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THE DIOGENES REPORT MEDIA “EXPERTS” AND REAL EXPERTS The cable news networks and the broadcast news networks are crawling with experts on how to run the war against terrorism in the Middle East, in the Far East and in the U.S. Most of them are ex-military men and ex-government officials who sound like they never made a major decision while they were uniform or made bad decisions while they held office. As far as the media are concerned they hooked a title even though the individual adds nothing to our knowledge or even steers our thinking in the wrong direction. As far as the empty suits are concerned they found a well-paying trough to supplement their pensions. So, it comes as a pleasant surprise when Fox News came up with a real authority, Neil Livingstone, an anti-terrorist expert with knowledge of the history and dynamics of Iraq and its neighbors. His analysis makes it clear why America’s approach of trying to play Chinese checkers on a chessboard is bound to fail. Agreeing With Diogenes Perhaps, I like him because he said what Diogenes said way back when. To wit: Iraq is an artificial country made up three different peoples, the Kurds in the north, the Sunnis in the center and the Shiites in the south. Of the three only the Sunnis consider themselves Iraqis. Though we consider them all Muslims, there is a 1,400 year-old hatred between the Sunnis and the Shiites going back to the era when Islam was founded. To the Sunnis, the Shiites are more to be despised than the Christians or the Jews because they are heretics. By the way, there is no love lost between the Sunnis and the Kurds or the Kurds and the Shiites. That is the place where the U. S. is talking about a $100 billion rebuilding program. It would make more sense if we decided to rebuild on quicksand. But, then again, Iraq is quicksand. Before we sink any deeper into this quagmire, we should take a giant step back and try to understand that place. Let’s bring some people to Washington who are real experts in the history and dynamics of the region and do not have an axe to grind like mollifying Saudi Arabia or finding work for Halliburton. Four such true experts are Bernard Lewis, Daniel Pipes, Neil Livingston and Fuad Ajami. There are, undoubtedly, others. But it essential that their voices drown out the voices of the know-nothings in the CIA, the FBI, the State Department and the Pentagon, as well as the defense contractors who are sucking on the oil tit of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States.
Extreme To More Extreme The idiotic idea that we can find “moderates” whom we can trust should be discarded at once. As Livingstone pointed out, there are no non-extremists among the Shiites who make up 60% of Iraq’s population. He emphasized that the Shiites go “from extreme to more extreme.” The cleric who was killed in the mosque bombing was not a “moderate’ as the media is claiming, but his final sermon was a call for “unity’ in a state controlled by the Shiites. Try rebuilding Iraq on that basis. One way to solve the problem, according to Livingstone, is to bring in another Saddam—which he does not advocate. We did it in Panama and throughout Latin America, as well as in Viet Nam.This has been a basic American ploy over the years, but it never works in the long run—or in the short run if we really are concerned about democracy. Another possibility is to divide the artificial nation of Iraq into its three natural constituencies — Kurdistan in the north, Sunnistan in the center, and Shiastan in the south. They will have the right to battle each other or to practice peaceful coexistence. The oilfields, pipelines and other oil facilities will be under the control of the U. S. military until, or if ever, the locals can be trusted to run these assets under our direction. The oil revenues would be used partially to pay off the costs incurred by the coalition nations in conducting the war, and partially to rebuild Iraq. As Diogenes has described previously, the bulk of the rebuilding funds would come from Saudi Arabia through the appropriate influence of the United States.
DON’T LET ME CATCH YOU PRAYIN’ It’s amazing how closely life follows art in the form of humor. Remember the old, old joke about the Jew who tries to get into Temple Emanuel on Yom Kippur without a ticket. The Irish guard at the door refuses to let him in without a ticket. But when he says that he only wants to enter the temple to deliver an important message to his brother and not to participate in the services, the guard relents. He adds, however, “if I catch you prayin’, I’ll break your arm.” The following news story, replays that sick joke, except that the guard has an Israeli accent. Yehuda Etzion, a long-time activist on behalf of Jewish rights to the Temple Mount, and three of his fellow visitors were arrested this morning during a tour of the Temple Mount when he bowed down on the floor in prayer. Etzion had been walking peacefully on the southern side of Judaism's holiest site with about 20 others for about an hour, but the police turned on him when he bowed down shortly before he was about to leave. Jews have been allowed to visit the site since last week, but are not allowed to pray.
