Dick Cheney is more responsible for #ParisAttacks than Saddam Hussein was for 9/11

Cheney is more responsible for November 13th Paris Attacks
than Saddam Hussein was for September 11th Attacks

Back in 2003, the Bush administration was biting at the bit to invade Iraq, even repeatedly conflating Iraq with the September 11th attacks. This push to invade the Baathist dictatorship that up until their invasion into Kuwait, the US counted as one of its regional allies, was spearheaded by the individuals that called themselves Project for a New American Century (PNAC) in 1997 which called for wholesale regime change in places that had significant energy resources. That wasn't explicitly stated but the countries that were targeted all had proven petroleum reserves or natural gas deposits, so not too far fetched of me to extrapolate that conclusion. It was however explicitly stated that the New American Century would come at the barrel of a gun and not some 'mamby-pamby' diplomacy, the priority of the military would become the ultimate view for American foreign affairs according to PNAC

Anyhow, PNAC members included Paul Wolfowitz, Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Donald Rumsfeld, Elliott Abrams, Bill Bennett, Jeb Bush, and future Vice President and heavy of the Bush administration Dick Cheney. To go over the laundry list of things that lead up the catastrophe that was the Iraq invasion and subsequent occupation is tedious, so I will forgo that and presume that you know that Dick Cheney had considerable influence in pushing for the invasion of Iraq and regime change there. A lot of the persuasive arguments made by the administration was tying the Hussein regime with the 9/11 terrorist attacks from such questionable sources as informant "Curveball" who provided information about Iraqi weapons program under duress of a mock execution, and after the fact was revealed to be whole cloth lies that were known to be lies by both the US and UK governments. One of the governments advocating against invading Iraq was the French, whose Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said "we believe that military intervention would be the worst solution" and he was right it turned out. The French also refused to allow UK and US to use French airspace to their airforces for the invasion, which received derision by the "Freedom Fries" crowd and those conservatives that poured out French wine to demonstrate how much they disagree with the French.

Then the Iraq invasion happened, the Baathist party members were removed from the military (which was nearly all officers and plenty of enlisted), the civil government was in disarray as Shia and Sunni started taking revenge on each other and the Kurds sought out as much autonomy and independence as they could squeeze out of the government in Baghdad and allowed by the US military setting up a long term occupation. After eight years of war, insurrection, indiscriminate violence, and massive loss of lives mostly by Iraqi civilians, the Sunni insurgency became well trained and nearly professional but due to the demographics could not hold much territory in the Shia dominated region. The Iraqi army, and national police were defenders of the nation only by name, when de facto they were quite parochial in their responsibilities. When the US formally departed in the fall of 2011, the Iraq Civil War had gotten into full swing. From the Iraq Civil War and the Arab Spring Uprising in neighboring Syria ISIS/ISIL/Daesh arose, and it would be difficult to say that the Iraq Civil War would have occurred without the American invasion and occupation thereby the offshoot of ISIS would never have been born without the American invasion. Without Dick Cheney and other PNAC members pushing for a military invasion of Iraq, there would have been no ISIS attack on Paris this past weekend.

I admit that this an indirect path of responsibility, but Cheney is far more culpable of the Paris terrorist attacks than Saddam Hussein who had no foreknowledge nor any connection with al Queda before or after September 11th of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Boston Marathon Bombings: This is terrorism no matter whomever committed.

After flipping channels watching the coverage of the Boston Marathon bombings, I am gobsmacked by the refusal to admit that at least two explosive devices is not being categorized as terrorism. Clearly it is not some sort of gas main explosions; clearly it is two distinctive explosive devices a block away from each other; clearly the explosions aren't some freak natural disasters. To tippytoe around the the fact that this was act an of terrorism, in what may be an attempt to keep the precious term 'terrorist' limited to Islamic extremists. Anchormen and anchorwomen stating such odd sentences such as: "If it turns out to be an attack"; "The explosion has not yet been determined to be a bomb";1 "The Boston Marathon official statement refers to the 'two bombings' but we can not confirm that."

No matter who carried out these bombings, they are terrorists, and these violent acts towards random bystanders is a disturbing act regardless of whatever the delusional rationale provided afterwards. It may be the perpetrators were Islamic extremists, but it is statistically far more likely that this is product of the far-right  domestic terrorism variety. The question will come when suspects or persons of interest come into the custody of the FBI and Homeland Security, will they be treated in the same manner that those in Guantanamo Bay Cuba? Are we as a nation, willing to water-board white conservatives who bomb indiscriminately as some tax day protest to prevent further bombings?

Terrorism is a tactic. A tactic that can be used by long bearded false Muslims just as easily as those that erroneously call themselves patriots. Terrorism occurred today in Boston, no matter the intentions of the criminals that did the heinous act, there is no need to refrain from calling it what is.

The Christian Street

The Christian Street (like the eastern variation the Arab Street) is unfocused, intense, fearful and of course very, very, angry. Reza Alan wrote a book/thesis about the Islamic-fanatics called Cosmic Wars, that could just as easily describe the temper tantrums that have been occurring at Congressional town halls all through out the country.

• Neither the Arab Street or the Christian Street have plans for, or believe in a resolution.
• Neither the Arab Street or the Christian Street have complaints that are specific. (Anti-Zionism /Anti-Socialism)
• Neither the Arab Street or the Christian Street have desire for civil discourse.
• Neither the Arab Street or the Christian Street have solid organization or strict tenet of beliefs other than you are either one of us or one of them.

Now obviously the American left has wing-nuts that share in these traits, but currently the Cindy Sheehans, Code-pinkers, and paint tossing PETA members are not in the spotlight. The left's wing-nuts also hasn't shown a violent/terrorist side since the Weathermen, while anti-abortionists, miltia, white supremists, and the like have been committing acts of terrorism at a steady clip in the past 20 years. A Beer Hall Putsch can't be too far away and it will be welcomed by the wing-nuts.

Steam explosion causes scare in NYC

Steam explosion causes scare in NYC - Yahoo! News

The specter of 9/11 appeared in Mid-town this evening as a plum of steam/smoke rose above the skyline from 41st Street and Lexington Avenue. I can not overcome the skepticism by the instant response that it had nothing to do with terrorism. Last Fall when Yankees pitcher crashed his airplane into an apartment building, there were news commenters who stated "we do not know much other than this is not an act of terrorism." Back in the summer 2005 before Hurricane Katrina there were several refineries that had explosions, again we were immediately given the response that it had nothing to do with terrorism.

My general problem is that everyone in authority without knowing anything have gained the reflex to denounce any emergency has any connection with terrorism. It does not help the NYPD, FBI, Homeland Security, or anyone else to constantly speak as if they know before anything happens that they are certain the event has nothing to do with terrorism. This sort of behavior, though may have the intentions of calming the public, does not build confidence in the integrity and honesty of authority figures. Worse this behavior gives the conspiracy theorists red meat for the belief that terrorism is all pre-determined, or that those who are responsible for protecting us always has foreknowledge of terrorist incidents.

In October of 2001 a flight from JFK to the Dominican Republic which crashed in the Rockaways. The immediate response of New York City officials was to act as if was part of terrorist attack, closing the subways, closing bridges and tunnels, and generally preparing the city for the worse. Though not as calming as pavlovianly stating with confidence yet without any evidence that it had no terrorism connection, this reaction of preparing for the worse was truly the more cautious reaction. Closing the transit, airports, and river crossings certainly inconvenienced tens of thousands of New Yorkers but was the best course of action.