Posted on 09/15/2007 9:16:22 AM PDT by Congressman Billybob
The normal purpose of titles is to lure the reader in. I’ll bet a dollar to a doughnut this title almost sent you screaming into the night. Trust me, this is not as boring as it sounds. You WILL be able to operate heavy machinery after reading this.
Here is a mind-numbing, but short, sample from a political speech.
“People of America ... lend me your ears.” America is the “greatest economic power.” But there is a terrible danger in this economic power. “All of mankind is in danger because of global warming resulting in large degree from the emissions of the factories of the major corporations....” “Many of you [are] reeling under the burden of interest-related debts, insane taxes and real estate mortgages.”
There is also a political danger in this economic power.“Those with real power and influence are those with the most capital.” The United States must free itself from enslavement to the corporations. “As you liberated yourselves before from the slavery of monks, kings and feudalism, you should liberate yourselves from the deception, shackles and attrition of the capitalist system.”
Because of the interests of the corporations, America was led into the Iraq war. “You permitted President Bush to complete his first term, and stranger still, chose him for a second term, which gave him a clear mandate....” “The Democratic Party was elected ... to stop the war.” “Major corporations back candidates ... [which explains] the failure of the Democrats to end the war.”
As for the media, they have “lost all credibility, and manifested [themselves] as a tool of the colonialist empires.”
That’s enough of a sample, and probably as much claptrap as you have the stomach for. Who is advancing this particular platform? Is it the farthest left of the Democrat candidates for President, Dennis Kucinich? Is it a well-known, tenured, American professor of political science?
The language used is too Americanized for this to be an ordinary speech by a foreign leader. One way or the other, the source of this has to be American. Think again about these words. The basis has to be either communism or Marxism. But at points the statements are quite sophomoric.
It’s time for the rest of the story, as Paul Harvey is wont to say. Every single word and phrase that is in quotations, above, is taken directly from the videotape by Osama bin Laden that was issued just before the sixth anniversary of the attacks on 9/11. I left out the half of the speech which said we are all going to die and never be redeemed unless we convert to Islam and join the Grand Caliphate.
That would have given away the source like a shot. Besides, the interesting part of this anti-capitalist rant that would have been vintage Stalin, or Mao, or any of the other communist hard-liners, but they died long ago, and couldn’t have referred to Bush and Iraq, except through an able medium.
This is the first of bin Laden’s various audio and videotapes to make good use of American idioms, and to parallel what passes for economic and political analysis by an absurd number of tenured faculty in America. Both the number of faculty who cling to these disproven ideas, and the ideas themselves, are absurd. One of these academic frauds, Noam Chomsky of M.I.T., is praised by name in bin Laden’s rant. And that offers one more clue to the real source of the non-religious side to this balderdash.
Adam Gadahn is a 22-year-old Californian who’s career in his home state consisted of following and writing about heavy metal bands. He converted to Islam, left his family, and joined bin Laden as head of Al Qaeda’s English language operations. Gadahn’s education in American history, politics and economics stopped, either literally or figuratively, at the sophomore level.
Consider one other factor. Any subject that is written about in another language and then translated into English becomes a little stilted, a little wooden. You can tell by the flow that the original source was foreign. Half of this speech sounds like it was written in English, and then translated to Arabic.
In short, it reads and sounds like this is not the speech of a terrorist leader who has murdered thousands and will murder millions if he gets the opportunity. Instead, it is the words of an American loser who turned into a bearded traitor in a cave in Pakistan, because he was laughed out of any dates in Southern California. As a former professor of political science, I give him a grade of F for the content of the speech, but a second grade of C for the rich but unintentional humor.
- 30 -
About the Author: John Armor practiced in the US Supreme Court for 33 years. John_Armor@aya.yale.edu He lives in the 11th District of North Carolina.
- 30 -
John / Billybob
> Every single word and phrase that is in quotations,
> above, is taken directly from the videotape by
> Osama bin Laden ...
Not “by”, but “attributed to”.
Researcher: Bin Laden’s beard is real, video is not
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1895938/posts
I haven’t found a subtitled version of the video, but
if Dr. Neal Krawetz’ analysis is correct, the content
regarding contemorary events, that supposedly “proves”
the rant is recent (and thus that OBL is still alive)
all occur during video freezes.
This is old OBL footage clumsily edited to seem new.
Who scripted it?
Some Cutthroat Cultist who reads the NYT, I’d guess.
When I saw the title, I thought it was about the public schools.
John / Billybob
John / Billybob
> Since the authenticity of the tape is a matter for experts,
If the “current events” remarks do indeed occur only during
freeze-frame, no video expertise is required.
If the translation and subtitle timing is reliable (and
any Arabic speaker can confirm that for you), then any
ordinary person can make an educated guess as to what’s
afoot.
> ... I am waiting to see whether other experts on
> the Net pick up on the same point.
Depending on their agendas, they may not be inclined
to inspect the obvious.
Well, it’s not trivial to verify this (video freeze
during “current events”).
I’ve downloaded the 28MB .mp4, and:
a. it has no subtitles (so can’t locate current events), and
b. it’s still too choppy to catch freezes, jumps and cuts.
I’m not inclined to download the full 677MB .mpg, because
it also likely lacks subtitles, esp synchronized titles.
We need some interested news/blog site with access to an
Arabic speaker to confirm the story at:
“Bin Laden Video Image Analysis”
http://www.hackerfactor.com/blog/
... and then report it. Not that I doubt
Krawetz, but a second source would be useful.
This is a big story, and being largely overlooked.
c|net at least carried it.
Hey Fred fans - get your candidate on this.
He could get some headlines and air time.
John / Billybob
Derision is what Adam Gadahn deserves.
We have a native Arabic speaker right here on FR. Maybe more than one, but jveritas is the only one I know about.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.