People don't pay much attention to where the words come from as the language shifts. But now the important ones are almost always delivered, a medicine, an inoculation.
"Insurgents" we all know what that means, who it means. Never think about the historical fact that the US was founded by an insurgency.
And of course "terrorists".
The new one is "Islamists".
"Islamist extremists". We're supposed to learn that by heart.
And react just so. Hate hate hate hate.
It's alright to blanket-condemn Arabs and Muslims and Iraqis and Iranians, but God have mercy on the poor fool who criticizes Jewish or Christian extremists.
We can sneer at and scorn Arabs, all of them or any, even the non-Arab Muslims, all we want.
It seems important right now that we lose the distinction between terrorists and "Islamists". We're supposed to, and we want to do what we're supposed to do.
Though if "terrorism" means hating the US and Israel, and if terrorists are people who are angry enough at the US and Israel to kill, then the blurred distinction is probably accurate.
We are going to pay the price for this forever.
We being the basically confused and very nervous American people.
John Kerry's job is hard to pin right now. Is it to lead us? OK, but toward what?
If there's a conflict, as there is, and has been for some time, between the safety and well-being of the American people, and the safety and well-being of Israel, how will that be decided? By compromise?
Why?
Why don't we compromise with anyone else?
Why have so many Iraqi women and children lost their lives this year? Not to mention their husbands sons and brothers. Does the American public know how many Iraqi children have been maimed by American weapons?
But that's the point isn't it? Who cares, they're brown, they're Muslim, they're poor. Their lives don't matter.
We keep getting Arab women shoved in front of the cameras, figuratively, and some anonymous narrator snivels about the veil and the lack of education. As though any of this nightmare is about liberating anyone, let alone the women of Islam.
Condoleeza Rice certainly isn't wearing a veil, but I can't see how the world has benefited from that. She has, personally, greatly, so far, but the poor in almost every corner of the world are worse for her being where she is, and with who she's with. Not to pick on her particularly, but it's time we recognize that the harsh rules of the religions we've been taught to deride are no different than the rules we assume to be universal moral principles.
"Thou shalt not kill"
And then paragraph after paragraph of excuses and exceptions.
"Thou shalt not steal" but then stealing isn't stealing when things and land are taken from an inferior race, or darker, more primitive people.
My guess is the blinders are going to come off as soon as the technologies are securely in place.
There is no morality, and there never has been.
Just us.
"Insurgents" we all know what that means, who it means. Never think about the historical fact that the US was founded by an insurgency.
And of course "terrorists".
The new one is "Islamists".
"Islamist extremists". We're supposed to learn that by heart.
And react just so. Hate hate hate hate.
It's alright to blanket-condemn Arabs and Muslims and Iraqis and Iranians, but God have mercy on the poor fool who criticizes Jewish or Christian extremists.
We can sneer at and scorn Arabs, all of them or any, even the non-Arab Muslims, all we want.
It seems important right now that we lose the distinction between terrorists and "Islamists". We're supposed to, and we want to do what we're supposed to do.
Though if "terrorism" means hating the US and Israel, and if terrorists are people who are angry enough at the US and Israel to kill, then the blurred distinction is probably accurate.
We are going to pay the price for this forever.
We being the basically confused and very nervous American people.
John Kerry's job is hard to pin right now. Is it to lead us? OK, but toward what?
If there's a conflict, as there is, and has been for some time, between the safety and well-being of the American people, and the safety and well-being of Israel, how will that be decided? By compromise?
Why?
Why don't we compromise with anyone else?
Why have so many Iraqi women and children lost their lives this year? Not to mention their husbands sons and brothers. Does the American public know how many Iraqi children have been maimed by American weapons?
But that's the point isn't it? Who cares, they're brown, they're Muslim, they're poor. Their lives don't matter.
We keep getting Arab women shoved in front of the cameras, figuratively, and some anonymous narrator snivels about the veil and the lack of education. As though any of this nightmare is about liberating anyone, let alone the women of Islam.
Condoleeza Rice certainly isn't wearing a veil, but I can't see how the world has benefited from that. She has, personally, greatly, so far, but the poor in almost every corner of the world are worse for her being where she is, and with who she's with. Not to pick on her particularly, but it's time we recognize that the harsh rules of the religions we've been taught to deride are no different than the rules we assume to be universal moral principles.
"Thou shalt not kill"
And then paragraph after paragraph of excuses and exceptions.
"Thou shalt not steal" but then stealing isn't stealing when things and land are taken from an inferior race, or darker, more primitive people.
My guess is the blinders are going to come off as soon as the technologies are securely in place.
There is no morality, and there never has been.
Just us.
