Just Suppose It's Terrorism

Washington Post ^ | October 17, 2002 | Caleb Carr

[spycatcher]

The psychological profiling that has consumed the media since the start of the sniper killings has produced in almost every case a rather cliched portrait of a killer or killers who are white, in their twenties or early thirties, have military experience, enjoy exercising the godlike power of life and death, and are alienated from society. Some describe the culprit as a serial killer, and some label him a spree or thrill killer. Yet the salient aspects of the shootings do not fit with our knowledge of either of these types, and if the perpetrator does turn out to be disaffected, frustrated, alienated, white and male, he will constitute an important new subcategory. Should the killings be the work of international terrorists, on the other hand, they will fit a textbook pattern that has been on ample display during recent years in every part of the world.

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[Savage Beast]

There is much in the West to denounce: pornography, sexual promiscuity, the removal of prayer from schools and public places, drug addiction, corrupt and immoral politicians excused and encouraged by the intelligentsia and millions of people, a newsmedia that has degenerated into a propaganda machine, the confiscation of private property with no compensation by government, Waco, Ruby Ridge. Many people in the West have turned away from God. I do not blame people of other countries for not wanting the sleazy, decadent aspects of contemporary Western Civilization to corrupt their homes and their societies. I hate the corruption and contamination of my own, and so do you.

However, all this notwithstanding, Western Civilization is the greatest accumulation of wisdom ever to grace the earth. The concepts of human rights, liberty, equality, the pursuit of happiness, equal protection under the law, constitutional government, representative government, and so much more are gifts from God. Western Civilization is worth defending and preserving, despite the way it is perverted by some people.

By contrast, the benighted and misguided beliefs of fanatical Islamists cannot compare to Western Civilization. The hideous and barbaric shariah cannot be compared to the law that has evolved in the Western Republics. The tyrranical, talibanesque Islamic theocracies cannot be compared to Western nations. The West has rid the world of smallpox; fanatical Islam threatens to reintroduce it.

Yes. God is with us.

However, there is a caveat. "Liberalism", which is decadence and which is responsible for the sleaze and evil that have perverted much in the West, is the greatest threat to Western Civilization, greater than any foreign enemy. In fact, it is the enabler of foreign enemies. If it were not for "Liberalism", the United States would not have been perceived as decadent and weak; America's enemies would not therefore have been tempted to act; and the September 11 attack would not have occurred.

If the United States remains resolute and if the American people return to the values that made the U.S. the greatest nation the world has ever known, no foreign enemy can destroy us.

If the American people allow "Liberalism" to control them, the United States will fall because of corruption within.

[Wil H]

164 deaths is not insignificant, and it isn't over yet, and could escalate. See what next year's crop of mosquitoes brings...

While it may seem a pathetic attack, it is a low cost, easy delivery method to spread death from a distance, Just populate an airtight container with swarms of infected insects and ship it to the US.

That is very low maintenance from the perpertrator's perspective and has almost no chance of tracing the culprits.

[Mark17]

Suppose liberals had brains...

LOL, you are supposing way too much.

[Alberta's Child]

164 deaths is not insignificant, and it isn't over yet, and could escalate. See what next year's crop of mosquitoes brings . . .

164 deaths is certainly "insignificant" when stacked up against the various other things that kill people on a ragular basis. Heck, before Rudy Giuliami became mayor, this would represent a typical monthly murder total for the City of New York.

People get infected by West Nile mosquitoes all the time. For 99% of these people, the symptoms are either miniscule or cannot be distinguished from a mild case of the flu.

Also, keep in mind that Americans are better able to resist disease than almost any racial or ethnic group in the world. Any disease that is capable of killing large numbers of Americans will wipe out most of the planet in the process.

[exmarine]

However, all this notwithstanding, Western Civilization is the greatest accumulation of wisdom ever to grace the earth.

Yes, human wisdom which is opposed to God. God said, "I will frustrate the wisdom of the wise." Man's wisdom is worldly and corrupt.