AMERICAN JUSTICE John Hinckley who wounded President Reagan in a failed attempt to murder him is having a hearing as to whether he can pay an unsupervised visit to his parents. A Federal Court ruled that more than 100 convicted murderers awaiting execution in the southwest will escape the death penalty because judges rather than juries determined their punishment. After 18 years, Jonathan Pollard is still in solitary confinement serving a life sentence for turning “military secrets” over to a country allied with the United States. This was information about Iraq’s military activities when the American Government was having a love affair with Saddam Hussein. This was information that the American Government promised to turn over to Israel but didn’t. This harsh sentence was essentially a lynching orchestrated by a twisted soul who labeled Pollard’s action “treason”, which it was not, according to law. This same twisted individual was responsible for the deaths of 241 Marines in Beirut by refusing to allow them to carry arms to defend themselves. In addition, the government attorneys reneged on the promises they made to Pollard for his cooperation. Which is the real American justice?
AN AFGHAN REPRISE This piece below first appeared in the Diogenes Report of December 2001. Now, it is almost two years later and were still fighting, and Americans are still dying, and we’re hearing that Usama is still living in the mountains and planning bigger attacks on us. Perhaps it is time to explode a series of nuclear devices in those mountain caves and bring the mountains down to grade level and perhaps with some luck the nuclear cloud will blow over our so-called allies in Pakistan. Kipling’s words should make it perfectly clear that nothing, but nothing has changed in Afghanistan. This bit of poetry from Rudyard Killing should remind us that we do not have any friends in Afghanistan, ally or foe or the women that we are trying to save from a fate worse than death—life under Islam.
ACROSS MY RADAR SCREEN Eye-Opener In Alabama The 10 Commandments brou-ha-ha in Alabama was a real eye-opener for me. I never realized how powerful Moses was at age 80. The 10 Commandments that the judge plunked down in his courtroom weigh 5,300 pounds and Moses was able to lug both tablets at one time from Mount Sinai. Absolutely amazing! I don’t think he threw the tablets down when he saw the Jews dancing around the golden calf like it says in the Torah, I think the old guy just dropped them from sheer exhaustion—5,300 pounds ain’t no frisbee. Another eye-popper was the passion the Alabamians exhibited for the 10 commandments. I really wonder why. Seems to me that those bible-thumpin’ people would have been happy to join the dancers around the golden calf. I’ll bet that not one in 100,000 of those folks follow all ten or even nine and, maybe, not even eight of the commandments that Moses brought down from Sinai. I guess it’s a take-off on the old saying: “ I disagree with your beliefs, but I’ll fight to the death your right to hold those beliefs.”
I Smell An Alien Rat As far as I’m concerned, the most dangerous alien organization in the United States is located right in the heart of Washington. It is the U. S. Department of State, which inevitably gets us involved with the most unsavory, anti-democratic elements every place in the world. The ignorance of our diplomats about the history and dynamics of other societies causes them to be outmaneuvered by the diplomats and leaders of just about every other nation. Their only strong point is to use their interpretation of international law and agreements to hamstring American citizens. A news story datelined Beirut, Lebanon raised a red flag for me that ‘State’ is still showing its ‘Arabist’ bias and ignorance rather than demonstrating good sense. A U. S. trade fair just opened in Lebanon. It was hailed as “a step toward normalizing U.S.-Lebanon relations and a sign of growing U. S. confidence in Lebanon.” These words of ultimate stupidity and the participation of 122 American companies are evidence that the State Department organized the entire event. When a major government agency says, ‘exhibit’, American companies don’t ask, ‘why?’, they do it. What this means is that the State Department is playing footsie with Syria, a terrorist state that is sending, or, at least, allowing terrorists into Iraq who are murdering American soldiers. There is no independent nation of Lebanon—the country is completely controlled by 40,000 Syrian troops. This so-called independent nation is also the breeding ground and staging area—through the support of Syria and Iran—for the terrorist forces of Hizbullah, which even George W. Bush has labeled a terrorist organization. How does our Secretary of State, Colon Bowel, justify a trade fair that supports Syria? I mean other than the fact that Halliburton does not have any contracts there…yet.
