Well deserved!!

Well deserved!!

Mikki, Connor where is Jeff? Did you leave him at the pub?

Lauren,
Can't read the article - it says you need a subscription to the WSJ; you only get a preview.

Sorry, the link to "never again, again" does not work for me.

Johan

Connor looks all grown, uh, down.

-D.

just check darfur on google.lots of scary stories about the place there

Rest day, but...
3/3 cfwu
5-10 mins of handstand practice
Tabata Handstands (against a wall) - much harder than I thought it would be
Clean and Jerk, 3 rds of:
50 kg x 2 (for speed and form)
85 kg (bodyweight) x 1

Man, and I meant this to be an easy day.

Cardio day - 45 minutes of Step Mill followed by some planks and crunches weighted with resistance band.

Triceps and chest were feeling left out so I did 200 dips this morning.
10 bar/10 bench to 1 bar/19 bench.

Took it easy with a hurt shoulder yesterday. I'll push on again today.
Get some! All of you! Yeah, you too Sinebad.

http://www.darfurgenocide.org/

CFWU x3
FS triples, doubles, & singles up to 225
TGU practice

Totally burned out from yesterday's 3 x 5 x 21

Practice day
Front lever work (actually held a tucked front lever for about 15 seconds, progress!)
Evil wheel practice, can consistently do 5 sets of 10.
HSPU practice. Yet to do a full ROM HSPU. Soon though.

The article is a very interesting topic, and highlights the point of how big of a problem genocide/ethnic cleansing is for the world--so few countries really know how to respond or even how to define it. I would like to think that the UN would do a better job than they have; in fact I think the UN would be well served to just focus on human rights atrocities as we've seen in Rwanda and Sudan. And ashamedly, the reactions and prevention strategies taken by the US are not much better--even in Iraq we were twenty years too late for the Kurds. For more on this topic I recommend "A Problem From Hell" by Samantha Power.

Unfortunately, both Rwanda and Darfur show that the essesence of humanitarian aid is not enough for the West to act. These African nations have no valuable resources that the West needs. And as the article points out, it's more than just the Janjaweed acting alone -- they are openly backed by the Sudanese government. Whereas the Middle East says that the Iraq conflict is "Christian vs. Arab," in Darfur it is the Arabs from northern Sudan (Janjaweed) acting against the southern Christian Sudanese. An odd juxtaposition of "blank vs. blank." While I completely believe that there is no "Christian vs. Arab" intent in Iraq, that is the entire intent of Darfur.

However, there is no intervention other than military that will stop the genocide in Darfur. Western sanctions will not make a difference. Any material aid gets tied up and exploited by the governments. While the West will greatly benefit from a stable African community, this is essentially a situation that the African Union should seriously and successfully address to prove to the international community that the AU is capable of solving the continent's problems without coruption and with efficency and compassion.

My concern is that if the Sudanese govenment continues along this path without AU intervention, welcome to your new Afghanistan. Sudan implements Sharia law. And Sudan did host Osama bin Laden and the al Qaeda while the Embassy attacks were planned.

UGH....blah, blah, blah...is there ever any solution?

MOST IMPORTANTLY, thank you, ladies and gentlemen who are serving our country at home and abroad. You are in my thoughts and heart daily.

marianne

Does anyone know if/when this article was in the print version of the WSJ?

Check this out... If you ever thought Spiderman was only a comic superhero, this may just confirm he is a real person!

http://www.compfused.com/directlink/965/

Jon,

That's amazing!

'six pack Cindy'

5 pullups
10 pressups
15 squats
20 sit ups

as many rounds as you can in 20 mins.

Karl - 11 full rounds plus pullups,pressups, squats and 5 sit ups.

Dan - 9 full rounds

Rachel - 7 full rounds subbing ring rows for pullups.

