Reason and Radical

Screaming at the Car Radio

Yes, I do this with some frequency, although its tapered off since I immediately switch stations if I get even a hint that they're going to play a Bush soundbite. But this morning I'm listening to the BBC and hear some Russian who is in Putin's party talking about how this war on terror is a battle between good and evil. NO, ITS NOT!!!!

Obviously this Russian dude touched a nerve because I've heard Bush and his fedayeen say similar stuff and I have a running feud in my local newspaper with a letter writer who says the same stuff. Ridiculous.

This is not some apocalyptic bullshit, some fundamentalist religious crap about good and evil. People who become terrorists generally do so for pretty good reasons -- think American Revolution, people. I'm not condoning terrorism -- its horrific and a stupid way to get what you want.

But this problem will never be solved by couching it in terms of good and evil. That is backwards thinking and its ineffective in the modern world. This is not 1304 -- its 2004, and believe me, everything changed LONG BEFORE Sept. 11.

Our challenge is not to lock down, not to become totalitarian states in response to terrorism (which is what Putin and Bush propose) but instead to use diplomacy and good ol' espionage/intelligence to undermine terrorism.

And can we please stop calling this a war? Its not. So stop.

posted by Leimodnu @ 1:37 PM