(Not the usual fare, but a whimsical meandering through things that matter to me, click the links if you need to have things explained)What if that last pass by Brady hadn't been intercepted?
What if the Wicked Pishahs had better scouting for the Super Bowl of Birding?
What if Major League Soccer put sponsors on the front of their jerseys?
What if we were so manipulated by our government to be fearful that a guerrilla advertising campaign caused a major panic?
What if the president spun the facts about thwarting terrorist plots (real ones, not guerrilla advertisers) to justify the continuation of the "war on terror"?
What if we gave in to fear and continued to throw obscene amounts of money and unconscionable numbers of human lives at a problem that previously was attacked with intelligence and police action instead of violence and military action?
BUT what if we tried to defeat terrorism by not being controlled by fear?
AND what if we stopped creating martyrs who serve to inspire more terrorists?
AND what if we started to change our behavior that motivated the terrorists in the first place?
AND what if we placed more faith in God than in governments and guns?
What if...?
16 comments:
What if terrorists decided to use lightbright games to hide bombs in, and the government did nothing to investigate, and the bombs went off and killed 2,000 people?
What if the government had the audacity to investigate young Islamic men learning to fly aircraft in our nation?
What if the new newly elected Democrat majority cared about people more than power?
What if people did not blame victims for the crimes of others?
What if we said to terrorists, we do not care about any of your concerns. If you deliberately kill and target innocent civilians, you will die?
Oh wait, this could be fun...
What if tomorrow every stoplight gets checked by the government for bombs?
What if tomorrow every cell phone gets checked for bombs?
What if tomorrow every car turn signal gets checked for bombs?
What if tomorrow every television get checked for bombs?
What if tomorrow every Lite Brite gets removed from every toy store just in case there are bombs?
Is this game we want to play? Yes, let's use the intelligence that our agencies turn up to police America so we can avoid militarizing the world.
And what people would you like the Democratic majority to care about? They seem to care about Americans who are working hard and remaining poor because of the minimum wage. They seem to care about the military personnel who could be saved from being in harm's way. Perhaps they even might show that they care about real people instead of corporations who have lots of rights of, but not apparently many of the responsibilities of real live people. Or maybe we can continue to find ways to make profits for Halliburton in the name of fighting terrorism.
There are ways better than giving in to fear and returning violence for violence. Again I ask, what if we trusted God?
Radical Muslims are trusting God - which God did you have in mind? Don't you mean "what if we had faith in the God of Ian" - but then why should I accept your concept of God? And therefore why would I accept your definition of faith with resepct to the same and with respect to this war?
Ian,
the main issue of course is not the creative packaging that could be used, but the placing of those under bridges and other odd places. There is some conext to this. I do not see it quite the way you do. Radical Islam will use any device to kill anyone. If they could put explosives in diapers, they would, and they would dance over the blood of mutilated infants. That is their way and therein they find thier joy.
So, if you keep this in context, the prospects are not nearly as absurd. What you might call fear in those instances, I would call caution.
Ah, cleanhead, that was the sound of the cavalry coming over the hill ;-)
You are right about the "fear factor" that was the point of my post. I do think that fear is being used to manipulate the masses.
I am not against fear, as there are times for caution. I want my children to learn to fear putting their hands in a fire, but I don't want them so afraid of if that they can't cook a meal or heat their homes. I'll fear Lite Brite cartoon characters when the level of terrorist attacks moves beyond the more likely subtle approach. Isn't the whole point of a successful attack to make sure the target doesn't see it coming?
And I can't resist the follow-up on the Democratic congress....they have done more in a few weeks than in the past 6 years because they have actually spent more time in session than the sum total of the past 6 years of the "do-nothing congress" that was only session three days a week!
If either of you gentlemen think you will get me to suppport the previous republican congress, I am sorry to dissapoint you! And I also was impressed with the zeal with which Dem's applied themselves. Yet in that process, they did thier level best to exclude Republican participation - so be it - power corrupts, and the Dems will of course leave a legacy of corruption, as did the Republicans before them, and the Dems before them, and so on!
Ahhh to be among the elite not deceived by fear among the hapless frightened masses! You will pray for me won't you?
okay, fear mongering is not an every day staple. Actuallly, I think your fear is beginning to show. Why are you afraid, and what are you afraid of. You sound like a frightened man - you keep leaving out the MMMUUUHHUUUAAAHHAAAHAAAAA part of your posts!
Some funny stuff here gentleman. CH, good to see you blogging here again. Ian, I think the Boston Police performed their duties admirably. I think you'd have it no other way. Fear is a constant in our daily lives. I actaully did a blog on this not too long ago. It does irk me when fear is used as a reason to be illogical. But it's always better to be safe than sorry.
