Posted by farleft | Posted on 28-02-2008
Category : Liberal Antidote
Tags: al Qaeda, Islamists, jihadists
By Fred Burton and Scott Stewart
Courtesy of Strategic Forecasting
As Stratfor has observed for some years now, the global response to the 9/11 attacks has resulted in the transformation of the jihadist threat. Whereas six and a half years ago, the threat came from “al Qaeda the organization,” today it emanates from “al Qaeda the movement.” In other words, jihadism has devolved into a broader global phenomenon loosely guided by the original al Qaeda core group’s theology and operational philosophy. We refer to the people involved in the widespread movement as grassroots operatives.
In analyzing this metamorphosis over the years, we have noted the strengths of the grassroots jihadist movement, such as the fact that this model, by its very nature, is difficult for intelligence and law enforcement agencies to quantify and combat. We also have said it has a broader operational and geographic reach than the core al Qaeda group, and we have discussed its weaknesses; mainly that this larger group of dispersed actors lacks the operational depth and expertise of the core group. This means the grassroots movement poses a wider, though less severe, threat — one that, to borrow an expression, is a mile wide and an inch deep. In the big picture, the movement does not pose the imminent strategic threat that the core al Qaeda group once did.
Posted by farleft | Posted on 26-02-2008
Category : Liberal Antidote
Tags: Afghanistan, al Qaeda, Musharraf, Taliban
By George Friedman
Courtesy of Strategic Forecasting
There has been tremendous controversy over the U.S. invasion of Iraq, which consistently has been contrasted with Afghanistan. Many of those who opposed the Iraq war have supported the war in Afghanistan; indeed, they have argued that among the problems with Iraq is that it diverts resources from Afghanistan. Afghanistan has been seen as an obvious haven for terrorism.
This has meant the war in Afghanistan often has been perceived as having a direct effect on al Qaeda and on the ability of radical Islamists to threaten the United States, while Iraq has been seen as unrelated to the main war. Supporters of the war in Iraq support the war in Afghanistan. Opponents of the war in Iraq also support Afghanistan. If there is a good war in our time, Afghanistan is it.
Posted by farleft | Posted on 21-02-2008
Category : Liberal Antidote
Tags: Hillary Clinton, Norma Desmond, Sunset Boulevard
Barak Obama is on a roll and probably will be the anointed wonder of the Democratic party and this election year. That doesn’t mean he’ll be elected, but it does mean goodbye to the Clintonian nightmare.
Now, I’m no fan of Barak’s. I watched his Wisconsin victory speech (which he gave in Houston) Tuesday night, and he promised about three trillion dollars worth of programs in a very few minutes, prompting John McCain (whom I also don’t like) to observe that Obama is proclaiming "a holiday from history."
"Just so," as my Irish ancestors would say.
The thing about Hillary is that she’s just so f—ing smug and arrogant. She thought that her pedigree (huh?) as Bill Slimeton’s husband would assure her ascendency as Queen Hillary.
Not so fast.
Even Demofiends can smell–and deal with–hubris, though usually it would carry the day in absence of an anointed one.
All I can say is that I would be glad to spend my last dollars to donate a staircase for St. Hillary to descend in front of the cameras to proclaim her return, as did Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard in one of the most amazing and memorable scenes in cinema history.
Delusion springs eternal, Hillary.
Posted by farleft | Posted on 07-02-2008
Category : Liberal Antidote
Tags: global warming, the global warming industry
Nah, you won’t see that headline because it’s simply easier for the Demofiends to blame George Bush and the Republicans for anything dealing with the economy.
But, if a flu epidemic breaks out, look for the "global warming is to blame" headlines.
This is all simply a game to a) gain control over American industry by taxing and regulating it to death and b) gaining the so-called "moral high ground" by recognizing that the world is in danger of (almost) becoming as warm as it was in the Middle Ages. Gasp!
But there are votes to be won, so we must prove that global warming is caused by evil corporations and evil citizens who drive cars (and who can pay extra taxes for health care, etc., because they’re so evil and drive cars to and from work to try to make a living).
Anyway, I hope you can see it’s all a game. The scientists get funded for "proving" falsehoods, and the politicians get taxes and power for scaring everyone to death.
Doesn’t anyone read history books anymore? Or look at the heat charts over the centuries?
(PS This was prompted by moron John Kerry’s assertion that tornadoes were caused by global warming. Okay, my poverty is caused by global warming. Can I have a few million tax dollars?)
Posted by farleft | Posted on 05-02-2008
Category : Liberal Antidote
I’m a registered Republican in the big delegate-rich state of California, so I’ve been getting lots of phone calls from various politicians.
Well, really, just two–John McCain and Mitt Romney.
I got one from McCain and another from a COP in Arizona claiming to be the "world’s toughest sheriff." I assume he was calling about McCain, but I deleted the message right after "world’s toughest." Sure, bud.
I got three calls from Romney, all in his voice (or computer-generated clone). One even addressed me as, "Hello, Gary, this is…."
That was pretty good, but when you have Romney’s money, I guess the technology is available.
I won’t tell you how I voted except to observe that John McCain is just Hillary Clinton with more belief in national defense (at least until and if he gets elected).
