Leper Messiah |
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Giving the world a hand since February 3rd, 2002. "If you're gonna dine with them cannibals, sooner or later, darling, you're gonna get eaten." I pity the fool that doesn't e-mail me! People I Like NowThis Medley Wil Wheaton Freakgirl Flit Cockeyed Hockeybird Hockey Rodent NotMyDesk rc3 Jes Golbez CjB Online Kit Up Off-Wing Opinion Divinest Sense Defensetech Strategypage Juan Cole The Poor Man Gamespot ValueJudgement The Hockey Pundits PuckUpdate Margaret Cho GU Comics Wargamer PvP Propstore Isohunt Newsy-type People Talking Points Memo Americablog This Modern World Daily Kos Blueshirt Bulletin Blacksheepnews ESPN Hockey Atrios TSN Hockey Good Stuff ScrappleFace The Digital Bits TV Picks TV Tattle Top5.com The Daily Probe FARK Authors David Brin Stephen R. Donaldson Harlan Ellison David Gerrold William Gibson Diane Duane John Scalzi Archives  
Comments by YACCS 
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Friday, April 05, 2002
The Washington Post has a wonderful piece about the US Special Operations troops in Afghanistan. It sounds like loyalties were dictated by the almighty dollar over there, with our Afghan allies seeing Spec Ops as a valued asset. Or cash cow. (via Flit) Thursday, April 04, 2002
Sunday, March 31, 2002
Condemn. I've heard that word a lot in the past week. Dubya condemns. Arafat strongly condemns. Sharon heartily condemns. Condemn, condemn, condemn.....I condemn, you condemn, he condemns, she condemns.....see Spot, see Spot condemn.... But what does that word mean? condemn (kun dem') v. 1) to pass an adverse judgement; disapprove of strongly; censure 2) to declare to be guilty of wrongdoing; convict; to pass judicial sentence on; inflict penalty upon; to doom 3) to take (private property) for public use by the power of eminent domain; expropriate 4) to declare unfit for use or service. Ok, so what? Well, let's look at which definition those "condemners" are using. Dubya is obviously using definition # 1, while Sharon is definitely using definition # 2, but what about Arafat? When Yasser Arafat condems a terrorist bombing, which definition is he using? Is he disapproving or passing an adverse judgement? Mmmm, I don't think so. Is he declaring the suicide bombers to be guilty of wrongdoing? Again, I don't buy it, not after such a long period with his tacit approval for their actions. How about declaring them to be unfit for service? Well, after blowing themselves & their victims to smithereens, that's a little too obvious.... I think Arafat is actually taking private property for public use. Ok, I can hear the collective "huh?", but bear with me. The private property he is expropriating is the collective outrage of the Western world. By condemning the terrorists in the name of the Palestinian Authority, he's telling the world that he is also a victim of those naughty extremists. Hey, they're rebels, what can he do? By showing how he is as much a victim as the Israelis, he is deflecting most of the blame to the extremist groups while still being able to reap the political benefits of their actions. He rides the wave of moral outrage like some blond-haired professional surfer, intentionally trying to blur the line between victim and perpetrator by claiming that the bomber is as much a victim as the targets he kills, while at the same time disparaging the actual events that took place. This is a major contributing factor to the Israeli distrust of Yasser Arafat. |