40pushups
80 crunches
80 flutter kicks
40 windmills
50 jumping jacks
2.8mi 22.48
total time: 43minutes about

yeah what a day off.
silly air force PT

51 y/o, 150 lbs.
Grateful for the rest day, but I had to catch up on the wall-balls I missed yesterday: 5 x 18lbs x 12 reps.
I've been doing some form of functional exercice for many years, but one week of WODs have had a profound effect on my core; more erect posture, smoother and more powerful gait, to identify just a few effects.
Thanks to all who provide this great resource!
Hi, S.

CharlesB

Darfur is another case of terrible genocide. In all cases of true genocide, only military action will put an end to it. Unfortunately, America's heros are already helping some other countries not implode.

I know that there are other countries that have heros, would some of them please help. . . Anyone? France? Anyone? Russia? Anyone? Oh wait, it is up to the 'usual' countries to step up.

The part that makes me the most sad, is that I know that every one of our servicemen and service women would 'do THEIR duty' and save these people, even in the case of American casutlies. Are their other Nations who have this same sentiment?

On another point: Why does this situation remind me of having someone live on your block, maybe a house away.

Everyday the 'male' and his friends beat the 'woman' and her kids. He is unemployed, she might have a job that she doesn't go to because she is so battered. The property is trashed. The people that congregate there are a danger to the entire neighborhood. The kids don't even go to school, their education is coming from the male and his friends.

To solve the problem, the state keeps issuing welfare/unemployment checks. The neighborhood even sticks money in the mailbox along with the checks. "All they need is a little Aid" everyone says.

Every week the male goes to the mailbox. Every week nothing changes.

Maybe it is time to do something more than just "Aid". One household can only do so much for the neighborhood.

Sadly, Darfur won't get on anyone's radar screen unless oil is discovered there, lots of it. What seems to escape most of the reporting on the crisis there is the ethic divide between the janjaweed killers, who are Islamic desert people, and their victims, who are Christian and sub-Saharan Africans. American Jews support Israel, but where are AFRICAN-Americans on this? Has anyone heard from Senator Barack Obama on Darfur? Rev. Jackson? Opra? Unless and until our black leadership uses their considerable influence to focus the attention of the media on the killing in Darfur, the story will remain below the fold.

Extra work on rest day: handstand practise with ring L-holds

Africa is a beautifull continent with an awful lot of problems. I will send a letter, it is the least I can do. How about you?

Johan

I would also like to point out that my comments above don't just pertain to the United States. There are other counties providing the same serivces to the world (the UK, Australia, and many others).

Their sacrifice is just as appreciated.

Sometimes I know that these get overshadowed in our 'US based' community.

no rest day for me.. my first workout since my amazing wife gave birth to our beautiful little girl named Savannah Grace Kepler

I call it "3 days after Savannah.."

135lb clean 50x
20lb db push press 50x (largest db's I currently have0
20lb med ball russian twist 50X
pushups 50x

completed in 11:50

crossfit central

Hey All-

New to CF and lovin' it. Have a question on cleaning the weight. My wrist flexibility is not all that great, so having a hard time getting my elbow's out- any advise on helping with this movement?

Jon and marianne,

I believe his nickname was "spiderman". A while back there was some discussion about him and how he died (and a debate on free climbing) - along with this clip and an explanation of how he had "wired" that climb. Some people here knew him, personally, I believe. Check the threads, community, maybe.

Here's the tough part about Darfur and other places around the world where tragedy strikes: the US is still the only true world superpower (although China is emerging). As someone noted above, Darfur has no real short-term strategic interest for the U.S., HOWEVER, it may very well become the next Afghanistan. But we, meaning our military, is stretched as it is, despite what people in the administration will tell you.

While the human suffering is biblical and the moral compulsion clear, are WE obligated to rush right in? And have no doubt, the rest of the world, while assuaging themselves with the food aid and $$ they send, will be more than happy to watch us wallow, get people killed, and come out looking like the bad guy. No one will be clamoring for China to send their forces. Or Australia. Or the EU. This is when it is both a statement to how the world perceives us as a moral nation ("you must go help those suffering people! because you can!") and how it loves to hate us ("you did it for (oil), (imperialism), (zionist hegemony), or fill in some other self-interest").

