My Opinion-

October 27, 2001 8:04 AM

My Opinion- The Director of Homeland Security that Bush appointed should have been a Muslim. This is getting out of hand.
posted by Counselco (23 comments total)

Somehow, I doubt anything short of publicly executing GWB and installing OBL as President (and Al-Qaeda as Congressmen) would help this 'holy war' perception.
posted by darukaru at 8:12 AM on October 27, 2001

Non-NYT link to same story
posted by xiffix at 8:18 AM on October 27, 2001

Somehow, I could see all of those young and old men equally satisfied if GWB and the US stopped bombing.
posted by precocious at 8:20 AM on October 27, 2001

Well, stopping the bombing would be a good start. Our government's pathetic "Is not!" responses to the question of whether this is a religious war are useless. And we seem to have Mr. Magoo flying the bombing raids, the Nutty Professor planning the public relations campaigns and OJ Simpson out looking for the culprits.
posted by Mo Nickels at 8:21 AM on October 27, 2001

It's crazy that Muslims are starting to think we are against their religion.
posted by Counselco at 8:21 AM on October 27, 2001

Actually, it doesn't take a stretch of the imagination to see how this war could be interpreted as such. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that these men aren't the most accurately informed. And even if they did have wide-spread access to U.S. television on the matter, wouldn't it appear to them like so much propaganda? Anything they're hearing from their leaders is definitely anti-U.S.

The article gets me in the gut. The U.S. and the rest of the world showed amazing, tear-jerking solidarity over the WTC incident. These men seem to honestly believe that the U.S. is perpetrating religious intolerance, and are going to war to combat it. This sort of solidarity is just as striking. Just sad and disturbing at the same time.
posted by precocious at 8:32 AM on October 27, 2001

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that these men aren't the most accurately informed.

Let's face it, we all are not informed accurately. At least I feel desperately uninformed about this war.
posted by arf at 8:44 AM on October 27, 2001

Could Bush appoint a Muslim? We're lucky we got a pro-choice American!

From "How to Lose a War," by Frank Rich in today's New York Times:
"To see how the religious right has exerted its own distortions on homeland security, you also have to consider an administration pattern that goes back to its creation — and one that explains the recent trials of poor Tom Ridge. Mr. Ridge is by all accounts a capable leader — a successful governor of a large state (Pennsylvania) who won the Bronze Star for heroism in Vietnam. A close friend of George W. Bush, he should have been in the administration from the get-go, and was widely rumored to be a candidate for various jobs, including the vice presidency. But after being pilloried by the right because he supports abortion rights, he got zilch. Instead of Mr. Ridge, the administration signed on the pro-life John Ashcroft and Tommy Thompson — who have brought us where we are today."
posted by Carol Anne at 8:47 AM on October 27, 2001

Bad, bad link above (mea maxima culpa!)

"How to Lose a War" by Frank Rich, in the New York Times (registration required.)
posted by Carol Anne at 8:51 AM on October 27, 2001

Replying to the initial link...

Gonzo Islamofascists busing themselves off to fight F-15E's with garden hoes? Pakistan must be thrilled to be rid of these bloodthirsty ignorant troublemakers.
posted by Real9 at 8:54 AM on October 27, 2001

Wow that "'How to Lose a War" article is mightily depressing. Depressing because it reminds me how short sighted and insular this administration is- stuff like this infuriates me;

"As for Mr. Ashcroft, he has gone so far as to turn away firsthand information about domestic terrorism for political reasons. Planned Parenthood, which has been on the front lines of anthrax scares for years and has by grim necessity marshaled the medical and security expertise to combat them, has sought a meeting with the attorney general since he took office but has never been granted one.

Yeah, great. In a time of national need ignore your own countrymen who just might be able to help you! And we criticize other countries for mixing church and state . . . .
posted by jeremias at 9:09 AM on October 27, 2001

Counselco -

The Director of Homeland Security that Bush appointed should have been a Muslim. This is getting out of hand.

I'm not sure I understand your central conceit here. How would the Director of Homeland Security - Muslim or no - have any real influence on foreign affairs? How would his being a muslim have prevented Pakistanis from wanting to fight the U.S.?

Don't mean to be rude; I'm just missing the point.
posted by Sinner at 10:42 AM on October 27, 2001

I think the original point was that all we'd need to do to ensure homeland security is to take the wind out of the Jihad's ideological sails. By appointing a Muslim, we'd be sending the message that America is not at odds with Islam, that it is a cosmopolitain nation state, not a religious entity, and that a holy war against us is pointless. Have I got that right?
posted by scarabic at 11:18 AM on October 27, 2001

For those MeFiers (and others) who chirped in unison: "Aren't you glad Bush is here to deal with the situation instead of Gore?" I submit as rebuttal: "John Asscroft" and my personal neener-neener. It is impossible to discuss this clown without invoking Godwin's Law.
posted by RavinDave at 11:21 AM on October 27, 2001

From Godwin's Law... "However there is also a widely- recognized codicil that any intentional triggering of Godwin's Law in order to invoke its thread-ending effects will be unsuccessful."

And, yes. I am glad that we finally have adults back in the White House and not a gaggle of apologists for a tent bombing, lying rapist-in-chief.
posted by Real9 at 11:39 AM on October 27, 2001

lets hope we took the opportunity to insert a few of our own spooks into that pungent mob of pakistanis headed over the hill into Afghanistan...
posted by BentPenguin at 11:42 AM on October 27, 2001

Actually the kids in Iran beg to differ-apparently they just want to rock!
Iran is shaping up to be on ace in the hole. Crowds of young kids taking to the street to taunt Islamic hardliners.
Persia shall rise again.
posted by quercus at 11:42 AM on October 27, 2001

What a lovely thread. Hardly an argument to be found, but lots of emotional thrashing.
posted by dhartung at 12:01 PM on October 27, 2001

i am so much better than all of you, because i have not called george w. bush a monkey yet.
though a cheeky monkey he is.
posted by moz at 12:29 PM on October 27, 2001

Ahh, but you're thinking it..
posted by Mossy at 4:25 PM on October 27, 2001

We're lucky we got a pro-choice American!
hail, hail, Carol Anne...

Real9: adults aren't too petty to turn away those that can help (c.f. jerimias' comment)
posted by phoenix enflamed at 10:49 PM on October 27, 2001

I am glad that we finally have adults back in the White House and not a gaggle of apologists for a tent bombing, lying rapist-in-chief.

*FREEPER(S) in the HOUSE*
*FREEPER(S) in the HOUSE*
posted by Rastafari at 10:51 PM on October 27, 2001

I am glad that we finally have adults back in the White House and not a gaggle of apologists for a tent bombing, lying rapist-in-chief.

So true. Thank the Lord for our new Red Cross bombing, lying, drunk-driving, bunker-hunkering, draft-dodging, oil-executive-in-chief. He and "Crisco" Aschcroft will protect us from the "evil-doers".
posted by fold_and_mutilate at 11:10 PM on October 27, 2001