Onward, Christian Soldier! The jihad against General Boykin

The Weekly Standard ^ | 11/03/03 | David Gelernter

[Osage Orange]

Nice article......

I enjoy the author's writing. I enjoy the author getting under the skin of the Left much more..!!

FRegards,

[walden]

BUMP!!!

[Gritty]

Very well said, the entire article!

[UnklGene]

Good post. Thanks!

[RJCogburn]

I have no problem with General Boykin as a soldier and as a man. But when he says things like,"Pointing to an unnatural-looking dark streak in the sky, he said, 'Ladies and gentlemen, this is your enemy. It is the principalities of darkness. It is a demonic presence in that city that God revealed to me as the enemy.'"I think he is a bit of a nutcase....which does not preclude his continued service.

[Molly Pitcher]

Look Jane! Gerlenter,a fave of ours......Thanks Pokey!

[Miss Marple]

Thanks! He is one of my favorites, too, as you know.

And personally, I DO believe we contend against the powers of darkness.

[Cicero]

Well said.

By the way, how many leftist writers can write like this? There used to be a few, but they all seem to have died, lost their sense of humor, or succumbed to writer's block. I can't think of a single one.

[xzins]

I disagree.

I think that smoke and clouds have formed recognizable images for so long that people even write poetry about "seeing animals in the clouds."

If there's an example of such a camoflage-morphism in a sky over Mogadishu, and if Gen Boykin has a picture of it, then isn't the issue really whether or not you've seen the photo?

And if you have seen the photo, did it, or did it not, have the appearance of something demonic?

[rdb3]

That's par for the course, xzins. He holds a low view on people of faith.

[xzins]

I agree with you rdb3.

In this instance, though, it really isn't about faith. It's about a photo and about what a reasonable person might see when looking at that photo.

Does the photo exist, or does it not exist?

That is the 1st question.

The 2nd question, of course, is this: If it does resemble something demonic to a reasonable person, what MEANING does that person place on it? You could say, "means nothing" or "it's a reminder of XYZ" or "It's actually the real object in the sky" or "It's a platonic ultimate reality."

I read that the General used it to remind people of a particular bible verse. If this nation were more biblically literate, then they'd know how much Boykin was relying on biblical allusion.

[Travis McGee]

We're going to find out, sooner or later,

If Abdul will pray, to a smoking crater.

[rdb3]

I can dig it.

[rdb3]

The General's comments also remind me of this:

I make no judgement one way or the other. But it is interesting, isn't it?

[xzins]

Exactly. Does a reasonable observer see an image in the smoke?

I see one. Do you?

[RJCogburn]

Does a reasonable observer see an image in the smoke?

The next question is, 'what does a reasonable observer make of it?'

[xzins]

See my #12.

A reasonable person can attribute a variety of meanings to it. And with that, it becomes something that can be "used."

The utility of the photo might be different for those from different belief systems.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

There's also the AP photo at http://www.twin-towers.net/devil_in_smoke.htm

So what are the odds that smoke just happens to form an appropriate image? Or, any recognizable image for that matter?

Lt. Gen. Boykin knows the enemy is the devil. Here's the plan. He retires, runs for president in 2004 and wins. He's given a mandate to be the one thing we need desperately, A Man on Horseback. A patriot-dictator.

Hey! The left is shaking and whining that it will happen. They expect it. Let's give to 'em. If we cannot defend against enemies at home how can we expect to win the big war?

Is the enemy the Devil? Is there a Devil? I know this.

Just when scientists were ready to announce that they now knew everything they discovered that dark matter and dark energy were real. Furthermore, the stuff that they know -- like the periodic table -- is only about five percent of the universe. Everything else is that other stuff that we cannot see but it is there. Prove that the Devil is not in there some place. I think he's outnumbered there and here but he's probably almost as slick as Bill Clinton and evil as Hillary.