One of the Left’s constant nags is that Bush has gotten us off track in Iraq, while we should be going after Osama bin Hidin instead. Alright, let’s imagine someone produces a mummified corpse from Tora Bora. Or perhaps the Audaciously Hopeful Obama gets elected, sends in a super secret Special Ops team and brings Osama (man, that gets confusing, doesn’t it) back from Pakistan? Can you imagine seeing pictures of the caveman in the morning paper, looking like Saddam fresh from his hole, or maybe like the two Sons of Saddam, stretched out on a sheet? Perhaps some European doctor will confess that he treated the Shiek three years ago for advanced kidney disease, but was unable to “save” him? Whatever your favorite mental ending for the man, cast it up on the screen…
My next question is, so what? Really. So he dies… what does that get us? Zip. The Koran is still there. al-Qaeda is still there. Iran is still there. Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, all still there. In Iraq, Syria, Iran, Indonesia, Germany, Britian, France, Canada, New Jersey, Minnesota. They still hate the Jews, and the Christians, and the Hindus, and the Buddists. Muslims follow a man they believe is a prophet, who told them to wage jihad against anyone who does not believe or submit. Osama is simply the most recognizable face, used by both sides for political advantage.
I’m not sure McCain really gets it, but he sounds good saying it (and after McCain-Feingold and shamnesty, he needs a push)
..”Osama bin Laden and his henchmen must be hunted down, and as President I will. My presidency will be al-Qaeda’s worst nightmare.”
Great soundbite Senator, but just what do you plan to do, and how will that make a difference? How about Rudy? His soundbite was to say it was a “very, very important objective to capture him and take him out.” Not as catchy as Obama’s so called ‘invade Pakistan’ idea from a couple weeks ago, but still good old political campaign rhetoric. You gotta love these guys. And to think, we have 14 more months of this.
Oh yeah, I nearly forgot the “New Guy”, Fred Thompson. By the way, did you hear he’s running? Whew, that was exciting, wasn’t it! Anyway, he’s got the right idea I think, but it sure honks off a lot of people when he says it
..”Bin Laden being in the mountains of Pakistan or Afghanistan is not as important as there are probably al-Qaeda operatives inside the United States of America.”
I notice that much of the criticism he’s getting, from both sides, is directed at the idea that Osama is more of a symbol than a true primary danger. After all, al-Qaeda will be trying to kill us all long after Osama has learned the truth about the 72 Perpetual Virgins. It would seem that Thompson’s comments would provide a perfect opportunity to discuss the true threat, Islam, but nobody seems interested enough to go there. Guess it’s more useful to try to score political points against your opponent by arguing about who is most important. Forget about the roots of the problem. Forget about the slavery, the absence of liberty, the ownership of women, the killing of homosexuals and those who might change their beliefs. Forget about the whole idea of an Islamic state with nukes. Forget about asking Thompson if he really gets it about Islam, and if so, what are his ideas about what we as a country can do about it. So far, all anyone wants to know about Fred is what he thinks about homosexual marriage, and does his wife really control the campaign. More of the same old.
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