Furthermore, think that propagandists in the Muslim world won't use this as an opportunity to convince the ummah that we ARE on a crusade against Islam? See, we'll be siding with Christians against a Muslim government? You think anyone (particularly in the government) wants to face that criticism? Nope.

So, I feel very sorry for those people and I hope that the AU does do something. But I also feel sorry that Don Cheadle and others will hold this country responsible for not stopping that tragedy, if indeed, we don't. They start from an altruistic assumption that we must because we can (although I'm not sure of the latter) and, even starting from the more pragmatic or cynical self-interest (that it could be the next Afghanistan), I seriously doubt we will.

Lazy Tuesday Short Workout
Cupcake Curls
2 no...
6 no...
12 bakers dozen

Yet blood to lay at the feet of the politically correct crowd.
Why hasn't anyone gone in?
Because it would be an action against the muslim regime and no nation wants that kind of hassle. The us media would crucify Bush all over again.
The US media wins either way to make look the US and Bush bad.

Meanwhile, more die.

Again --------
islam means submission,
not peace.

Interesting that the arms embargo only hurts the victims, and that the government sponsored muslim militias who are systematically exterminating blacks are armed by the government which is exempt from the embargo. Talk about unintended consequences.

I think the victims of this genocide could probably protect themselves pretty well if they were supplied with arms.

It's interesting that no one seriously considers that nations like Russia, China, or India ought to go rescue the Darfurians. But its a forgone conclusion that if America hasn't [b]already[/b] acted, we've shirked our moral duties and demonstrated our egoism, arrogance, etc. And no one will criticize the Chinese for not taking action. Strange.

I guess it says a lot about us that people have such high expectations. *shrugs*

I like this article; oddly enough my unit though half of it is already deployed to Quandahar and the other half is deploying in August, have been standing up a company with the intention of deploying to either the Sudan or Haiti early 2007. I wont be around then but it has been in the works for some time now that the Canadian government has the intention of sending combat ready troops in country. Who knows if they will change their minds or what but I find it funny that we are already completely stretched out yet are capable of deploying another sub-unit to another country like the Sudan. If we the tiny Canadian Army can deploy then the US should at least be able to stand something up. But just because the US public isn't aware of it I wouldn't suggest the Armed Forces haven't already begun to plan for it. Tis the nature f the beast.

Since the Los Angeles Times article came out last week, I have been very intrigued by Crossfit. As someone who has been very bored with my traditonal workout routine for a few years now ( cardio days, upper body days, lower body days doing traditonal weight training exercises.) I recently began doing a combination medicine ball, plyometric, flexibility and core exercise program that has worked for me. However something was missing. I think what has been missing the last couple of months was a program to push me to be the best possibly fit that I could become. Crossfit seems to be it.

I also like the fact that worldwide there seems to be a positive, caring community here. I don't see that much elsewhere where posters seem to turn mean and nasty when someone posts a comment they do not agree with. On a personal note I think this might be the thing to keep myself healthy and focused as I begin going through the process of seperation and divorce after what I thought was a happy and fulfilling 12 year marriage.

I hear you (Ralph #35). The LA Times artricle was my introduction to CF, too. Very sorry to hear about your personal situation. Your response to it, as revealed by your post, is commendable. Best wishes.

Ralph, I am sorry to hear about your marriage, and I hope it works out for the best.

You'll find that our community is very diverse, with many opinions spanning the entire spectrum. You'll also find that many people here enjoy a good heated discussion as much as a hard workout.

Welcome aboard, your world is about to be rocked.

Well, lower right back through groin a bit tweaked from yesterday's WOD combined with weekend activities. Tough to touch toes and rotate torso.

So WOD for today:
10, 9, 8, 7... reps of
dead hang pull-ups
ring dips
TOTAL TIME=15:28

Between Hotel Rwanda, and Crash, I have to say I think Don Cheadle is one of the brighter guys going in Hollywood.

