion (e.g., where would YOU look) feel free to enlighten us. It is completely ridiculous to think that Iraq is somehow "preventing" us from finding Bin Laden. Just because most on the Left can't chew gum and curse out Bush at the same time doesn't mean we aren't doing everything possible and necessary. You think that by taking Bin Laden out it will stop all this nonsense, but the tendrils go deeper, and the hydra has many heads.
Unodostres | Email | Homepage | 07.24.05 - 10:50 pm | #

The phrase "Piss out of a boot" certainly pre-dates LBJ by at least a decade as far as I'm aware insofar as its use in the public domain of literature is concerned. It probably IS and old Texas/SW desert-states saying tho.
RVD | Email | Homepage | 07.25.05 - 12:21 am | #

Again, appra-pos of the psychological dimensions of our current quandry, I am increasingly seeing more and more PhD's in the medical-psychological-philosophical fields start up blogs so as to comment on what is obviously an increasingly demonstrably evident phenomenon. And other, non-academic types are picking up on this theme also, as reference to the mental state of the left is more and more worked into their commentary.

I would commend two for your perusal.
First, is a site entitled "Maverick Philosopher" by one William Vellicella, PhD. Retired, and living in Gold Canyon, AZ., the man does not suffer fools gladly and certainly knows his way around The Latin.

One of his latest posts(he only started in March) on this theme is entitled "Max Scheler, George Orwell,RESSENTIMENT and the Left," in which he quotes Scheler(writing prior to WW I) writing about a form of Ressientiment that leads to "indiscriment criticism without any positive aims." Vallicella than goes on to mention that the vehemence with which today's critics on the left demonstrate their displeasure is explained by, as Scheler writes,the fact that "improvements in conditions criticized gave no satisfaction--they merely gave discontent." This, because "they [imprvements]destroyed the growing pleasure afforded by invective and negation." Good, thoughtfull stuff.

Next, we have one just begun this month: "Conservative Critical Theory" by one Jim Daly, (DR.-Know-It-All), a retired bio-medical PhD in rural Ark. (and whose heart specialist he shares with Bill Clinton, by the way) He provides a more folksy, down-home approach to his take on things. Has some interesting things to say about "The Religious Left."

It appears the good Dr. Sanity may have sown the seeds for the creation of a multi-headed monster. Who else is lurking in the woodwork? The Army of those who would be PSYCHO-logical shock-troops in the Culture Wars grows apace.
RVD | Email | Homepage | 07.25.05 - 2:29 am | #

Certainly some United States infantry are actively persuing bin Laden, but with the bulk of US force diverted for a Bush family grudge match, it's impossible to say that we're focused on bin Laden. I would not have bet on a four year life expectancy in 2001 but then I wouldn't have bet on they'd expend so much effort on a man who had NOTHING to do with September 11th. Zarqawi is a major player only because Administration policy granted him a local platform.

The scariest nuts in this whole affair are al Qaeda sympathizers; they come from out of nowhere. If you dangle their hero from the end of a rope, then you deprive a leader for them to please. Beyond that, don't simplify my position. Of course the Islamist cause runs deeper than bin Laden and his top henchmen. But don't confuse cause and effect. There are currently a lot of former Baathists who once had no loyalty to the Islamist cause that US military personnel are forced contend with. Indeed, the former Iraqi regime was on the Islamists' hit list.
Jeff | Email | Homepage | 07.25.05 - 4:53 am | #

Shrinkwrapped is another good one. New York area, and wrote that he used to vote Democrat.

I think we are seeing not the rise of the Republican party but the demise of the Democratic party. I don't know that a good presidential candidate can substitute for the lack of a legislative agenda.

It's as if the Democratic party leadership has been captured by the delusionaries.
MaxedOutMama | Email | Homepage | 07.25.05 - 6:26 am | #

I'm glad Dr.Sanity, Shrinkwrapped, Neo-Neocon, et al are here to confirm my in-the-field observations regarding mass delusions. I have no psychological training, but I see what I see.

I've mentioned several times here and elsewhere that I'm amazed, surprised, and disgusted at the level of denial existing among so-call educated people.

These people include my entire family and my entire social circle! I have one friend--ONE--with whom I can discuss current affairs. She and I don't necessarily agree, but at least we can talk.

With all the others, anything prowar or pro-Bush is taboo. I did have an anthropology course once, so I know that "taboo" is the correct word.
Promethea | Email | Homepage | 07.25.05 - 11:06 am | #

P.S. Jeff . . .

Your emphasis on getting Bin Laden is nonsensical. You should read a bit of military history--any big war will do--and find out what it takes to win a war. It doesn't just "happen" because you "want" it to happen.