The concepts of human rights, liberty, equality, the pursuit of happiness, equal protection under the law, constitutional government, representative government, and so much more are gifts from God.

True, and we have abused them and ignored them as evidenced by 40 million dead babies (where is their right to life - so much for that right!) Our leaders today do not recognize God as the giver of these rights (with a few exceptions). Their minds are corrupted and they are blind to the truth. America has trampled on these God-given rights and gifts. Our republic is being transformed into an oligarchy or worse.

By contrast, the benighted and misguided beliefs of fanatical Islamists cannot compare to Western Civilization.

I agree. So why is Bush calling it a religion of peace? hmm? Our govt is so politically correct, it can't see the nose in front of its face, let alone recognize the fact that islam is a satanic warlike religion and that the terrorists are the TRUE followers of Islam!

Yes. God is with us.

Where is the evidence for this? Could 911 be a warning from God to turn from our wicked ways or suffer the consequences? I don't see anything changing, do you? If anything, the attacks on goodness and decency continue unabated, and most people are brain-dead from their own pleasure seeking lifestyle. America could very well be under judgment right now. In many ways, our culture is WORSE than islam (hard to admit isn't it?) - they don't kill their unborn babies and they don't propagate filth, and they don't legitimize homosexuality (remember Sodom?), and teach their children that moral relativism is the best ethical system. The wages of sin is death. If God does not destroy America, it can only be because he is withholding final judgment because America's iniquity is not at its fullest yet. But just wait, evil is progressive, and America is on a downward moral spiral. God waited 400 years to judge the Canaanites, so if He withholds judgment now, do NOT take that as a sign that God has turned a blind eye to the evil in America. America today is NOTHING like the America of 1800. There is no resemblance.

If the United States remains resolute and if the American people return to the values that made the U.S. the greatest nation the world has ever known, no foreign enemy can destroy us.

That's an awful big "if". I do not expect America to return to good values. Why should they? Sin is pleasurable! Only a massive sweeping Christian revival will save America.

[spycatcher]

Political correctness is a fascinating phenomenon. It is the ultimate example of the old story about "the emperor has no clothes". Our elites slavishly ignore obvious facts and suppress heretical thoughts because they fear the social ostracism that they will experience if they leave the elite liberal reservation. The reality is: suggesting that this sniper may be a muslim is politically incorrect. It is perfectly OK to suggest that he is a racist, gun-worshipping white male redneck (that is well within acceptable bounds of discussion for our elite). But suggesting that he is a minority (and probably an immigrant, no less) is strictly forbidden. Thus, even if they hamper the effort to catch the culprit by hiding information about his appearance, the liberals must maintain total PC form and continue to suggest that it must be a new Tim McVeigh.

Great post. Maybe Fox News should get psychiatrists on the network shows talking about the phenomenon...that would be a riot!

[Wil H]

If 164 deaths are insignificant, why the hell is the country so mesmerised by this sniper?

Hell, 9 shot dead in two weeks, is "insignificant" in the total shooting tally in this country in just the same way as you rationalize the WNV deaths.

[Alberta's Child]

Good point. If the nine sniper victims had died of something that occurs naturally throughout the world, then you might be able to make a case. In one case there is clear evidence that this is not "natural."

[lgjhn]

The PC Moose is a PC idiot....if he is a prime example of CLEOs in this country, no wonder we got problems with Moose-limbs.

[Wil H]

While West Nile Virus is "natural", the incidence of cases and deaths in this country is not, they are sharply up this year from 5 deaths last year, 7 in 2000, and 2 in 1999. So if this is an exponentially increasing trend, as it appears to be, figure on thousands of deaths next year, and hundreds of thousands in 2004. But don't worry, we should concentrate on catching that pesky sniper before he gets into double figures...

Death by WNV that was instigated by malicious release of infected mosquitoes is no more "natural" than that caused by Anthrax in your mail or a sniper's bullet.

The only difference is that a lone sniper isn't likely to kill 164 people in a year let alone thousands..