I was just watching a thing on the Armenian genocide last night. I think it's important to realize that irregular militias who try to fight as armies get their asses handed to them on a plate by small groups of equipped, trained, and motivated soldiers. Taking and holding land in Sudan would be difficult. Defining and protecting a line would not. One scrimmage and the message would be clear. We could stop a great deal of this with very few soldiers. Even a couple fighter/bombers or Apaches just roaming around could do a lot, if they don't have AA gear.

I've been reading history lately, and one recurring theme is how little it takes in most cases to stop bad guys, if you do it at the right time, and with full committment. If you wait, your options dwindle. To me, assassination is the peak of efficiency, if you can't avoid violence altogether. Always look for the weak spot, upon which everything else depends. Don't just attack, attack in the right place.

Yet another example of the UN sitting around arguing.

Genocide is nothing more than survivial of the fittest. These people need to be wiped out to make room for stronger more capable people. It's a cruel world and it doesn't get easier if you let weak people feed off your hard work. Africa is a sewer and the toilet needs to be flushed. Good riddance.

#26 Kris & Wife Congrats on your Precious Gift from God.. There's nothing better than the smell of a new baby !!!!!

I've heard of the paleo diet, but Grap (#41) appears to have paleo politics. Very harsh.

#3 #6
He (Connor)is growing like a weed , and the pubs in Dublin were all closed on Good Friday...go figure. We did find a basement still serving Guiness...

I've heard of the paleo diet, but Grap (#41) appears to have paleo politics. Very harsh.

#34 Pierre Auge

The problem with the Canadian Army is that we became so good at performing the impossible with nothing. It has become expected.

As one Canadian that wasn't polled, Keep it up guys. You all matter and remind us of our proud past.

By the way Pierre, how's the water level?

yea i felt really motivated today to do some basic training with weights..
superset DB bench with cable rows 3x15
DB incline bench with hyperextensions 3x15
under hand pullups with cable pressdowns 3x12
DB curls with reverse pulldowns 2x10
finished with some AB work
cant wait to see what WOD is tomorrow

Yes, America is obligated, and the fact that other countries find themselves over a barrel (of oil and guns, and support on the war on terror) as the US does with Uzebekistan, Pakistan, and others, does not obviate us from a moral responsibility. If the Bush administration was sincere about liberation and nation building, terrorist breeding grounds and the rest, (ha!) then Sudan would be the place to go, to the tune of a person every four minutes.

In Rwanda, American APCs needed by African peacekeeping troops sat across the border in Kenya because the Army didn't find the terms of the lease on them acceptable, and the Air Force wanted commercial freight rates to hop them across the border. And so all 50 of them sat, while the Interhamwe killed with an efficiency exceeding the Nazis. And it continues. An embargo that costs no one, and a country afraid to scold it's industrialized compatriots, because that's how it gets the oil it embargoes. If the US wants to maintain any form of credibility as a good nation, and a great people, in the eyes of Africa and Asia, and more importantly, be at peace with ourselves and history, the time to intervene is now.

Anyone who wants to watch me punish myself with yesterdays WOD feel free: http://web.mac.com/pierre_auge/iWeb/www.mission-specific.com/Home/B8DD1286-A9F6-42A1-8283-4EB71302E65E.html

(One note my roommate thought it would be funny to mess with my music by adding some less then expected music to the CD I burned before the workout.)

while crossfit is still the greatest program on the planet it is often hard to start from zero with it. i convinced my friend to join me on my workouts but he can only do one pullup so he did jumping pullups for a while and then the following week he added this to his program

http://www.redwhiteandbluefitness.com/x.pro/ModShow/ShowPage/25809

within a month of doing crossfit with jumping pullups and doing theis other program in the morning he can now do 5 to 7 strict pullups and about 10 to 12 kipping which dramaticly helped with the overall crossfit program, i just wanted to tell everyone about it so that they could improve thier overall crossfit experience, and i think its essential for anyone who wants to start the crossfit workout. i wish i had it when i started crossfit

Darfur is bad. However, all this talk about America must intervene now flies in the face of internal nasty political sniping over Iraq. The Democrats (i.e. my parents) are not going to support a military intervention - they will completely piss off the hard left (read: anti-military) within their own party. We are perfectly willing to let foreign blood flow if it innures to our/my/your narrow partisan political benefit. When liberal colleges host large rallys calling for military intervention in Darfur - then I will be on the first or second plane, boat, etc, bound for Africa. Hell, I will be on the first plane out anyway.

