Free Republic

For those readers who may be unfamiliar with the term “Color Revolution”, it refers to what has now become the standard technique for promoting “regime change” in targeted nations. The term may have its origins in the works of Gene Sharp, who wrote some guidebooks on how to organize popular revolts using Madison Avenue-style marketing techniques. He recommended to the sponsors that rather than confusing or boring the participants with too much political theory, they should motivate their budding revolutionaries with pop culture, using catchy, content-free slogans, logos, and team colors. Color Revolutions are expensive ($5 billion in the case...

Last week I wrote that the riots in France were more about the culture of 50 Cent than bin Laden and that to blame the violence solely on Islam was a gross misreading of the situation. The neo-con web world had a fit, reminding me that when it comes to abuse and stupidity the right and the left are similarly gifted. In fact, neo-conservatives increasingly resemble the left in their simplistic and formulaic analyses and responses to complex situations. The world abounds with nuances, yet nuances are something with which absolutist ideologies simply cannot deal. The equation is absurdly facile...