Duh.
Promethea | Email | Homepage | 07.25.05 - 11:09 am | #

Yeah Jeff, look at what it took to win The War on Poverty and The War on Drugs. Don't you know anything.
Will is White | Email | Homepage | 07.25.05 - 2:51 pm | #

Promethea - please don't put words in my mouth. If you want a .mil history lesson I've got the single most important one: don't fight unnecessary wars. Saddam Hussein had NO WMD, no ties to al Qaeda and no ties to September 11th.

Duh.
Jeff | Email | Homepage | 07.25.05 - 2:55 pm | #

> financed and trained additional terrorists

Along with Saddam and the Saudis, yeah.

Nice of you to forget that.
OBloodyHell | Email | Homepage | 07.25.05 - 10:51 pm | #

> However, if we did that, then Chimpy wouldn't have any place to "render" evil doers for torture...... Oh wait, I forgot about Gitmo and Abu Gharib. Were all good.

Oh, yeah, Mitzell. "Chimpy". That sure makes you sound rational and sensible.
OBloodyHell | Email | Homepage | 07.25.05 - 10:52 pm | #

> It probably IS and old Texas/SW desert-states saying tho.

Yeah, I'm sure it wasn't necessarily instituted by LBJ, although who knows, he wasn't young so it's probable he was around when it was first uttered. It's often attributed to him as its most famous utterer, though, esp. since it's earthy and mildly profane and thus many would not take responsibility for it.
OBloodyHell | Email | Homepage | 07.25.05 - 10:56 pm | #

> If you dangle their hero from the end of a rope, then you deprive a leader for them to please

Dangerous presumption. Killing him allows him to potentially attain martyr status.

Does it occur to you (or anyone else here) that he's likely dead, and one reason the US hasn't openly demonstrated him as such is that it's not in our best interests to do so? That would potentially make a martyr of him and rally some to that cause. As it is, he is left to fade from view like Ayatollah Khomeini (who dat?).

Yeah, there was that "video" released around election time -- the only known "appearance" since the attacks in the caves of Afghanistan -- the one which didn't even remotely sound like him and certainly did not match his prior tone. If the Bush Admin didn't dispute it, it may well have been because they prefer his current status as "unknown" and are choosing to weather the storm of "not finding him and bringing him to justice". Alternately, they may not be sure, but suspect he's buried under 3 million tons of rubble, and see no reason to rock the boat on that, either... once more turning him into a martyr for the terrorist cause.
OBloodyHell | Email | Homepage | 07.25.05 - 11:03 pm | #

> I would not have bet on a four year life expectancy in 2001 but then I wouldn't have bet on they'd expend so much effort on a man who had NOTHING to do with September 11th.

Yeah, Mitzell, you've been in a time warp for the last month and missed EVERY SINGLE REFERENCE to at least three extensive pieces on the connections between Saddam and Bin Laden.

Changing your name does no good unless you change your drivel.

At LEAST try to stick with known facts, and stop ignoring ones you haven't even tried to refute.

Yeah, I said "Monz" is you, too. I am sure one of you is Mitzell, and likely both of you.
OBloodyHell | Email | Homepage | 07.25.05 - 11:08 pm | #

> I think we are seeing not the rise of the Republican party but the demise of the Democratic party. I don't know that a good presidential candidate can substitute for the lack of a legislative agenda.

It's as if the Democratic party leadership has been captured by the delusionaries.

The far ultraleft has, in the last 5 years, done with the Dems what everyone was so afraid was happening with the Religious Right and the GOP 15-odd years ago.

Now you see the result of a party taking on the mantle of extremism: unelectibility, and shrill, whining denouncements of the opposition.

It's not pretty.
OBloodyHell | Email | Homepage | 07.25.05 - 11:10 pm | #

OBloodyHell on this thread, calling the Kettle black:

"Oh, yeah, Mitzell. 'Chimpy'. That sure makes you sound rational and sensible."

OBloodyHell in a chat with a polite moderate Muslim, proving OBloodyHell is the Pot:

"...before you spout off and sound like the utter fool you clearly are..."

"[Islam]'s a black hole for the *greatest* of human -swine- to be succored in." "[T]his, no doubt, is the true origination of the edict against eating pork."

"No, putz."

"In summary, you're a shortsighted idiot, a fool, and a poltroon, with no grasp of reality or history. You have an opinion, much as anyone does. It nonetheless has no worth, no value, and no basis in reason or consideration which redeems it from being total excrement by any valid mensuration system known to mankind."
Anonymous | Email | Homepage | 07.27.05 - 4:18 pm | #