Bleeding Edge, pp. 312-313

rich richard.romeo at gmail.com
Mon Nov 16 19:26:10 CST 2015


On Mon, Nov 16, 2015 at 5:59 PM, David Kilroy <thesaintgodard at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Mark's point is too easily glossed over, and it dovetails with Laura's:
> among these jihadists there are more than a few who are "successful" people
> with fulfilling lives, careers-- even families, yet they are fundamentally
> dissatisfied with the powers dominating the world.  They may have had
> alternative outlets for their combative desires but they chose martyrdom
> because they feel essentially powerless.  Though their methods are
> abominable it's hard to argue with that sentiment.  We are all quite
> powerless in this respect.
>

there have been reports that behind al baghdadi are the remnants of
Saddam's intelligence/secret police. hardly suicide bomber material. In
fact, there's a certain expertise that these people have accumulated over
the years and fully taken advantages of via the Iraqi insurgency and the
the eventual breakdown of Assad's regime in Syria. Hardly the Zarqawi
fanatics with these guys. They were never very religious, using the mask of
Islam for their own purposes, much like Saddam did. I dont think
powerlessness plays into it; I think hot and heavy revenge.


'Jihadists choose violence because ultimately there is some measure of
brotherhood & solace in their "mission", inflicting the only pain it can on
a thankless, embittered power structure wholly lacking compassion and
patience for losers.  And we're all losers down here on the street.'

if one is paranoid and us with our brainwashed foolish soldiers, why not
for the other side as well--there are plenty of misdirected lost men (and
women--let's not forget the black widows of Chechnya) to be used as cannon
fodder--it worked for the PLO, Hamas, Islamic Jihad. My point is that there
is a hierarchy utilizing the tools available to some end, couched in
jihad--I would argue there are probably a fair amount of elements within
the movements that has nothing to do with religion

and yes we are all losers in this fight

rich

>
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