Can't Help But Wonder....

[filkertom]

Hmmm Dubya's approval ratings in the low 30s, the war in Iraq is going atrociously, everybody is suddenly realizing that Chimp Boy might just insane enough to drop a "tacular nucular" warhead or three on Iran, Libby and Abramoff are squealing, none of the Repub initiatives are working out, Scottie McClellan is bailing, Harriet Miers is persona non grata....

What to do?

Why, lookie heah! A new bin Laden tape.

How convenient.

Comments

[twfarlan.livejournal.com]

Gee, I wonder how many conspiracy theorists saw this one coming? Such as the people who feel that Bush, Cheney, Rummie and Rove might very well have had a hand in making sure that 9/11 happened to provide them with the capital they've squandered these past 6 years?

[suburbfabulous.livejournal.com]

If Kerry had run a closer race, would bin Laden have been caught in time for Election Day?
It sure seems convenient to keep a villain out in the bushes, just in case you need him later.
It's what I'd do.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

If Kerry had run a closer race, he would've won. Pure and simple. Notice I'm not even counting in the numerous and egregious voting irregularities in Ohio and Florida, or the hitherto-unprecedented disparity between exit polls and the "actual results".

nope

[nezmaster.livejournal.com]

If they caught bin laden, he might talk. People in washington don't want that to happen. they have to either kill him with no threat of capture (does he have contingencies for that) or catch him and keep him under amazing lock and key...

[lordavon.livejournal.com]

Ahhh, yes.

How convenient, indeed.

(And thank you for reminding me to put 'Wag the Dog' on my to-purchase list.)

[shsilver.livejournal.com]

Anyone ever tell you you got a cynical streak in you?

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Ya think?

[crwilley.livejournal.com]

So how many days at Defcon ErnieOrange Alert are we up to since the last election?

Oh, yeah. Zero.

[unclelumpy.livejournal.com]

Maybe this will remind people that Bush not only FAILED to keep his promise to capture Bin Laden "dead or alive", but pretty much screwed the pooch when it came to bringing justice to the people who masterminded the whole reason we STARTED this so-called "War on Terror" in the first place. Maybe this will even have a NEGATIVE effect on Bush's image....


NAAAAAAH! We'll just eat this shit up like we always do!

[dragonscholar.livejournal.com]

I don't see this as a conspiracy - I see it as Bin Laden deciding to fuck with Bush some more since Bush is so vulnerable, and perhaps he hopes to get Bush to do something dumber.

Because all I see these days is that the tape will remind people Bush didn't catch him.

Ever read "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress"?

[capplor.livejournal.com]

[Error: Irreparable invalid markup ('<indirect [...] quotes,>') in entry. Owner must fix manually. Raw contents below.]

<indirect quotes, from memory>

The first thing to do, when attempting a radical change in government is to make things WORSE. Yes, worse, People who are doing ok by the status quo are not interested in changing it.

<end indirect quote>

Bin Ladin is not a tool of W. W. is being played like a cheap fiddle by OBL.

Re: Ever read "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress"?

[dragonscholar.livejournal.com]

Ironically, I haven't read it.

And yes, I think that's what Bin Laden is doing. He figures he can easily push certain people's buttons and is doing it. And in the past, he has succeeded.

Of course he wants polarization. He wants to divide things, he wants people to take sides. The Iraq invasion was a massive Christmas present to the murderous bastard.

Re: Ever read "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress"?

[tandw.livejournal.com]

My google-fu is weak today, so this is from memory. About a year or two after 9/11, I read an article about extremism in general in the context of 9/11 and the US responses. The author(s) posited that you can usually think of political opinions fitting a Gaussian distribution. There are extremists on both ends, the folks who have strong beliefs and are willing to commit violent acts in service of those beliefs. Then there are more people who agree with them in principle, but are unwilling to support violent means. Still more people maybe prefer the extremists' beliefs to those on the other side of the curve, but definitely don't want to do anything about it now.

To succeed, what the extremists need to do is invert the bell-shaped curve--depopulate the middle and put everything onto the extremes. In the early stages, their best allies are the extremists on the other end of the distribution, and their adversaries are the people on their side who aren't extreme enough. When extremists on one side (E1) can provoke a disproportionate response from the extremists of the other side (E2), they get a twofer: the attack falls most strongly on the people who weren't willing to commit to violent action (E1's immediate enemies), and the survivors will be pushed into joining E1. The disproportionate response is also a good tactic for E2, if they have the capability; the growing popularity of E1 will push some of the people on E2's side who weren't extreme enough into their camp, distorting the distribution further. Lather, rinse, repeat.

The only way to stop something like this is to keep the extremists away from the levers of power. Unfortunately, that is not the case in the US today.

[lanchid.livejournal.com]

At least the Dems are hitting the Administration (http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/04/23/binladen.reax/index.html) with the news this time.

[tigertoy.livejournal.com]

Certainly when I hear another message from bin Laden it just reminds me of Bush's abject failure to actually accomplish the real objective of a war on terrorism. From what I heard on the radio this evening, it sounds like the Democratic politicians are actually pointing this out in clear and sensible terms. I don't actually know how the right wing sees it, but I suspect that, hard as they will try to make hay from it, they really wish bin Laden would stay quiet.

[umbran.livejournal.com]

I don't think the American public reacts to bin Laden tapes with fear any more. Releasing them is a boy crying wolf. I expect the public sees bin Laden tapes as policital rhetoric, drumming up support among his own followers. We're quite used to empty words from powerful people, you know.