[okie01]

"The Hispanic female victim had olive skin."

As did the Indian (Hindu, that is) who was pumping gas. Victim #3, I believe.

However, the point remains: no clearly Arabic or Middle Eastern-appearing person has been attacked; nor a Muslim.

[okie01]

I know this sounds crass, but as far as I know all of the West Nile deaths involved people who were well over the age of 50, most of whom had compromised immune systems. In most cases, this would have another name -- "natural causes."

The paralysis cases are all in their thirties and forties, all of whom were active and healthy.

These people will die in a few years. After they waste away...

This symptom and outcome has not been heretofore associated with West Nile Virus.

[Alberta's Child]

So if this is an exponentially increasing trend, as it appears to be, figure on thousands of deaths next year, and hundreds of thousands in 2004.

So there you go -- You've made a reasonable prediction, so let's just sit back and see what happens.

One thing to remember, though. A virus isn't likely to kill anyone after they've already been exposed to it and only showed mild symptoms. Even if the symptoms are mild, the infected person's body has developed an immunity to it just by fighting it off.

There is a perfectly reasonable explanation for the rise in incidence of West Nile in the U.S. For one thing, there are far more people traveling here from other parts of the world today than there were even ten years ago. The virus appears to have spread from the Northeast and across the Midwest, which is consistent with the fact that most international travelers are likely to land in the U.S. somewhere in an east coast city. Also, it's entirely possible that there were quite a few cases of West Nile that were not properly diagnosed back in 1997 -- an 80 year-old man with flu-like symptoms who took a turn for the worse and died could easily have been diagnosed with something else. Like "death by natural causes."

[Itzlzha]

Terrorism....

In the immortal words of Clevon Little in "Blazing Saddles" (paraphrased)...

"Nobody moves TILL the...um, black man gets it!"

[Wil H]

You may be right about the past mis-diagnosis but I don't think you can find facts to support your theory of an increase in international travel. Nor does you immunity theory hold a great deal of water, if what you say is true we would only ever have one cold, one bout of flue and herpes sufferers would never have flare ups.

But my original point was that it is conceivable that Iraq has the wherewithal to spread the disease, and guess what, it is spreading. So we should at least consider the possibility that the alarming increase could be linked to malicious action, just as the sniper could possibly be a terrorist - that's all

[ladyinred]

Not only could this be terrorism, but so also could the West Nile Virus deaths.

Not if the media doesn't tell us it is.

[Alberta's Child]

Nor does you immunity theory hold a great deal of water, if what you say is true we would only ever have one cold, one bout of flue and herpes sufferers would never have flare ups.

There are actually 210 different viruses that produce symptoms along the lines of what we generally call "the common cold" (my information may be a little dated here). If you caught an average of two colds per year for your entire life, you'd theoretically never catch a cold after the age of 105.

I don't know enough about herpes to explain the issue of "flaring up," but you have to remember that someone who is infected with a virus is never "cured" -- the body simply develops a resistance to it. "Flaring up" is probably nothing more than a virus showing recurring symptoms during times when the body is under some kind of duress (I think the disease called shingles is similar to this). When you show cold symptoms, you aren't showing the direct impact of the virus itself -- you're showing the body's reaction to the virus in an attempt to suppress it.

The other difference between West Nile Virus and a sniper attack is that there isn't a heck of a lot that can be done to deal with the virus, except to work toward developing some kind of innoculation.

[Alberta's Child]

So we should at least consider the possibility that the alarming increase could be linked to malicious action . . .

Certainly worth thinking about. I can't imagine how anyone would be able to determine the source of West Nile, though. Now you've given me one more thing to worry about. LOL.

[Mr. Mojo]

They [the victims] were all non-Moslems. They were all kaffir infidels. None had olive skin. None wore the hajib. Coincidence?

You're right, the author left our that salient point. And the fact that there's a huge Muslim population in the area of the murders makes it all the more "coincidental" that that group wasn't hit.

[spycatcher]

Good one...I knew there was a perfect caption for that picture!