Even the BBC man described the shift in the Spanish vote as being “a disturbing development” in European democracy this morning. Then Foreign Secretary Jack Straw put in a clumsy performance when he was interviewed about those same elections by John Humphrys. I wish Radio 4 had interviewed Mark Steyn instead.
We’re on the plane. They’re on the plane. If we do as they say then everyone will die.
My God, if there is anyone smiling and laughing today its the terrorists who orchestrated the bombings in Madrid. “Lets bomb them and they’ll do what we want”…and so the Spanish did. Within hours of the election result they’re running out of Iraq like flies. What a pity that after everything they’ve suffered, the Spanish have come to the wrong conclusions over the reasons for the bombing (see Mark Steyn’s piece). Excellent piece by the way Damo. If only everyone would realise the self evident truth with this kind of terrorism, but no, people still deceive themselves into believing that there are legitimate “reasons” behind the bombing campaign.WAKE UP PEOPLE AND SMELL THE HOUMOUS!
I was surprised to see that there seems to have been a change in the Spanish “total withdrawal” position since this morning.
Will someone please do something about Arafat – he’s driving me insane!!!!
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/405101.html
I hate to interrupt these loving exchanges between the British israel Public Affairs Committee, but for more constructive comment, you might want to take a look at the tail end of last nights Newsnight special on the War in Iraq. Most of the program was absolutely shite, but the panel discussion at the end included some very interesting and suprising contributions from Martin Indyk and Francis Fukuyama. Adahf Soueif also made a very measured and eloquent case from a Muslim perspective. I don’t know if the BBC are going to make the program available on their website, but its worth a look.
As for steyn, to start talking about Al-Qaeda and end up mentioning Hezbollah? Niggah PLEASE! that’s not hoummous, that’s the fetid stench of a zionist rat. Although I agree that Jack Straw does comes across as a bit of nob whenever he’s interviewed.
W
The point Steyn was making was not that the organisations were full of drinking buddies, always ready to help each other out in a tight spot (though there are some who believe that, despite their distinct religious and national backgrounds, they are) but that they have the same attitude to our and their own deaths.
It’s not just about ideology; it’s about methodology. Suicide bombers do not negotiate. Suicide bombers do not compromise. Why bother trying?
—Al-Qaeda statement quoted by the BBC
As a bonus: a Blog entry from one of those “debased American military” types. It’s his last entry. He’s dead now.
There are also some incredible humane idf soldiers, the type that refuse orders to fire missiles at civilian buildings. But that doesn’t affect my judgement of the idf as an institution – because that would be stupid. Besides, the man in question was a civilian, not a soldier. This independent report, on the other hand, actually relates to american soldiers:
http://hrw.org/reports/2004/afghanistan0304/
Also, I’m quite aware what steyn was saying in his piece, but I think you completely missed the point I was making about Hezbollah. Never mind.
You libel the American military by declaring that “at their best” they are “debased” and then support this assertion by linking to a Human Rights Watch Report cataloguing their worst behaviour.
Your “point” seemed to be that his talking about Al-Qaeda and then talking about Hezbollah marked Steyn with “the fetid stench of a zionist rat”. No wonder I missed your argument, it was probably too subtle for me.