Mar 10, 2005
George W. Bush: Agent for Islamic Fundamentalism?
If Murray Rothbard, with his penchant for sensing conspiracies, was still alive, perhaps we might have seen it earlier!
Today, the New York Times reports that the Bush Administration, in"a sharp policy reversal," in the face of Hezbollah's power in Lebanon, is now ready to accept the notion of that organization having a leading role in that nation's future.
In Iraq, it is evident that the January elections have resulted in a great increase in the power of the Shia fundamentalists there. If Mubarek holds a really democratic election in Egypt, the fundamentalists will increase their power there also.
Hezbollah's emerging power is apt to affect events in Palestine as well, while the situation in both Afghanistan and Pakistan, is far from settled. In the hills, off from the flourishing poppy fields, Osama bin Ladin still makes his tapes to broadcast to the world. Not to mention Iran.
Bush proclaims all of the above as a great victory, but it would appear that the net result, thus far, of American interventionism, has been to all but destroy the secular states once emerging in the Middle East.
One might argue that the Neocons around the President simply sold him a bill of goods about ruling the world, but Murray always said, go for the most parsimonious explanation!
Maybe, when George"found" God, who helped him stop drinking, it was Allah, rather than the Christian God. After all, Jesus was always doing his thing with wine and miracles, while it is Islam that is into real abstention.
In explaining the development of America, Mark Twain once noted that it was whiskey that initiated our westward expansion, or, as he remarked,"Westward the Jug of Empire makes its way."
As George W. reverses that trend, and takes teetotalism eastward, the tourist mecca of Islamic Dubai had better watch out. In that den of iniquity the hotels and bars feature at least a half dozen kinds of German beer on draft, let alone the hard stuff. Besides, a city that size may just be the place where the American Army can successfully wage Fourth Generation Warfare, and sustain Democracy, Law, Order and Stability.
Or, as Twain might have put it,"Eastward the Holy Grail of Empire makes its way."
Today, the New York Times reports that the Bush Administration, in"a sharp policy reversal," in the face of Hezbollah's power in Lebanon, is now ready to accept the notion of that organization having a leading role in that nation's future.
In Iraq, it is evident that the January elections have resulted in a great increase in the power of the Shia fundamentalists there. If Mubarek holds a really democratic election in Egypt, the fundamentalists will increase their power there also.
Hezbollah's emerging power is apt to affect events in Palestine as well, while the situation in both Afghanistan and Pakistan, is far from settled. In the hills, off from the flourishing poppy fields, Osama bin Ladin still makes his tapes to broadcast to the world. Not to mention Iran.
Bush proclaims all of the above as a great victory, but it would appear that the net result, thus far, of American interventionism, has been to all but destroy the secular states once emerging in the Middle East.
One might argue that the Neocons around the President simply sold him a bill of goods about ruling the world, but Murray always said, go for the most parsimonious explanation!
Maybe, when George"found" God, who helped him stop drinking, it was Allah, rather than the Christian God. After all, Jesus was always doing his thing with wine and miracles, while it is Islam that is into real abstention.
In explaining the development of America, Mark Twain once noted that it was whiskey that initiated our westward expansion, or, as he remarked,"Westward the Jug of Empire makes its way."
As George W. reverses that trend, and takes teetotalism eastward, the tourist mecca of Islamic Dubai had better watch out. In that den of iniquity the hotels and bars feature at least a half dozen kinds of German beer on draft, let alone the hard stuff. Besides, a city that size may just be the place where the American Army can successfully wage Fourth Generation Warfare, and sustain Democracy, Law, Order and Stability.
Or, as Twain might have put it,"Eastward the Holy Grail of Empire makes its way."