Sitting in the Same Room, Inhabiting Different Universes

American Digest ^ | July 12,2004 | Gerard Van der Leun

[vanderleun]

FOR MANY YEARS I LABORED under the impression that being a columnist for the New York Times meant, at the very least, you were somewhere north of blood simple. But I was young and blood simple myself.

Blood simple is, it would seem, part of the job description for many Times columnists. It may have something to do with the dyslexia of the Publisher or it may simply be post-mortem effects as the Times, having lost large chunks of circulation thanks to bias and bogus reporting that is woven deep into its corporate culture, strives to hang on to the true believers that are left it.

In any case, one simply cannot take on all the blood simple pap that these scribblers spew. Life is too short and lunch is too long.

Still, every so often, there's a real poser that creeps through the shields and lands on the retina with a resounding d'oh -- a hit, a palpable hit. Exhibit A from today is Bob Herbert's The Real Enemy Staring Us in the Face in which he is not referencing the mirror.

In rolling towards the end of his allotted turn upon the page, Herbert delivers himself of the oft-repeated plaint that if things are so dangerous here at home we need to get serious about Afghanistan. He posits an attack on the US timed for the elections and then goes on to say:

If we know that bin Laden and his top leadership are somewhere along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, and that they're plotting an attack against the United States, why are we not zeroing in on them with overwhelming force? Why is there not a sense of emergency in the land, with the entire country pulling together to stop another Sept. 11 from occurring?

Why are we not more serious about this? The real question is why Mr. Herbert is not more candid about his thoughts or if Mr. Herbert missed the widely attended seminar "Terrorism 101" given at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. If he had attended and paid attention since, it would be known to him that any men and materials necessary to attack the United States in the coming months are not now on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border awaiting shipment. They are already here in the United States.

The late "Bin-Laden and his top leadership" are not at present "plotting" an attack. They have already plotted. The "plotting" has long since moved into the past tense. Events were set in train long ago. If you'd been paying attention, you'd know that September 11 was not started on September 10 but years before.

Yes, Bob, whatever men, materials and munitions are going to be used are already in place. And have been for quite some time. Where, what, when and who, we don't know, but a good place to start some investigative reporting, Bob, would be in the mosques, shops, and housing around Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, not in commanding more sweeps along the Afghan-Pak border.

That shouldn't be too difficult for you, Bob, it's only about a $10 cab ride from the Times. A resourceful institution like the Times shouldn't have too much trouble finding informed anonymous sources in the Muslim community of New York City. You might even talk to a who who knows what, when and where. You might even actually talk to a Islamic fascist who has already decided to kill you and a hundred thousand New Yorkers and has the means to do it in a van parked in a garage somewhere in Vinegar Hill, Brooklyn.

That would be the smart thing to do. The blood simple thing is to call obliquely for a massive US invasion of Pakistan. And even if that did happen, even if we leveled the mountainous region to a fine powder of radioactive ash, what do you think your reaction would be, and that of your once admirable but now disgraced newspaper? Shock, horror, and a call for an investigation of the "lies" that led us to incinerate parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan. You and yours would hold it was all done "to influence the election!"

I hope, Bob, that you'll keep all this in mind in those last nanoseconds before the nuclear blast blows in the windows of the Times Building and brings down the walls on all those inside just before it sets the whole place on fire.

You'll have time. Remember those words of William Burroughs: "The blast doesn't travel at the speed of light, but the light from the blast does."

Who knows, maybe you'll have time to file one last column: "Why Me?"

[SheLion]

where is Buffalo?? remember the lackawanna 6 ?
They are actually bigger than just the six.

Exactly.  There is now one in Buffalo, New York.  Remember the brothers they arrested a few years back?

The following was sent to me from zencat about a Mosque in Columbia, Missouri.  Another one has popped up in Portland, Oregon and another one in the northeast.

Scary map. Why? Because I live in Columbia, Missouri. The town is only 84,000, but has it's own mosque. Of course funded by the Saudis.

57 posted on 05/25/2004 8:14:37 PM EDT by zencat (Visit my profile for MAGNETIC Bush/Cheney '04 bumper stickers!)

where is Buffalo?? remember the lackawanna 6 ?
They are actually bigger than just the six.

Exactly.  There is now one in Buffalo, New York.  Remember the brothers they arrested a few years back?

