THE DIOGENES REPORT
The Wit, Wisdom & Wituperation of Emanuel L. Strunin
“a few steps ahead of the curve”
October 2003, VOL. III, # 25
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THE SHOOT’EM DOWN-SLAP’EM ON THE WRIST SYNDROME

There is harmful dichotomy in America’s war against terrorism. When it comes to conducting a military approach to real or suspected terrorist targets, we usually , but not always, employ the most fearsome weapons in our arsenal. From cruise and tomahawk missiles, through smart bombs and bunker busters to helicopter gunships and Stealth fighters and bombers. Collateral damage that covered a whole neighborhood in Baghdad or Kandahar did not faze us when we were in pursuit of al Qaeda or Iraqi biggies.

However, when it comes to cutting off the financial lifeline of the terrorist organizations, we tread ever-so-lightly. We have pursued this policy through every terrorist attack leading up to 9/11 and right up to the present day. This policy was not based on ignorance. We followed this course even though the FBI, the CIA, the State Department and everyone in the executive branch right up to the President was aware of the money trail that led to the terrorist organizations. This was not only al Qaeda, but Hizbullah, Islamic Jihad and the Palestinian Authority.

Our political response is pathetic

Our policy was based on P. C., political correctness not on correctness. On the one hand we chose to believe the American Muslins who claimed that their charities were funding medical and social services for various groups when we knew full well that these “charities” were conduits for weapons and other support for terrorists. It is highly likely that American Muslim funds along with Saudi contributions helped underwrite the World Trade Center and Pentagon bombings.

We have been loath to crack down on Muslim groups because the government doesn’t want to be accused of “McCarthyism” or “fascism” or violations of the Constitution. There also is an element of not wanting to antagonize Muslim voters, as well as not wanting to antagonize our so-called friends in the Islamic world—the other supporters of terrorism.

The Japanese-Muslim comparison doesn’t hold an oz. of saki

One of the red herrings that is always thrown up when there is any discussion of cracking down on the supporters of aggressive Islam in this country is a reminder of how we treated Japanese-Americans during World War II. There is truly no valid comparison. America was wrong in its treatment of the Japanese because, as far as we know, not one Japanese American did anything to harm this country—not one.

On the other hand, dozens of American Muslims already have been identified as active supporters of terrorist organizations that are trying to harm the United States. And there are, without a doubt, hundreds of others who served as a supporting infrastructure for the 9/11 terrorists.

One of the most dangerous connections between the “Muslim Street” and the Islamic terrorist organizations involves financial support. Without such financial support the terrorist organizations would be hard-pressed to operate on a global basis. We know about the funds that American Muslims have given to terrorist organizations by way of the so-called Islamic charities. What has not received as much publicity is the involvement of American Muslims in such criminal enterprises as cigarette smuggling, drug dealing, credit card and identity theft and selling pirated CDs and DVDs and using the revenues to support terror. And, be aware, we are not talking about a dollar here and a dollar there, but the amount of money being funneled to the terrorists is hundred of millions, if not billions of dollars.

Neither at home or abroad does the U.S. want to address the enormity of the war we are facing. We still claim that Egypt is an ally in the war on terrorism despite the fact that they are training terrorists and supplying arms to the terrorists in Israel. We take the same attitude toward the Gulf States despite the wide knowledge that major funding for terrorism is coming from them. Our other good friend and ally, Saudi Arabia is still a major supporter of terrorism and aggressive Islam even though it’s starting to drown in its own blood. When it comes to Pakistan, do we have a friend there except Mushareff?

The Administration hasn’t got the will to mean what it says

The Bush Administration hasn’t got the will to say and really mean: “you are with us all the way or you are against us. The U.S. has to cut some long-standing ties with the Muslim world before our “friends” cut our throat.

One of the most shocking examples that we are less than serious about the war on terrorism is our treatment of U.S. and European financial institutions that violate terror-related sanctions. Over the past few years a dozen huge banks including Citygroup, Deutsche Bank, UBS, Wells Fargo and HSBC—that earn billions of dollars a year-- have paid under $100,000 in fines for violations of handling terrorist-suspected funds. These fines are piddling to these giants who can be expected to continue their nefarious behavior. Their god is money and until we substantially—very substantially—diminish their god the banks will continue to participate in helping the terrorists move money around the world.

To win the war against the terrorists, America must grind the terrorists, their supporters and facilitators into the dust no matter which individuals, which country, which business, which financial institution, which charity or which religious organization is a guilty party. No previous “arrangements” can have any standing to prevent this policy.

ACROSS MY RADAR SCREEN

Iraq-Appropriate Quotes

It’s amazing how comments that are 2,000 or 130 years old fit a contemporary situation. Here are a couple that struck me as Iraq, or at least, George W. Bush-related: “For which of you intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? (Luke 14:28) Obviously, G. W. Bush did not sit down and count the cost.

Cost means sacrifice, and cannot, without risk of hopelessly confusing ideas, be identified with anything that is not sacrifice. (J. E. Cairnes, Some Leading Principles of Political Economy, 1874). Has G. W. Bush yet mentioned that the American taxpayers will have to make sacrifices to pay for his $87 billion Iraq-rebuilding-plan? 

HEADLINES AND COMMENTS
Headlines from the world’s press. Comments by Diogenes.