When Two Great Religious Leaders Meet This meeting may have been overheard by one of our National Security Agency’s ‘big ears in the sky’—although by the time the FBI raided the meeting place the two gentlemen were gone. Our two religious leaders were Hutton Gibson, Mel’s dad and Usama bin Laden, the dad of everyone with a towel wrapped around his head. Usama: It is good to see you again, my dear harbi. Hutton: Listen, you old towel-head, you know I don’t like you using them a-rab words. Usama: Of course, of course. I don’t want to offend my favorite little crusader. Now tell me why you called this meeting. You know that I hate this place, except for looking at the hole where the World Trade Center used to stand. Hutton: Well, my son is making a new movie about god, I mean Jesus. You folks believe that Jesus was a prophet. Don’t you? Sure you do. Well, I want you to put in a good word with the theater owners wherever your people live You know that overseas distribution can make or break a film—financially. Usasma: I’ll do the best I can, but do you know how hard it is to get messages out from a cave? My communications are so tied up with instructions about bombing and killed infidels there is very little free space for cultural matters. Hutton: Listen Usama, you owe me. Since you asked me to do it, I’ve been telling everybody there was no holocaust. What’s more, when my son’s movie gets out, a lot of people will be saying the holocaust was a good thing—even if it didn’t happen. Just one more favor. Will you say a few Hail Marys for me. You can even say them in a-rab. You can even face Mecca while you’re saying them. How’s about it buddy. Usama: My dear little crusader, you know I can’t do that, but let me ask you a serious question. Would you get very upset if I blew up Vatican City? Hutton: We’d better go now, before the FBI guys get out of the donut shop. Don’t forget, we need good reviews in the a-rab newspapers.
NAMES This is a sad(?) story but the name definitely fits. According to the Associated Press, Mr. Ouch Yan, a Cambodian gentleman, who kicked his wife in the groin, may have been killed when his wife grabbed his testicles and squeezed so hard that he passed out. To make certain that he didn’t abuse her when he came to, she tied his neck with a scarf to the bed. The exact cause of death is unknown, but whatever it was-- ouch fits.
HEADLINES AND COMMENTS State Supreme Court Rejects Appeal Involving Vomited Evidence Report Says One in 37 U. S. Adults Have Been Imprisoned Man Charged With Exposure, Sexual Assault Mexico Arrests 8 Called Top Drug Smugglers More Innovative, Expensive Operations Are Putting Medicare In A Costly Quandary Axed By The Treasurer Bustamente Belonged To A Group Supporting The Return Of California To Mexico Group Hopes To Drum Up Support By Inviting All To Gay Bingo Hamas Member Killed In Israeli Strike Jackson Accuses Yale Of Breaking Promises To Workers Audit: Clerk From City Parks Cashed $78,000 In Checks EPA Exempts Plants From Clean-Air Rule Japan Is Spending Heavily To Pursue A Weak Yen Policy Are American Jewish Leaders Wrong Again? Dispute Over Arms Dossier Wounds BBC New Look At PIUS XII’s Views Of Nazis Bush Takes Middle-Ground Approach On Gay Issues Greenwich Hospital Is Prepared To Pamper Patients No Shortcuts In Israel, Just Small Steps To Peace
QUOTES I LIKE A play, even the angry and critical kind, is always on one level a love letter to the world, from which a loving acknowledgement is eagerly awaited. The trick, of course, is how to face the turndown and go back to write another letter—and to the same lover, no less. If you see a Bulgarian on the street, beat him. He will know why. What did the doctor say? Natural: a very difficult pose to maintain. Necessity: the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves. My uncle was a conductor. Use the right word and not its second cousin. To some, freedom means the opportunity to do what they want to do. Have I ever told you that I like your recipe for spinach and kumquat casserole? The sharp employ the sharp; verily, a man may be known by his attorney. A government: a group of intelligent people who collectively do stupid things. We don’t make movies for critics, since they don’t pay to see them anyhow.
READERS’ COMMENTS RE: VOL. III, #20-- just read your latest Diogenes. So why not some constructive comments from me. RE: Letter to the Editor--IN PRAISE: Well done, and to the point. RE: Arab assimilation joke--CRITICAL. A crude joke that trivializes your report, and does little else. RE: Foibles of the Times--MIDLY CRITICAL. A minor bit of writing, I say who cares: RE: Quotes I Like--Question, What is the height of conceit? -------------------------------------------------- How now? Suddenly, Diogenes finds it necessary to respond to his readers’ comments? And to be even a little more cynical, when and where have laws been written which were obeyed by all? Marxism excepted, logical analysis is not historical necessity! And aren’t the most stringent laws, taboos, a response to universal temptations? Comments welcome! e-mail to: elscomm@earthlink.net |
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