The following was sent to me from zencat about a Mosque in Columbia, Missouri.  Another one has popped up in Portland, Oregon and another one in the northeast.

Scary map. Why? Because I live in Columbia, Missouri. The town is only 84,000, but has it's own mosque. Of course funded by the Saudis.

57 posted on 05/25/2004 8:14:37 PM EDT by zencat (Visit my profile for MAGNETIC Bush/Cheney '04 bumper stickers!)

[SheLion]

In my home state, former mosques are empty with the signs removed.

Yes, but your in ZAMBIA???

[Conspiracy Guy]

That is a misdirection tactic. You know where I really am.

[Mears]

They are here and the most important thing is that they are very,very patient.

What kind of life are my grandchildren going to have?

We can invade Iraq and Afghanistan and every other country in the Mideast but it's useless unless we take care of home first.

[SheLion]

What kind of life are my grandchildren going to have?

I know my daughter and son-in-law have the one toddler and they refuse to have anymore. The world has gone nuts. Who would want to bring a child into this world today? I know I sure wouldn't...........

[Madame Dufarge]

Judith Anne, thanks for the ping to this wonderful article. I'd appreciate being on your ping list if you start one, thanks for thinking of me.

Great post, verderleun.

[Madame Dufarge]

She, thanks for the ping.

I don't know what we'd do without you, darlin'.

[KC_for_Freedom]

Excellent article, in the same vain as why are Jews still supporting the democrats. This article points out most vividly the crux of the anti war arguement. We should find the true culprets and bring them to justice. But Bush knows we cannot do this. When we can, he is only too happy to incarcerate them, but what if we can't find them. The next best thing is to take away their places of hiding. Remove enough of the musical chairs and the culprit will not be hard to find. I agree with the concept of taking on Syria and Iran when the terrorists are found to be hiding there.

We did not defeat the terrorism of the American Indians until their strongholds were found and conquored.

[Judith Anne]

You're both very welcome! I think this FReeper is well worth encouraging. ;-D

[SheLion]

That is a misdirection tactic. You know where I really am.

Maybe they moved to consolidate with another Mosque. Hard to tell just what they DO have on their minds.

[SheLion]

I don't know what we'd do without you, darlin'.

Don't know what I would do with YOU either!!! (Just wished we lived closer) :(

[Conspiracy Guy]

I think they went underground after the insurgency started in Iraq. There were several that I pass on a regular basis then poof.

[CSM]

I have the thrill of looking out of my office window at a brand new mosque. It's not quite completed yet so it may not have a militant congregation at this time. I suspect it will soon!

[auboy]

Good post, vanderleun. Very good!

[SheLion]

I have the thrill of looking out of my office window at a brand new mosque. It's not quite completed yet so it may not have a militant congregation at this time. I suspect it will soon!

Oh Lord have mercy!

They seem to be over taking everywhere across the United States. I'm sure there are a lot of good ones, but not all families are perfect, and just think how many "black sheep" that can and do live in these Mosques.

Working from the inside out? I just hope it never comes down to the fact that we American woman are forced to wear burkas. I would never leave my house!

I'd order online and run the hell out of UPS. LOL!

[CSM]

I am even more hopeful than you are that skimpy clothing will remain an American staple for beautiful women everywhere!

Seriesly, living where I do, I am continually encountering Arabic cultural icons! It is somewhat nerveracking never knowing the good from the evil!

[91B]

Mr. Van der Leun,

This article really captures the complete cluelessness of the NYT; its writers and readers. Keep up the good work.

Regards

[SheLion]

Seriously, living where I do, I am continually encountering Arabic cultural icons! It is somewhat nerve racking never knowing the good from the evil!

Well, Maine government moved in over 1,200 Somali's in Lewiston, Maine several years ago.  I am just thankful that Lewiston is about a 6 hour drive south of me.

The only immigrants I see up here are the Mexican's that work the fields for the farmers.

[SheLion]

I think they went underground after the insurgency started in Iraq. There were several that I pass on a regular basis then poof.

Underground?  That's very suspicious.  Now the people can't even keep an EYE on them.  Ugh!

[Conspiracy Guy]

Believ me they are being watched. Mostly these are not middle eastern Muslims, more the Casius Clay/Mohammed Ali variety.