Re: Man, Mr. bush Jr. sure is wicked evil eh?

In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
>In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
>   [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>>In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, "Bill Hobba" 
><[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
>>>Mat Merron wrote:
>>>> True.  However, here is one difference between a modern terrorist
>>>> movement and past revolutionary processes (such as the French and
>>>> Russian revolutions).  To run an actual revolution you need mass
>>>> support, i.e. support of the masses (sorry, couldn't resist, it sounds
>>>> too good:-)).  On the other hand, you can run something like Al Quida
>>>> with no more than few thousand active members and, say, few tens of
>>>> thousands "active sympathizers", and such numbers can be recruited
>>>> from "leadership classes" alone.
>>>
>>>Yep - without doubt.  But one must question how long a movement will last
>>>without mass support.  And from information I have 
>>>seen in the press it is
>>>supported by the economically impoverished Muslims.
>>
>>As well as, apparently, some very wealthy ones, in Saudi Arabia.
>>
>>>  That is the point I am
>>>making - unless it is supported by the masses it 
>>>will eventually fizzle out.
>>
>>Yes, that's true.  Eventually.  
>>
>>>My observation is that Al Quida knows this only too 
>>>well and times it press releases and attempted action 
>>>to attract the greatest support.  
>
>[piggybacking the post]  
>
>Did you notice the time when Al Quida switched to using
>Palenstinians as their poster boy?  People don't seem to
>recall a time when the Palestinians weren't on their agenda.
>It's as if there was a mass hypnosis command.
>
People have short memories and even shorter attention spans.
>
>>> ...However due to the nature of terrorism you do 
>>>not know which of the actions is going to
>>>be the 99% that get caught or the 1% that succeed.  
>>>Exactly what effect this
>>>will have on the long term viability of the movement only time will tell.
>>>
>>> Mat Merron wrote:
>>>> Question is how to get them out of this vicious circle, other then
>>>> through brutal, "30 years war" type of processes.  Unfortunately we
>>>> don't have the luxury of being able to say "lets just wait till they
>>>> come to their senses" since this may take few generations and the
>>>> amount of damage that can be done within this time can't be even
>>>> estimated.
>>>
>>>I think we both know the answer (economic rationalism) - but that takes
>>>time.
>>
>>Aye, that's the problem:-(
>
>Have mercy on this poor brain of mine.  What is economic 
>rationalism?

Economic rationalism is what you get when you reject ideologies and 
base your decisions on what produces economic results.  Unfortunately, 
people fight the notoin tooth and nail, so conversion take many, many 
years.
>
>>
>>>  It is much easer to seek short term gratification in religion than a
>>>long term solution that goes against your cultural 
>>>background - that is just
>>>human nature.
>>>
>>Yes, all history points to this.  Still, as Churchill (I think) once 
>>wrote, "people will do the reasonable think once all other 
>>possibilities have been exhausted".  Only (again) this takes time.
>
>I figure two generations.

In the best case, yes.

>  Meanwhile, it would be prudent to have
>in place backup plans and procedures to make a jump start possible.
>Most, if not all, of these plans are a subset of what is needed 
>to make a cold start.  

Before this, it'll be prudent to realize that we do not have the 
option to sit and do nothing for the couple generation it'll take.  
That's a belief which is currently held by a large part of the western 
population (especially a vast majority of the so called 
"intelligentsia").

>
>Just as an aside:  I'm watching evil white stuff fall down past 
>my window.  Snow is a 4-letter word.
>
My, you start early this year.

Mati Meron                      | "When you argue with a fool,
[EMAIL PROTECTED]         |  chances are he is doing just the same"