HO, I'd caution you not to throw dems like Jim Webb under the bus, as Mr. Webb could likely lift that bus up and throw it back on to you. His dem response to the president rang of old-time Truman meets JFK populism with a dash of Ross Perot thrown in for good measure. A bunch of smart, moderate dems got elected because they had good ideas and their motivation was to do something other than grab power.
Now Hillary and Pelosi are a different story. What if they actually cared for their constituents and not the power they so crave?
Good point TE, I should have differentiated between the sincere (and I would would still disagree with them in important areas)and the power hungry - exceptions noted and I do welcome the genuine dialogue the moderates offer. As much as Mr. Edwards is orbiting Saturn with his ideas, he comes out and says, "I will raise taxes", "I will put out the troops." I respect that, and his lovely hair!
I appreciate a genuine fight to shadow boxing ! (as many of my fellow bloggers well know? :)
CH,
I fully agree with your last statement. Just understand that that phenomena is everywhere, not just the "religions" so called. But I would also agree with you, it is most appalling when done in religion with the intent to manipulate. Indeed, the apostle Paul wept because he knew that after he left a certain city, "ravenous wolves" would rise up from among the flock and hurt people, using a number of tactics - fear among them.
Yes - that is a stopper! But check out my blog - I am sure we can disagree there.
Mr. Edwards is orbiting Saturn with his ideas, he comes out and says, "I will raise taxes", "I will put out the troops." I respect that, and his lovely hair!
Yikes, HO. I wish I had JE's hair! Orbiting Saturn? Yeah, we should raise taxes on the CEO's so we can finally get the budget balanced and the war paid for. Oh, yeah, and it would be cool if we could take some of that wacky seven figure income and apply it to alternative energy technology so I can drive my kids around in an earth that's not a full-blown greenhouse. Oh, and while we're examining our economic and social policy, we could throw a few Washingtons at the genocide in Darfur. Ahhh, what we do without the fine knee-jerk conservatism of the religiously superior mind of HO? Hey everyone, let's cheer for the intellect and knowledge of a man who's got life all figured out and has pegged everyone as inferior...way to go!
TE, you are far to generous in your praise of my abilities!
I agree that we should use money, military and everything to rescue Darfur. We have failed in the most hypocrital way in this.
We already know that we disagree on taxation, so I will not belabor that point.
Mr. Edwards is also correct about thier being two Americas - the one he lives in and the one everyone else does. Have you seen his new house - the most expensive in his county? 11,000 sq feet of living space and a 14,000 sq ft attached recreatonal building with basketball courts, swimmin gpools, etc. - a four story look out tower. Now I have no problem with him spending his money however he wants - but it does look pretty silly for him - and his hair - given his public statements.
Finally, you and I are no different. I do not think I have all the answers, but like you (and everyone else here) I have an answer for everything we discuss. We just disagree. I have no problem with that. Like CH said, if we agreed on everything this blog would not exist. It exists because we disagree on the answers! Amen?
HO, I marvel at the angst that comes from your typewriter keys...may I suggest a mohawk and a nose ring?
WHAT REPUBLICAN LIVES IN A MODEST HOUSE??!!
You make it sound like you an CH have these nice little spats and that's it all well and good. Maybe if you're ADHD. Hope it all works out for ya brother. I think you've been typecast in a one of my favorite all-time Star Trek movies, can you guess which one it is?
Also, you are not like me, nor am I like you. God obviously made us very different. I guess I just have more of a problem with the rhetoric and the invectives and the sarcasm and the argumentative tone, oh, and did I mention how smart you are compared to the rest of us? I guess I did. Sorry.
What if terrified Americans didn't value the lives of 2,000 Americans (see HO's first comment) far more than the lives of tens of thousands of Iraqis?
What if we actually stayed on point and didn't go careening off into projections and fantasies about what we think the author of this blog is suggesting? (blaming victims for the crimes of others -- where does THAT come from?)
What if I suggested to Ian that he might like James Hillman's "A Terrible Love of War" even more than he will undoubtedly appreciate Chris Hedges' "War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning?"
Over and out, fellas. Kiss of peace! *smooch*
peacebang
"AND what if we started to change our behavior that motivated the terrorists in the first place?"
I am open to any other possible interpretation than victim blaming for the quote from Ian. My point is that diliberate killing of innocents has no justification, and we need not seek the remedy for that evil in the behavior of the victim.
I think my position is reasonable - even self evident. But I could be wrong.
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