A cogent and honest analysis of the "roots of rage" which inspire the organization which carried out the 9/11 atrocities proves conclusively that said "rage" originates in a profound disagreement over the existence of us "infidels". It follows then, that a "fairness revolution" will do nothing except lead to the destruction of us "infidels". That is unacceptable to most of us.
Some called for a period of deep reflection. These voices were submerged in a sea of flags as the loudspeakers blared God Bless America
America had its period of deep reflection. But not so deep and self indulgent that it parlyzed action. The action of destroying al Qaeda and the Taliban arose from the necessity of self-defence, not the singing of some patriot songs. The displays of patriotism merely affirmed Americans support of this necessary action but it did not originate the action.
Among my reasons for opposing the action in Afghanistan was the awkward fact that the Taliban, however insufferable, did not plan or execute the attacks on the US. But why let the truth get in the way of a sitting duck?
No they merely sheltered and protected the organization that attacked the US and were at the same time unwilling to repudiate their relationship with that organization. Thus they rose and fell with al Qaeda. Good riddance to both. And despite having a long way to go, the Afghan people are far, far better off today than they were 6 months ago. But don't let the truth get in the way of your ideology (another sitting duck).
Was the Taliban really destroyed for harbouring terrorists? Or was it for failing to further the ambitions of Texan millionaires?
That this theory is still around testifies to the staying power of idiocy. Caspian Sea oil (and it really is not a terrifically significant amount) is located in a politically unstable, land-locked, geographically rugged and infrastructurally primitive region. In order for its reserves to become economically feasible, crude oil prices need to be in the $25US+ range. At that price it becomes feasible to extract oil from the tar sands in Alberta(est at least 1 trillion barels), a region that is geographically smooth with modern infrastructure and within the closest and most stable US ally, Canada. Gee, I wonder where the most secure supplies of oil will come from? Mexico, Venezuala and Brazil are others.
Even before the bombs fell on Afghanistan, the missiles of Noam Chomsky surged through cyberspace. One day a public cyber library will be built in his honour and our children will toast his devotion to freedom of thought.
Chomsky as a devotee to freedom of thought? RFLMAO. Just ask Christopher Hitchens or Michael Amis of what Chomsky's reaction is when someone dares to exercise their freedom of thought and disagree with the Noam. Chomsky seduces the intellectually naive by proposing to "liberate the mind from orthodoxy". Of course he can do no such thing, since he merely substitutes one form of orthodoxy for another. The only real intellectual response to orthodoxy is scepticism, and as Chomsky is philosophically a rationalist, scepticism is impossible for him. He is nothing more than an intellectual con-artist, albiet a brilliant one.
America had its period of deep reflection. But not so deep and self indulgent that it parlyzed action.
There are many, like this author and Chomsky, who feel that “reflection” is action.
They, thankfully, don’t run the world.
(insightful comments, btw)