by John Horgan, The Scientific Curmudgeon
Spent last night in Washington, D.C., on a magazine assignment, and this grey, damp morning, I took a jogging tour of the capital. Past the White House, ringed with barricades and guard posts, marked and unmarked security vehicles. Past the Washington Monument, America embodied as a sword. Past the duck-flecked reflecting pool and up the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, where Lincoln broods forever over whether preserving the Union–and even ending slavery–was worth a million lives. Was there no other way? Past the half-buried black gash of the Vietnam War Memorial, etched with the names of 58,000 Americans who died—for what again? Past the new memorial for World War II, an exuberant fountain ringed with columns bearing inscriptions like this from General George Marshall: “WE ARE DETERMINED THAT BEFORE THE SUN SETS ON THIS TERRIBLE STRUGGLE OUR FLAG WILL BE RECOGNIZED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD AS A SYMBOL OF FREEDOM ON THE ONE HAND AND OF OVERWHELMING FORCE ON THE OTHER.” Ah, World War II, the war that justifies war.
Almost literally in the shadow of the Washington Monument, on the edge of The Mall, I came upon a cluster of tents displaying posters and banners reading “Impeach Bush,” “Speak Truth to Power” and “Bush, Speak to Cindy,” meaning Cindy Sheehan, who became an outspoken critic of the war in Iraq after her son died there. The tents were empty except for two scruffy young men, making sure—they told me when I stopped to chat—that no one stole or vandalized the folding chairs or tables or other equipment. This is “Camp Democracy,” created by groups opposed to the war in Iraq and other adventures of the Bush administration. Of all the testaments to American character I saw this morning, only Camp Democracy made me feel a surge of patriotism.
September 14th, 2006 at 1:38 pm
Diplomacy occurs between mututally perceived equals (or there is no need to talk). One engages in terrorist dialog in its own language using its own rules of
engagement:
“Find out who they are.
Kill them all.
Kill their wives.
Kill their children.
Kill their parents.
Kill their friends.
Kill their neighbors.
Kill their animals.
Salt the earth where they lived.
Mount their heads on pikes on the steps of the Capitol.”
- Ted Morris, Las Cruces, 12 September 2001
All other recourse obtains interminable loss leading to abject surrender. Bush the Lesser had a week post-9/11 to solve the problem with thermonuclear retaliation ollie ollie oxen free. Bush the Lesser is an idiot poltroon. Terrorist incidents in the US are now FOREVER.
http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/bushist.png
150 kt airburst at 3000 feet absolute altitude, hypocenter 21°25′21.15″N 39°49′34.1″E on Muslim calendar eighth day of Dhu al-Hijjah. If the United Nations objects, tell it to relocate. Meanwhile, NYC parking tickets will be immediately prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
October 9th, 2006 at 2:13 pm
BRAVO!!! Too bad this Ted Morris isn’t leading the hunt, we’d be finished with this nonsence by now. Someone needs to get him in political office in D.C.
Democratic dialog is only an option when dealing with reasonable people in a reasonable country. We are NOT dealing with reasonable people, nor are we dealing with a country. We are essentially dealing with Bedouins. These terrorists move from hospitable territory to hospitable territory, training and planning to cause harm to those with dissimilar beliefs. Once the country (e.g., Afghanistan) ceases to welcome them with open arms, they move their operations to a new area. Diplomacy will not / NOT work with these people. Mr. Morris’ solution IS the only solution which will secure safety for the rest of the world.
“Find out who they are.
Kill them all.
Kill their wives.
Kill their children.
Kill their parents.
Kill their friends.
Kill their neighbors.
Kill their animals.
Salt the earth where they lived.
Mount their heads on pikes on the steps of the Capitol.”
- Ted Morris, Las Cruces, 12 September 2001