Marriane #15 "Unfortunately, both Rwanda and Darfur show that the essesence of humanitarian aid is not enough for the West to act. "

But the "West" has acted.

Suppressed report raises question of US role in Rwandan civil war
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2000/mar2000/rwan-m23.shtml

Hi all,
Work ALL WEIGHT IN KILOS
Lisa Ride and front squat w/ PJ 35x5, 45x3, 55x2, 60x2, 65x2; front squat 75x2x5 (1:00 interval).
Jon Ride 2 miles (AIRDYNE) 5:11 and front squat w/ PJ 50x5, 65x4, 80x3, 90x2, 100x2; front squat 110x2x8 (1:00 interval); press 50x10.
Until tomorrow...

Tried to make up yesterday-could only get through two rounds (25 minutes). Lower back flared up.........my bad

Group Moffett

Completed 5K run in 39:54:42. Unfortunately due to my calf muscle I walked the 5K and that is the reason for the slow time.

Hey-

CFWU x 3
135lb PC from boxes, SJ x 5
5mile walk with ol'lady
Honey brown ale x 3

Rest,

-K

I took Easter Sunday as a Rest Day. Today, I ran 8.5 miles in 70 minutes outside, followed by teaching a step aerobics class and, finally, some yoga. I didn't know what to do first: eat, shower or sleep!

still running a day behind, did yesterdays WOD

bw 272
age 33

cfit wu x 2

did 3 rounds of 15 reps each
burpees w/pushup and at least 6in of air
squat snatch w/45# bar
wall ball, no wall so launched straight into
the air, (definitely over 10 ft) caught and
tossed again
thrusters w/25# dbells
squat cleans w/25# dbells
time 35:04 avg hr 162
saw stars at the end

I know next to nothing about this, but that never stopped anyone with an Internet connection from spouting off before, so here goes:

I think most Americans have an intutive understanding that there will be no way out from a Darfur intervention.

I'll grant that a (relatively) minor military intervention could stop the killing . . . for a while. Eventually, the attacks would start again, and a higher level of intervention would be required to stop them.

We can prevent the slaughter in Darfur only as long as we are willing to maintain a military presence there. Recognize that Darfur has nothing . . . not only no natural resources (which so many say is the reason why we won't intervene). Rather, the lack of resources has also meant that area has no government, no infrastructure, no social organization above the village or the tribe. They will literally be oppressed by any society with even a rudimentary social structure capable of putting together 50 men with vehicles and automatic weapons . . . e.g., Sudan, arguably one of the poorest nations around . . . but just a little bit richer than Darfur.

There is nothing there to organize a defense with. Even if we were to annex it to Chad, we (Americans) would have to spend the next 50 years "protecting" it from Sudan, from Chad itself, while trying to implant a democratic government and a "self-defense" force . . . one that there will never be sufficient material wealth to support.

If we intervene, we will be obliged to stay there, well, more or less forever. You know the old line about how when you save someone's life, you're now responsible for them, forever? That's what we'd be doing.

This is not a role that America wants, needs, or is morally obligated to take on (no matter how many Oscar-nominated actors call for it). There are dozens of nations and groups of nations with far more direct moral connection to this issue. If the African Union, or the United Nations, or the "international community" wants to do it, great. I'm all for it, and, sure, we'll be happy to help foot the bill.

But right now, we've already got two broken countries on our hands. I think most Americans understand that we're not taking on another one.

rest day=
4 miles of snowshoeing @ Echo Summit/Hwy 50 near Lake Tahoe. Towed 35 Lb. daughter in sled behind me , she slept half the time. beautiful day 55 degrees , blue skies and no wind!

What the situation in Darfur does for me, as well as Sierra Leone and 100 others is point out how absolutely corrupt and pointless the UN has become. It's day is over and it is time for us to pull the plug and start again, leaving out the cowards (France, Germany) and criminals (Cuba and Iran on the human rights council?) who have gained influence in it.

