minority extremists

April 8, 2004 3:00 PM

today's challenge: what do you do with those darn minority extremists when their numbers keep growing?
posted by coyroy (16 comments total)

JRUN Error: IraqFilter overflow.
posted by gwint at 3:26 PM on April 8, 2004

When I got to the bit about the videoconference with his iraq commanders, I could not wipe from my mind the image of Darth and Palpatine on the hollophone in Empire Strikes Back.
posted by damehex at 3:30 PM on April 8, 2004

I'd ask that you not blemish Star Wars with this analogy.
posted by Krrrlson at 4:03 PM on April 8, 2004

gwint, you are right. but that doesn't change the cold hard reality: there are 100,000 troops waging war in a country for all the wrong reasons. its population is not jubilating and throwing flowers at the liberators, but they are increasingly angry, and with them 1.2billion muslims worldwide. little more than a year ago, a top diplomat of the us embassy to greece resigned, and wrote this in his letter of resignation - "The policies we are now asked to advance are incompatible not only with American values but also with American interests. Our fervent pursuit of war with Iraq is driving us to squander the international legitimacy that has been America's most potent weapon of both offense and defense since the days of Woodrow Wilson. We have begun to dismantle the largest and most effective web of international relationships the world has ever known. Our current course will bring instability and danger, not security. " prophetic words, revisit in 2005. unfortunately, in human psychology there is something called escalation of commitment, which produced fine events such as the bankruptcy of barings bank. the bush administration has advanced considerably down that road, and i wonder where it will end. in the case of barings bank, it didn't end well.
posted by coyroy at 4:12 PM on April 8, 2004

It probably is IraqFilter, but then again it does mark a significant change in the dynamic of the occupation.

Whether it is because we miscalculated the reaction to trying to suppress the Sadrist Shiites, or because we have over reacted to the provocation in Fallujah, now it seems that everybody can agree to join together to fight us.

A military victory over a rabble gains us very little if we flatten the place, and the civilians in it, to gain it. We're likely to get democratic agreement in Iraq -- 99% of the population will want us dead.
posted by Quinbus Flestrin at 4:22 PM on April 8, 2004

Today's challenge: find and post not one yahoo news story, but TWO! For bonus points, find a picture of W looking dumb.
posted by monju_bosatsu at 4:22 PM on April 8, 2004

monju, you know it is possible to look beyond the source of the links to the underlying idea. Its rare, but it happens. Just thought you might want a different perspective from which to bitch.
posted by Wulfgar! at 4:41 PM on April 8, 2004

This is bad news for the US, sure, but isn't it kinda cool how we're helping unite Sunnis and Shiites? Maybe we'll help Iraq in the long run, as Iraqis unite for the common cause of kicking us out.
posted by Eamon at 4:52 PM on April 8, 2004

monju, you know it is possible to look beyond the source of the links to the underlying idea.

What underlying idea? You mean the clever juxtaposition of news articles reporting, on one hand, a popular uprising against an occupying force, and on the other hand, a leader who blames a small minority of extremists? Where have I heard that before? Maybe the three or four previous Iraq threads?

Or perhaps you mean the "underlying idea" of the photograph in the lead link, which seems to be "BUSH DUMB, ME SMART." That's even more original.

Best of the web, indeed.
posted by monju_bosatsu at 5:00 PM on April 8, 2004

Same post, better done, up above.
posted by Wulfgar! at 5:49 PM on April 8, 2004

coyroy, you are right. but that doesn't change the cold hard reality: this is a shitty post.

Or, what monju_bosatsu said.
posted by languagehat at 5:54 PM on April 8, 2004

A minority is defined by the power they hold, not by their numbers or size.
posted by banished at 8:31 PM on April 8, 2004

ummm no. A minority is pretty much defined by numbers or size. shit FPP.
posted by monkeyman at 8:46 PM on April 8, 2004

Or, what monju_bosatsu said.

JRUN Error: What x said overflow.
posted by y2karl at 9:02 PM on April 8, 2004

monkeyman... sociologically speaking you'd be incorrect
posted by banished at 9:18 PM on April 8, 2004

JRUN Error: JRUN overflow error message joke overflow.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 1:19 AM on April 9, 2004