Now I have to put up.
Friday, October 11, 2002
The DC Area Sniper apparently has stuck again. As I live near the area, I am concerned. I do not, however, think that this is related to Iraq or Al Queda. I think the shooter is a home grown nutjob who had more stress than he could handle. I think he will eventually be caught. Given the number of police jurisdiction involved, and both the FBI and the ATF, I expect that there is or will be a lot of ego burning behind the scenes that will slow things down.
I also feel sorry for Police Chief Charles Moose. Montgomery County has a big population (3 million plus) and is hard to police. On top of that, this case is under a lot of politcal pressure. He has to satisfy the press, the politicians, his own people, protect his own turf....and get the case solved before many more people die. Whatever you think about cops or law enforcement, right now his job sucks and I hope he can do it well.
I also feel sorry for Police Chief Charles Moose. Montgomery County has a big population (3 million plus) and is hard to police. On top of that, this case is under a lot of politcal pressure. He has to satisfy the press, the politicians, his own people, protect his own turf....and get the case solved before many more people die. Whatever you think about cops or law enforcement, right now his job sucks and I hope he can do it well.
The only comment I have on Carter winning the Nobel Peace Prize is that everyone else who has won (so far as I can remember) became irrelevant, dead or insane - or all three. Do they hate him that much?
Tuesday, October 08, 2002
Instantman has a link to a discussion on why the Nazis get worse press then even Stalin does. While there is something in what they say, I think the real reason is based in the same kind of thinking that makes it OK for Mugabe to take the land from white farmers, but not for them to resist - or for the Palestinians to blow up Israeli civilians, but not for the Israeli military to kill Palestinian terrorists.
During the first half of the 20th century, the First World War not withstanding, Germany (and Austria) were considered top examples of modern European Civilization. Yes, Britain had a world wide Empire, but it was obvious that they were just going through the motions. Germany was the wave of the future. New schools of thought on the mind, physics, math, chemistry and industry all came out of Germany. So, in a span of less than fifteen years, from the time Hitler came to power, to the unconditional surrender of the German High Command to the Allies, they threw it all away. They had decimated Europe, killed between six and ten million people because they did not like their religion or viewpoints or opinions, and in the course of this had exposed the barbaric heart at core of Western Civilization. This from the people who promised a future where all the old bad ways would be no more. They descended into the lowest reaches of the reptilian brain and coupled it to all that was new and modern and, briefly, created a small version of Hell in Europe.
So, the Nazis are excoriated. Even Mussolini did not get this kind of kicking around. Had he signed on with the Allies, he would still be talked about nicely to this day. He got kicked around because he picked the wrong side of the argument.
The Russians, on the other hand, were seen as not really being European or Western. The prevailing view was that they were not really civilized; they were still considered to be barbarians. So, when ten million were butchered by a jumped up rural warlord - as long as he kept it home, the Europeans did not really care. After all, what one wog does to another was not really their business.
This attitude still affects everything from the Israel/Palestine conflict, to Zimbabwe to the Iraqi invasion. (Hey, who cares if one of those swarthy nomad types takes over. What is the real difference between Saddam and the ruling families of Kuwait or Saudi Arabia?) It was this same attitude that lead to massive indifference to what was going in Afghanistan before 9/11.
So, the Nazis and their supporters are excoriated because, well - they were supposed to be civilized dammit. The Russians get a pass because they are barbarians and did not really know any better.
During the first half of the 20th century, the First World War not withstanding, Germany (and Austria) were considered top examples of modern European Civilization. Yes, Britain had a world wide Empire, but it was obvious that they were just going through the motions. Germany was the wave of the future. New schools of thought on the mind, physics, math, chemistry and industry all came out of Germany. So, in a span of less than fifteen years, from the time Hitler came to power, to the unconditional surrender of the German High Command to the Allies, they threw it all away. They had decimated Europe, killed between six and ten million people because they did not like their religion or viewpoints or opinions, and in the course of this had exposed the barbaric heart at core of Western Civilization. This from the people who promised a future where all the old bad ways would be no more. They descended into the lowest reaches of the reptilian brain and coupled it to all that was new and modern and, briefly, created a small version of Hell in Europe.
So, the Nazis are excoriated. Even Mussolini did not get this kind of kicking around. Had he signed on with the Allies, he would still be talked about nicely to this day. He got kicked around because he picked the wrong side of the argument.
The Russians, on the other hand, were seen as not really being European or Western. The prevailing view was that they were not really civilized; they were still considered to be barbarians. So, when ten million were butchered by a jumped up rural warlord - as long as he kept it home, the Europeans did not really care. After all, what one wog does to another was not really their business.
This attitude still affects everything from the Israel/Palestine conflict, to Zimbabwe to the Iraqi invasion. (Hey, who cares if one of those swarthy nomad types takes over. What is the real difference between Saddam and the ruling families of Kuwait or Saudi Arabia?) It was this same attitude that lead to massive indifference to what was going in Afghanistan before 9/11.
So, the Nazis and their supporters are excoriated because, well - they were supposed to be civilized dammit. The Russians get a pass because they are barbarians and did not really know any better.