The second point it makes for me is to point out the hypocracy of the left. They scream for human rights and claim that they are the defenders of the "little guy". B.S. The truth is they couldn't care less about the little guy; what they care about is advancing their cause. The only way they'd get involved in Sudan is if we took action there, and then they would just jump in to bitch, not to help. I'm not a huge fan of republicans, but at least they try. The dems sit on their ass doing nothing, then bitch either way. A group of cowards.

Sorry must have clicked on the wrong link, didn't see any props to CrossFit.

Took off yesterday involuntarily, do did yesterday's WOD today.

1 round as Rx'ed in approx. 25 minutes (gasping so hard I couldn't read my watch).

Knees ache bad.

Rutman Sandbag mile

110 lb bag, BW 190

Time: about 16 minutes. Forgot to check. This was hard today do to the squat-o-thon yesterday.

Finished up with some med ball practice, and a max out on bench press (a measly 195 for a few reps).

I am getting rid of my bench for a squat rack, and I figured I might as well use it a few more times before anyone spots it on craig's list.

Walk - Run - Walk

.5 - 1.0 - .5

The puppy got her work in. Stretched my legs from yesterday.

The appallaing genocide in Sudan will only continue to spread to other nations as the control-dominated Muslims continue there march accross Africa and Asia. Islam is a religion of "submission"(the exact meaning of "Islam")and requires world subjugation under the hegemony of the Islamic clerics, no matter their sect. Muhammad was not a timid holy man, but a blood thirsty conquerer justifying his genocide in the name of Islam, the religion he conceived, through which only he received "visitations" and unctions from Allah or his messenger, Gabriel. Pretty convenient.

This march was briefly halted in the mid 14th century as the the armies of Islam failed to take France and were checked at the Danube. Most of Spain was controlled by the Moors, an Islamic people, with the intention of using Spain as a beachhead in order to invade greater Europe.

The march is on again, and started with the policies of the British Government, most importantly through the Balfour Declaration, dividing up the traditional Arabic tribal lands into the Middle East nations we know today, except for Palestine, interestingly enough. Why? With the collapse of the Ottoman Empire after WWI (they sided with the Germans)the Arabic lands were, consisting largely of Bedouin tribes of varying Islamic sects, found to be rich with oil in the 1920's. Britain desired to control these lands, and the oil wealth, through their occupying brigades and British Petroleum. They installed the ruling families (Saud, Hussein, etc.)in order to control the oil spigot and the world startegic balance. Of course, Germany's rise and Russia's Stalinist desires changed this balance with the resulting outcome of WWII.

These Arabic nations were emboldened by Germany and its anti-Jewish propaganda, so much so that it was common to see swastikas hanging from buidings in the late 30's and early 40's in Arabic cities. Britain was stretched thin and barely hung on until Operation Sword, the invasion of North Africa by American and British forces in 1943, forced the Germans to halt their expansion into Arabia in order to stop the Allied invasion.

After WWII, Britain formally lost its strategic foothold to the UN, which passed resolutions giving the Arabic states freedom to pursue their own strategic goals and governing bodies. The US took immediate advantage of the British vacuum and established oil exploration corporations with most of the Arabic states. We supplied military assistance, yet maintained a balance of power with our support of Isreal, and its right to exist, a position that fueled the fires of the Islamists. Russia exploited the Isreal card, and over a thirty year period, was the predominant military supplier to the Arabic states.

There is not one democratic Islamic nation in the world today. Lebanon tried, but failed. Malaysia, the most populous Islamic nation? Nope, not democratic. Pakistan? Saudi Arabia? Iran? Egypt? Iraq(trying)? No to all. Turkey, which does not consider itself an Islamic nation, is democratic, but is under fire internally by the radical Islamists to institute strict Islamic laws. The banner of "Islamic Nation" is intolerant of an open democratic government with equal rights for all. Sharia law will not accept any other system except Islamic rule, with an iron fist.