Islamabad Stages Largest Offensive Yet Against terrorists Near Border
Do think this had something to do with offsetting the bad publicity 
about their missile test?

Powell Says Israel’s Protective Fence Is ‘A Problem’
Diogenes innocently asks: does Sec. Bowel live in a gated community and does he have armed guards paid for by the taxpayers?

Brooklyn College Official Arrested On A Rape Charge
1. Not quite the way I like to see my alma mater get publicity.
2. And we got into trouble by talking too loudly in the library.

Saudi Arabia Bans Issue Of National Geographic
And I thought the Arabs liked to see bare-breasted African babes.

Violence In Afghanistan Blamed On Drug Trade
Those CIA guys are really aggressive about getting their share of the drug business.

Court Declares DNA Law Unconstitutional
The court says that it’s an illegal invasion of privacy. Diogenes says that the cons will happily volunteer to give DNA samples if you threaten to remove some of their ‘rights’, including parole.

Officials See Nile Virus Taking Aim At California
Not to worry, just recall the little buggers.

Man Arrested At Airport With Dagger In His Shoe
Leave the poor guy alone, he ran out of odor eaters.

Heating Costs To Be Higher This Winter Despite Adequate Supplies
Get out the rat poison, I smell an energy company.

Former Iraqi Soldiers Demand Assistance
They can wait a year for assistance like American veterans when they want services from the VA.

Egyptian Government Releases Prisoners
3,000 prisoners including 1,000 “former” Islamic militants. 
What do they mean by “former.”

Reputed Terror Camp Is Attacked
What’s the problem. Can’t the Israeli bombers reach the presidential palace and military headquarters in Damascus or some other place really populated with Arab terrorists or even militants?

4 U.S. Companies Will Try To Restore Electricity In Iraq
I hope they include the Ohio utility that gave us the blackout.

Doubt Is Cast In Chechen Election
More voters cast doubts than any other ballot.

‘Jewish Crusade’ Is Latest Topic Of Al Qaeda Tape
Jewish talkathon—likely; Jewish crusade—hardly.

A Statistic That’s Missing: Jobs That Moved Overseas
Obviously, this survey was not taken in India or China or Indonesia or the statistic would have jumped up and bit the survey taker on the ass.

Arafat Swears In New Palestinian Cabinet
Just as long as they keep him from swearing in the street and scaring the children.

Schwarzenegger Lays Foundation For a Transition To Power
I thought he was going to cut out that sex stuff.

32 Prisoners At Guantanamo Have Attempted Suicide
More power to ‘em—just as long as they're not wearing a bomber’s vest.

Honor The Uprooted Germans? Poles Are Uneasy
The Poles shouldn’t worry, it’s only about lebensraum.

3 Americans Slain In Blast In Gaza Strip
A terrible event, but why is getting so much more press than the 20 American Jews who have been murdered by Arabs during the Intifada?

UN Resolution Condemns Israeli Barrier
Are they suggesting a barrier like they had at UN headquarters in Baghdad?

Public College Tuition Rose 14% In ‘03 Survey Finds
How come Social Security payment are only going up 2%?

Study Finds Hundreds Of Thousands Of Inmates Mentally Ill
Think of the number on the outside.

Not A Headline, But Worthy Of Comment

(From a NY Times editorial, 10.16/03) The men held at Guantánamo naval base in
Cuba are prisoners of the United States, and they should be treated in the highest tradition of American justice.
The same way Jonathan Pollard is treated?

QUOTES I LIKE
Diogenes considers them clever, not that he necessarily agrees with them.

Anything in the mail?
Just a postcard. I can’t make out the name but obviously from your family. 
They’ve spelt “P.S.” wrong.
- Andy Capp (cartoon strip)

When the President does it, that means that it’s not illegal.
- Richard Nixon

A sodomite got very excited looking at a zoology text. Does this make it pornography?
- Stanislaw J. Lec

I don’t know anything about music—in my line you don’t have to.
- Elvis Presley

The 2004 dream/nightmare ticket of every American woman: Bill Clinton for President and Arnold Schwarzennegger for Vice President.
- Diogenes

Shoe: I’d like to withdraw all the interest my savings account has accrued.
Teller: Sure, how would you like that? Heads or tails?
- Shoe (comic strip)

As requested, I wrote the business plan to show profitability by year three. The key assumption is that an armored car crashes through that wall and spills its contents. And don’t stand where that comet is assumed to strike oil.
- Dilbert (comic strip)

Think no evil, see no evil, hear no evil—and you will never write a best-selling novel.
- Dan Bennett

Madonna is so hairy, when she lifted her arm I thought it was Teena Turner in her armpit.
- Joan Rivers

It seems to me that a sonnet is the utmost length to which a rhymed poem should extend.
- Samuel Butler

The Pope is never sick until he dies.
- Old Roman saying

I love Wagner, but the music I prefer is that of a cat hung up by its tail outside a window and trying to stick to the panes of glass with its claws.
- Charles Baudelaire

I got a momma who joined the Peace Corps when she was 68. I got one sister who’s a Holy Roller preacher. Another wears a helmet and rides a motorcycle. And my brother thinks he going to be President. So that makes me the only sane one in the family.
- Billy Carter

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