Posted by Sir Four at 10:15am Feb 24 '10Devin Gordon:
Mark Hosenball
^I think that last paragraph sums it up pretty well.
Hosenball also says, "it does make you wonder how much difference there is between some of the American cultural icons who enable or validate some views on the lunatic fringe and the rabid Wahhabi clerics in the Muslim world who aren't terrorists, but foster a culture in which they breed."
If only the media had the balls to explore that story.
I do think there is potential for more violence simmering in this country, and that Stack was not isolated. I'm reminded of this post for instance.
I'm most intrigued by a couple of things Mike suggested. First, that Abdulmutallab's actions fit into a much larger terrorism narrative that has stretched out for years, resulted in ongoing wars and decided presidential elections. Isolated, Underpants Man's actions are surely milder than Stack's -- it still amazes me that a man flying a plane into a building doesn't make us flinch much more -- but Stack's actions are just that: isolated.
Then again, what if they aren't? That's the other thing that intrigued me about what Mike wrote: "The FBI gets skittish when you ask what they do about domestic terrorist groups because they clearly realize that the line between domestic terrorist and political dissident can sometimes be a blurry one." One thing that could've stretched out this Austin Wacko story out quite a bit longer is if the mainstream media had been bolder about connecting it to the larger anti-tax political phenomenon in this country today.
Mark Hosenball
if you look at patterns of extreme-right-wing violence -- and I have been collecting some string on this, which maybe it's about time to tie together -- then the Austin airplane guy's actions don't look quite so isolated. For example this guy was grabbed by authorities in New Jersey less than two weeks ago. "Ready for 'Armageddon'" says the headline in the Gloucester Daily Times, about a man who got busted with a stockpile of hand grenades, 20 guns, handcuffs, camouflage clothing, handcuffs and assorted other military paraphernalia. The folks at Talkingpointsmemo reported that he was a Tea Party activist.
If a guy goes bananas and killed a bunch of people--if he sets out to deliberately impose or advertise his views to the world by blowing up a bunch of innocent people, then to my mind that's terrorism. But I guess it's easier and more convenient âââ‰â¬ï¿½ politically correct, even âââ‰â¬ï¿½ to use that word to describe someone if they have a beard.
^I think that last paragraph sums it up pretty well.
Hosenball also says, "it does make you wonder how much difference there is between some of the American cultural icons who enable or validate some views on the lunatic fringe and the rabid Wahhabi clerics in the Muslim world who aren't terrorists, but foster a culture in which they breed."
If only the media had the balls to explore that story.
I do think there is potential for more violence simmering in this country, and that Stack was not isolated. I'm reminded of this post for instance.
How the media is treating this - Sir Four