So, should the U.S. stop the slaughter of innocent people in Sudan? I tend to agree with Barry Cooper #39 and Dan MacD #32. We do need to check this advance while we still can and while a relatively small military investment will probably do the job. Strategically, its imperative until we find a way to get off this drug called oil. The balance of power in the world can shift disasterously, even in a seemingly insignificant place like Africa. However, more importantly, our moral soul is at stake. We still cherish freedom, because we still believe God is a God of Hope and Freedom. The "Survival of the Fittest" mentality should only apply to us CrossFitters, not as a reason to turn our backs on defenseless people. We turn our backs now, and it will only get easier the next time, and the time after that, until we have our backs against the wall wondering how some South American country became a staging ground for an Islamic launch into North America.

Keep Praying and Keep Defending!

what a fabulous day to choose as a rest day. i think my heart stopped beating this morning and since i felt like i was going to faint all day, it was definitely a day for rest...among other things. thanks

50min spinning class. Not real restful.

Ron #66

The political fanaticism that has lately seized the Arab Islamic religious imagination (exemplified in the so-called "al Qaeda") is rooted more in a defensive fending off of assault from ''the West" than in anything intrinsic to Islam. The American war on terror, striking the worst notes of the old imperial insult, only exacerbates this reactionary fanaticism (generating, for example, legions of suicide bombers).

Having forgotten the deeper history, nervous Europeans seem also to have forgotten how large numbers of Muslims settled in the continent's cities in the first place. In the 1960s and 1970s, Turks, Arabs, and North Africans were welcomed as ''guest workers," taking up menial labor with the implicit understanding that they could never hope to be received as citizens of the nations that exploited them. The rank injustice of a system depending on a permanent underclass was bound to issue in political resistance, and now it has, but with a religious edge.

The point is that this conflict has its origins more in ''the West" than in the House of Islam. The image of Muslims as prone to violence by virtue of their religion was mainly constructed across centuries by Europeans seeking to bolster their own purposes, a habit of politicized paranoia that is masterfully continued by freaked-out leaders of post-9/11 America. They, too, like prelates, crusaders, conquistadors, and colonizers, have turned fear of Islam into a source of power. This history teaches that such self-serving projection can indeed result in the creation of an enemy ready and willing to make the nightmare real.

In addition:

The “Radical Islamist Terrorist” is, in reality, a myth, a covert creation, something known as a “false flag”, like the Reichstag Fire of 1933. The forces behind the 1953 coup of Iranian Prime Minister Dr. Mohammed Mossadegh and the 1973 coup of Chilean President Dr. Salvador Allende are the same ones behind most of today’s terrorism. Fear is the intended goal. A fear-stricken populace will let it’s government get away with murder, literally.

I’m not saying that all terrorist violence is state-sponsored, however the other kind has less to do with religious fundamentalism than it does with powerless people trying desperately to end foreign occupation and/or imperial influence in their own territories ei. Palestine, Northern Ireland, Iraq, Chechnya, Sri Lanka et al. When the Mujahideen were fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan they were called “freedom fighters” by Ronald Reagan. Blaming Islam for today’s troubles is like blaming Roman Catholicism for the actions of the IRA.

Likewise there are religious fanatics who believe that they are doing God’s work by murdering in cold blood but their legion is tiny and they are made up of Muslims, Jews, Christians et.al. One example of this is abortion clinic bombers.

Also,in regards to the new security environment, How dare they insinuate fear into our lives. Fear comes from ignorance and it leads to hatred. Here is a quote popularly attributed to Benjamin Franklin: “Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.”

In the words of Sisyphus during discussion by EGisJuice

"but a good deterrent would be to stop making people want to bomb shit."

And, therein lies the false flag to which I refer.

As, Ayman al-Zawahri puts it; Our message to you is clear, strong and final: There will be no salvation until you withdraw from our land, stop stealing our oil and resources and end support for infidel, corrupt (Arab) rulers.

Dwelling on religion is a red herring. My main thrust is that terrorism isn’t coming from the enemy that is presented to us.

OHS 8x2, topped out at 195.