Re: Off Beat: U.S. Navy to Mask Swastika-Shaped Barracks

["Åke Nordin" <polymorpevz () gmail com>]

On 9/29/07, Brian Loe <knobdy () gmail com> wrote:
> On 9/29/07, Åke Nordin <polymorpevz () gmail com> wrote:
. . .
> The subject at hand, as I framed it, is what could be considered
> sensitive satellite images released to the general public. I was
> arguing for the censorship of all of them - not just this one. I'll
> apologize now if I wasn't clear on that point.

OK. I don't know about the market for sattelite imagery, but
I would believe there are too many sources in too many disjunct
jurisdictions for any Google censoring to be effective for anything
but keeping our western public in the dark. I dont find that very
desirable.

> > Mr George W. Bush is perceived outside the U.S to be a leader
> > of an agressive military power with a strong, religious right-wing
> > lobby. The U.S. is well recognized for being very vocal about
> > other states affairs.
> >
> > Now, I'm not very well versed in politics, but as poorly as I've
> > figured it out, when a head of state (in this case GWB)
> > expresses the threat of a full war with another state in his
> > speeches, it is usually motivated more by the need tho cheer
> > his own masses, than by the tactical or strategical needs of
> > dealing with the other state. With what I grasp about the
> > current leadership and political situation in Iran, they certainly
> > welcome war threats from their "Great Satan" and might even
> > welcome the attack, at least initially.
>
> I think you're completely wrong. I won't pretend to be anymore
> politically astute than you, but I think when Reagan "joked" about
> bombing Russia he wasn't really joking and he wasn't trying to rally
> the masses. When Bush rattles the sabers I don't think he's doing so
> just for the purpose of rallying the masses either - he's making
> political points with congress and he's sending messages to foreign
> states. I think Bush speaks more  for the purpose of letting certain
> countries know where they stand than for any other reason, frankly.

I can see your point. If it really is that way, then I think we're
witnessing another great folly, where our leaders act against
better understanding and only make it worse. I sure do hope
you're wrong,  because I think we need to be smarter than
that towards terror states like Iran.
. . .
> > > I guess we need to decide on a new word for "fundamentalists" when it
> > > comes to muslims then. I have yet to see a video out of DC depicting a
> > > priest beheading someone...
> >
> > Fundamentalism is fundamentalism regardless of religion.
>
> Not so. "Fundamentalist Christians" are not all that fundamental.
> Their beliefs have matured and, if you'll forgive the irony, evolved
> the same as any other "mainstream" religion has. Some of them have
> bizarre ideas on evolution and science, but they're harmless.

Full-blown christian fundamentalism is rare, agreed. That doesn't
mean I'm convinced that there are no christians that has dangerous
agendas with regard to U.S. policy towards the middle east. I am
actually a little afraid that some of them have footed substantial parts
of GWBs campaigns and that some has more economic interests in
arms producers than the "forge your swords to plowbills" would
let you believe. But I'm bordering to hyperbole now.

> > I really don't know to what degree their dogma actually allows for those decapitations,
> > but I'd rather label them as political murderers, since it seems to me
> > that all that fundamentalism just is a cover for their power hunger.
>
> Well I'm not sure I can actually disagree with you there. But I do
> know what they yell while they're doing it, same as what they yell as
> they're flying planes into buildings.

The show is needed both for their own and their spectators morale.
I'm sure most of the "field operators" actually believe in the stuff.
They would not be all that dangerous if they weren't guided by a
bunch of <expletive> leaders which I fear is doing it far more for
the power than any set of beliefs.  Neither would the operators have
been trained in those "quoran schools" which are thinly disguised
military training camps.

The horribly bent variants of Islam that is their creed is just a
handy excuse, just like the schism between papal and lutheran
followers was a handy excuse for various power brokers
troughout the thirty years war in Europe, where we swedes
commited such atrocities that they still scare unruly kids
in southern Germany with us: "if your'e not a good boy the
Swedes will come and take you". Like we're any dangerous
now. Well, a band of drunken swedes in an alpine ski resort
is no sweet sight, they just might have a point there...

-- 
Åke Nordin Unix/net geek, Netia.se consultant, Stacken member.
Damian Conway: "The programmer is fighting against the two most
destructive forces in the universe: entropy and human stupidity."

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