Posted on 12/26/2002 12:17:17 PM PST by Helms
As I watched Gangs I could not help but think that our adversaries in the Arab and Oriental worlds so misjudge my country and our forefathers. I have been coming closer to realising that at least tactical nukes will be used in the Iraqi(add Syria)conflict.
Should Iraq use bio or chem weapons in combat, I believe that a message will be sent World Wide and in the form of nuetron or small thermonuclear devices.
On Sept. 11th, Evil was incarnate in the attacks against the US. We may and possibly will answer back the world that we are not only efficient warriors but can be equally ruthless and hostile in response.
What the hostile powers in the Arab and Orient must wittness is the excercise of American Power in Iraq. Hopefully the ramifications of our strength to be demonstrated will be to strike real Fear in t65he hearts and minds of our adversaries.
After all and despite our advanced civilisation, we are many of us decendants "Gangs of New York"
In 1867 or so Irish, African American, Oriental, German and so many alike have fought so hard to make our country of today. I was also reminded of a historic undercurrent of which our enemies prefer to ignore.
Once Upon a Time in America we were(and still are) a Kick Ass Country.
The rain washes clean,like was said in Angelas Ashes which also portrayed a NYC and its citizens hardships early on.
We are really one tough counrty whose capitalism and technology only mask our humble but utimately world powerful beginnings.
I was rather glad that it is coming out now, just before we let the world know we are not to be messed with.
Spineless Euroweenies would capitulate.
Genocide against other unfortunates (Rwanda) goes by.
But if you try to attack this country, I will make it my personal mission (politically speaking, that is) to see your capital city destroyed.
So all you Saudis are warned....
Mecca is a side issue. Presence or absence of Mecca on the planet would make no difference. The hejira as it stands is purely symbolic and could easily be replaced with another symbolic act. But the "Who Does God Love the Best" question will afflict those on all sides who still haven't gotten the message.
Of course, if it weren't for the frontiersmen, there wouldn't be much of a country to argue over . . .
In fact, I'm not even sure that the liberal media establishment will change their tune if the New York Times, LA Times, ABCNBCCBSCNN headquarters were destroyed. Well, maybe, but I'm not gonna bet the farm on that. I might bet the doghouse. :)
What?
Ohhh, oh, okay. Yes, I predict use of nukes in 2003. But it will only be the US using missiles whose nukes explode underground, in order to take out all of Saddam's little ant farms.
Nope. Scorsese's been working on GONY for several years, and the movie was already finished by 9/11 (it was originally scheduled for release in October 2001). The WTC ending was just a little stroke of genius Marty came up with sometime over the last year.
Well, even if NYC and Washington were both destroyed, it wouldn't be enough of a hit to take ABC, CBS or NBC off the air. They'd be utterly decimated, but they have bureaus all over the country and the world, and in the end all any of them would really need is a single bureau with a satellite uplink to run the entire network. (If there's no Master Control in New York, then that network's slots on the satellites are open to whoever knows the right codes to take them over. And any affiliate from Buttmunch, South Dakota with a satellite truck could do that.) And CNN, of course, still has the vast majority of its operations in Atlanta. (The same goes for Fox. In a pinch, they could operate out of LA, or use Sky News in London as their temporary home base, etc.) In short, no mere couple of nukes will shut up the TV news media.
That said, one of the few things that journalists take even more seriously than liberal ideology is their collegiality and their belief that all who work in their field are sacred. (Not nearly as many people would know who Daniel Pearl was, for example, if he hadn't been a Wall Street Journal reporter.) If NYC were nuked and half the people they've ever worked with were atomized instantaneously, I have little doubt whoever was left would be on the air on all channel absolutely screeching for immediate US reprisal.
And unfortunately, even the New York Times could probably continue publishing after an NYC nuke. They have plants all over the country, and own other papers all over the country. So the National Edition at least could keep on limping along.
In short, the "mainstream" media are like cockroaches. Nothing will kill them. At least, nothing but a complete loss of viewership and circulation.
The one unforgivable sin of PR is losing the audience. The odd thing is that you can keep the audience by attacking it--which is what journalism does 24/7. But the reaction to 911 was the flying of Old Glory, not of yellow ribbons. The political effect of a WMD attack on the US or on our troops would dwarf that effect . . . mooting any thought of holding the audience by attacking it. Or destroying any journalist who tried it . . .Until then journalists will pretend that they are in America but not of it. Heaven forefend, after it they would find out that they actually are NOT disembodied spirits but mere people who get along with their neighbors--or learn the consequences of failing to do so.
In 1683, Vienna was struggling to survive a seige by the Ottoman Turks. A Pole named Kolscitzky, who was learned in Turkish, came to their rescue. He escaped through enemy lines to reach the Duke of Lorraine, who hurried to relieve the city. The Turks were repelled and Vienna was saved.
Kolscitzky became very popular and famous. He persuaded a baker to produce a sweet bread roll in celebration of Vienna's victory over the Turks. It was shaped like the crescent on the Turkish flag.
We know it as the croissant (French for crescent).
BUMP
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.