RE: Bastille Day Killings

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RE: Bastille Day Killings - 7/15/2016 12:57:46 AM

DaddySatyr

Posts: 9381
Joined: 8/29/2011
From: Pittston, Pennsyltucky
Status: offline

Fast Response, not to any particular post:

I wanted to take a little time to try to let my anger diminish some. Fat chance of that, I guess. I was going to type this in word and then kind of go through and edit it. Fuck that, too!

I have always felt something of a kinship with the French. They (finally) risked a great deal to come to the aid of a bunch of rag-tag "rabble" that had decided to throw off the yolk of empirical servitude - even after the same colonists had fought with the British in the French and Indian War.

I understand their "hatred" of America, vís-à-vís America's lethargic pace to come to their aid during the NAZI occupation. French is my primary secondary language (blame the military for that) and my favorite of all the languages I speak. The Bohemian lifestyle that so engenders the romanticized version of French life appeals to me on quite a few levels.

All of that is to say that I've always been a bit of a Francophile.

So, on the day when they celebrate their independence, when a scumbag (or scumbags) takes it upon himself (or: upon themselves) to take a truck and plow into a crowd of innocent men, women, and children, I have to try and think about the normal questions of a journalist - with a huge accent on some of them: "Who ?" "What?" "Where?" "When?" "How ?" "Why ?" and "Where do we go from here ?".

Who: Obviously, a scumbag or scumbags to whom life means absolutely nothing. Let's get real, here: this attack carries many trademarks of an ISIS attack. Just for the purpose of something I'll be covering later-on: Let's recognize that ISIS is an off-shoot of Al Qaeda.

The dead scumbag that was driving the truck is a Tunisian-born French citizen who lived in Nice. To be brutally honest: who he was, as an individual, doesn't matter all that much to me, right now. With whom he associated while he was live, does.

If this attack was ordered, inspired, or aided by ISIS, it will be the third "major" horrific attack in France in a little over 18 months (?).

How: I think it is important to note that while there appears to be a weapon involved (with, reportedly a bunch more in the back of the truck), handguns, "assault" weapons, and explosives were an after-thought for this scumbag. The main tactic was to use something not generally seen as a weapon to do as much damage as possible, as quickly as possible.

I say that because there will be those (mostly Pablum©-pukers) who will insist that guns are the issue. It's not. As we've seen time and time, again: it's violence and sadism. I'm not going to be as ridiculous as to call for "Automobile control" as long as the PPLs promise not to try to blame an innocuous item that isn't the cause of these many attacks.

Why: Now, we come to the main course of the issue!

Some partisans will blame the U.S. Government (under Pres. Reagan) for financing, arming, and training Al Qaeda, back in the 80s, when they were "the enemy of our enemy", the U.S.S.R. Quite honestly: that's a valid argument, but I don't think that's where it started. I am all-too aware of the dangers of our government "throwing in" with scumbags, on a very personal and sad level.

Some will say that Islam is not "a religion of peace". That's also a reasonable statement, if one has ever read the Qu'ron (I have, although I read an English translation). I will go further: I have been saying - on this website and in other places - that any group that preaches violence is not a religion, for many years.

Some blame the Camp David Accords under Pres. Carter, citing the attacks on American soil on the anniversary of those accords. While some people will dismiss this as a 'conspiracy theory", I think it bears some weight if only because shit like that is important to Jihadi scumbags.

Many years ago, while running a previous incarnation of my website, I received an e-mail of a speech that was made by Capt. Daniel Ouimette. Obviously, I was reticent about the e-mail because the last name of the purported author is pronounced: "We met".

Before I commented on this speech, I did what any good journalist does: I did some research. I tracked down Capt. Ouimette and spoke with him on the phone. I interviewed him, briefly. He was still active-duty, at the time so his answers were somewhat reserved. I obtained his permission to use the speech on the proviso that I use the original text (which he sent me). I believe he nailed it.

His main thrust was the history of our relationship with Jihadi scumbags since 1948, the year that the Allied Powers (but mostly the U.S.) helped to establish Israel. I don't want this to be taken as "Michael's laying this at the feet the Jews". That's not the case. I believe that Jewish people needed a homeland since they'd been kicked out (or killed out) of just about any country in which they had sought refuge.

I don't want to adjudicate that portion of history, here. I was not alive and I am not sure if there was another viable option. I just don't know.

That said, I try to imagine myself, a (relatively) young Arabic farmer, living in what is now Israel, being pushed off of my land and the only way of life I've ever known and, when I complain, I am told: "Shut up. Your plight doesn't matter". That would piss me off, a little bit.

None of that is meant to excuse the behavior of the Jihadi scumbags.

Also part of the "Why?" question has got to be America's response to the escalation of violence. By-and-large - certainly since 11 September, 2001 - there has been little-to-none. Oh, sure. We went into Afghanistan (with not enough planning, as far as I am concerned). We used Osama Bin Asshole as one of our excuses to go into Iraq. We went into both places without a real exit strategy, but the lack of that strategy is due to a lack of over-all military strategy.

Which brings us to ...

Where do we go from here: Well, the first good step would be to acknowledge that there is a large number of Muslims who - at least passively - condone this behavior. Quite possibly, it's just that "little shiver" of "Well,-they-are -infidels,-after-all" mentality. Instead of the bullshit rhetoric of "only a small portion of Muslims support this kind of behavior", we need to recognize that if they are not part of the solution, they're part of the problem. That will require action; not bloviating.

I mentioned our military strategy. For far too long, our soldiers, marines, sailors, and airman have been peace-keepers instead of instruments of war. War is what a military force is for. It is their raison d'etre.

At the very minimum, war was declared on us in 2001. Even if you wish to ignore the "official" declaration, have we not "casus belli"?

Locally (I'm an American): Our congress needs to declare war and to remove the shackles from our fighting troops. "Rules of engagement"? My Irish ass! Here's your rules of engagement: "There's the enemy. Go and wipe them out!".

Globally: We need to reach out to every country on the globe and let them know that if they're not with us, we won't be with them. Iran the biggest state sponsor of terror? Bullshit, while Saudi Arabia still exists. Anyway, we need to tell them that if they don't sign on to wipe out the Jihad, we will abrogate free-trade agreements, we will cease any and all financial aid (including "humanitarian" aid), and we will hold them accountable (on some level) for each and every attack that occurs after their refusal to sign on.

The chin music that ISIS doesn't pose an existential threat to any free nation on the planet is complete, utter, undiluted bullshit and must cease to be a part of the conversation.

I already expressed my sorrow on another thread, but let me add, here: Nous sommes avec vous, France. Dieu vous bénisse!

Michael

< Message edited by DaddySatyr -- 7/15/2016 1:03:06 AM >

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