Upping the Ante

Reuters and others report a bomb was found on high speed rail tracks near Toledo, Spain today.

More "success" in the war on terror, I guess. The good news is at least they found the bomb before it could be detonated; the bad news, of course, is that such threats will certainly be part of the landscape as long as the "war on terror" involves invasion and occupation of Middle Eastern countries. Spain--and, by extension, Europe--will continue to be targets for these deranged individuals, given the proximity to the Middle East (relative to the US) and North Africa. Spain also provides an inviting target based on the history of Arab control over the southern portion of the country.

Here's a question: Why the hell do we want to occupy the Middle East anyway? It's not like we need the lebensraum, nor do we have an insatiable taste for dates and raisins. Does it have something to do with petroleum? Goddamn it, if your wet dreams are loaded with Persian Perrier, BUY THE STUFF. Who the hell else will they sell it to?

As for "freedom and democracy," please don't make me laugh: our closest allies in the region that are majority Arab--Saudi Arabia and Kuwait--are about as democratic as Russia was under the tsars of the 19th century. The leader of our newest ally--Uzbekistan--is noted for boiling people alive, while the best we can say regarding the occupation right now is that we haven't killed as many as Saddam--yet--even though some folks are ready to nuke Fallujah, or any other city, if that's what it takes to "free" the Iraqi people.

I think people concerned about "democracy" here in the US might just want to take a look at democracy right here in the US. Does anyone seriously believe that States like Louisiana, Texas, New York, Rhode Island, Illinois--for that matter, just about ANY State--can offer themselves as examples of "clean" government? Add to this, that, outside elected positions, anyone with an inkling of understanding of how society works here in the US knows that some citizens are a little more equal than others (e.g. bluebloods, old money--hell, even O.J. was able to join the group, although he had to take a seat in the back). Clean up the mess in your own back yard before you start hollering at the folks who don't even live in the neighborhood.

As long as we occupy Iraq, bin Laden and his minions will simultaneously thank Allah and engage in acts of hostility--both in the occupied land, and throughout the world. For every daisy cutter bomb we drop--and, like it or not, hearts and minds aren't won when they're blasted to bits--they will counter with suicide bombers, IED's, possibly dirty bombs (because we won't fund efforts to buy and dispose of radioactive junk in places like the old Soviet Union), or other "low-tech" implements, up to the point where, as I've noted before, Armageddon becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy. THIS PLAYS INTO BIN LADEN'S SCHEME, for chrissakes (no pun intended).

In the end, what we need to do is first, lower our profile in the region. Second, it's time for Israel to pay us back for all the aid we provide: negotiate a genuine peace with the Palestinians, based on UN 242. Finally, we need to support and work with genuine residents in the area, not the charlatan Chalabi--because the ONLY fight that can be won will be the battle of ideas between those for whom Islam is an expression of piety, not a call to arms, and the lunatics like bin Laden. It's THEIR fight, not ours. Sure, we can offer some support. But it is our presence as OUTSIDERS that pisses them off.

Remember when John Edwards told off Howard Dean after the latter made his remark about Confederate Flag Decals, Pickup Trucks, and the people who drive them? Multiply that by ten thousand, and that will help you understand what's going on in the Middle East.