A Tale of Two Rich Protagonists (Bush = Bin Lauden) Big Leftist Barf Alert

The Poly Post - Campus Newspaper ^ | 10/23/2001 | Saul Landau

[RFH]

The alleged mastermind of modern evil, clad in military camouflage, AK rifle propped beside him, a concession to modern technology — TV — referred to God, God, God. He followed his Divine references by issuing threat, threat, threat, “death to the infidels.” Shortly afterwards, the leader of civilization, clad in expensive suit and tie, replied on TV from the White House. God, God, God, he said, followed by “We’re gonna, we’re gonna, we’re gonna … smoke ‘em out.”

The bearded man and the clean-shaven one agree that women should not have the right to decide on whether or not they want an abortion. They believe in Heaven and Hell, they follow scripture in a literalist fashion, speak with absolute certainty about the nature of good and evil. Neither thinks deeply about making a decision involving the deaths of thousands of innocent people, whether by directing hijackers to fly commercial airliners into modern buildings or ordering B-52s to drop 5,000 pound bombs on cities.

Their social thinking predates the scientific devices they utilize to carry out their religious objectives. Both of them have declared their intention to inflict punishment on the offending society, whether located in 100 plus story office buildings or remote caves. The pinpoint accuracy of a Cruise Missile, the result of science and technology, becomes an instrument in the hands of a primitive punisher, just as the other utilizes as a tool of mass destruction a jumbo jet designed brilliantly to speed people to their travel destinations.

In their religious stupors, which they parade as politics, each man devoutly believes in administering death to sinners. A heretic merits beheading, or a convicted murderer who can’t afford a good lawyer gets what he deserves through lethal injection.

The rich and privileged Arab-speaking prophet calls on young men who apparently have nothing better to live for [than] to wage holy war against the Satanic infidels who have invaded their land. They shall receive rewards in Heaven — later. The more expensively dressed Yale graduate calls on his people to visit Disneyland and spend their money in shopping malls as patriotic duties. They shall receive their gratification immediately — as long as they keep repeating the same divinely ordained behavior. These great leaders of opposing ideologies use the gains of science for their military strategy, while retaining social thinking that pre-dates the technology by several centuries. Imagine the level of political sophistication that goes into trying to provoke the leader of the United States to strike back disproportionately against Islamic people — in the hopes that this will inspire Muslims everywhere to overthrow first and foremost their own governments and then build an Islamic state to challenge anew their old enemy in the West! The response, of course, is already leading to a militarized society here. Yes, the Century has begun!

Saul Landau is director of digital media and international outreach in the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences.

[RFH]

This bile is enough to make your blood boil. Especially the following paragraph:

"In their religious stupors, which they parade as politics, each man devoutly believes in administering death to sinners. A heretic merits beheading, or a convicted murderer who can’t afford a good lawyer gets what he deserves through lethal injection. "

Anyone who want to respond should contact the author of this piece at slandau@csupomona.edu. Respond to the article at the Cal Poly Pomona college newspaper at polypost@csupomona.edu

[wideawake]

How many ways can you possibly dress up the moral equivalence argument? Could it be more tired?

[RFH]

It is just frustrating to think that people here with tenure and cushy campus jobs can boldly state that Bush "doesn't give much thought to killing people" and writes as if our Commander in Chief delights in the death of others. My tax dollars are paying the salary of this dolt who teaches his world view to mind-numbed college students...

[A.J.Armitage]

I can just hear that person talk. Those people always have the most annoying way of speaking. Almost like an irksome uptalk, ready at any moment to degenerate into outright whining, but it never quite does. You can always hear the self-righteousness.

If you don't accept his a priori assumption that anyone with religious beliefs is the same as bin Laden, it makes no sense.