Ted Cruz fires up a crowd in a Johnston, Iowa gun shop. (photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images)
06 December 15
n
perfect alignment with the objectives of U.S. Republican presidential
candidates, ISIS has struck twice recently with the only weapon it has,
cowardly murder.
On cue U.S. Republican presidential candidates are
literally tripping over one another to get to the microphone to scream
“war” as quickly, loudly and self-promotionally as they can. Each one
trying harder than the next to convince whoever will listen that they
will be the next true, “war president.”
The problem is that there is no one to have a war
with, and there really never has been. We are chasing individuals not
armies. They move from place to place, nation to nation, civilian
population to civilian population without any serious power or strength.
Hoping against hope that they can provoke the foolish Americans and
West into another ill fated foray into Islamic lands. Why?
Recruitment.
ISIS is not an army. They lack the means to really go
to war with anyone. They can attack local defenseless populations, and
obviously shoot unarmed civilians, but they have no real military
capacity. The only chance they have is to draw the U.S. into yet
another one-sided war effort.
Should the U.S. once again occupy the Iraqi-Syrian
region, then and only then does ISIS have any chance of marshaling the
kind of popular support they need to gain any real traction. Right now
they’re limited to murdering civilians. However that will all change if
the U.S. can be drawn back into Iraq. Then ISIS can gain immense
strength.
You can’t go to war with a guy or the wife of a guy
who can simply walk into an American gun store, quite legally purchase
as many guns as they like and just start shooting people for publicity.
You can’t go to war with that, and the GOP presidential candidates
calling for war are well aware of it. Yes they are lying.
The biggest lie of all is that ISIS is responsible for
gun related violence in the U.S. While they would obviously like to
be, they account for just a tiny fraction of the gun violence in
America.
On the day of the San Bernardino shootings there were two mass shootings, and those were the 354th and 355th of the year, according to The Washington Post.
Sorry to disappoint those crying for a war against Islam, but the vast
majority of those who kill with a gun in the U.S. are angry white men.
Like Ted Cruz, Donald Trump, and Marco Rubio. “White terrorism” in
America is a bigger problem by orders of magnitude than ISIS-inspired
terrorism.
Yes, guns can be obtained in the U.S., but ISIS
followers apparently had no difficulty obtaining the guns used in the
Paris attacks either. Hand-held guns are, and always will be, fairly
easy to get ahold of. No GOP-American War on Terror and/or ISIS will
change that.
“War” with individuals who cannot even be identified does not, cannot make anyone in the U.S. safer.
What is most revolting about the GOP candidates is
their shameless self-interest in calling for a war they know perfectly
well will fail. They want power. To hell with whoever pays the price.
The first invasion of Iraq was pure insanity. We are
paying the price for that fool’s errand dearly now. Repeating that
mistake would be catastrophic.
Marc Ash was formerly the founder and Executive Director of Truthout, and is now founder and Editor of Reader Supported News.
Comments
+10
#
2015-12-06 23:15
Does anyone else on here think that Ted Cruz looks like a Basset Hound? He looks like a cartoon dog!
+6
#
2015-12-06 23:22
Quoting jwb110:
PLEASE don't tell him - he might find a way to use that effectively in his campaign ads!Does anyone else on here think that Ted Cruz looks like a Basset Hound? He looks like a cartoon dog!
+7
#
2015-12-06 23:59
In today's San
Francisco Chronicle, Joh Diaz, the editor of the editorial page, use the
word "Fascism" several times in an editorial about Trump. As I have
said elsewhere here, Trump is working from Hitler's instruction manual.
And, don't expect the GOP to join the criticism, because they have been
conducting a Reactionary Revolution for a long time now.
But, "Liberals" need to wake up and realize that writing about this is a form of political public masturbation: it feels good, but no babies are made......
But, "Liberals" need to wake up and realize that writing about this is a form of political public masturbation: it feels good, but no babies are made......
+6
#
2015-12-07 00:29
Quoting Shorey13:
Trump a skilled con-artist conning us out of our Democracy
Hitler believed what he said.Germans were superior and naturally in charge, but Jewish do-gooders in the way. If he saw Israel today he might reconsider.In today's San Francisco Chronicle, Joh Diaz, the editor of the editorial page, use the word "Fascism" several times in an editorial about Trump. As I have said elsewhere here, Trump is working from Hitler's instruction manual.
Trump a skilled con-artist conning us out of our Democracy
+1
#
2015-12-07 10:44
salute! - # ronjazz
2015-12-07 09:02 "... we are always safer under a Democrat than under
the bloodthirsty, greedy, selfish Party of Hate ..."
- why is that? well, it's simply because dems are more interested in restoring the american dream for the many, not in retaining it exclusively for the few! - and major wars waste alot of production capacity that would otherwise raise living standards for us 99%
bernie and obama have come down squarely in favor of, almost exclusively, muslim boots on syraq ground - to try to make a point that may seem related, but is not directly, some here talk about hill not taking a nuclear option off the table in iran - with which we have a treaty hill supports! - so she's just talking warheads down off their cliff for the next 15 years - that is, practical political correctness bernie probably shares - they both pander to aipac, go figure!
my point is wait until the conventions - then you will get a clear choice between a zomblcan warhead, who wants to invade syraq, no matter the cost in lives and disabilities, and think about it later, and a dem, be it bernie or hill, who will debate showing dramatically less interest in us invading syraq
this is shaping up as a giant issue for 2016 - with all the zomblican warmongering, it appears we american public may just get a good look at a clear difference between parties - and i like our odds of persuading a majority of voters - go bernie!
- why is that? well, it's simply because dems are more interested in restoring the american dream for the many, not in retaining it exclusively for the few! - and major wars waste alot of production capacity that would otherwise raise living standards for us 99%
bernie and obama have come down squarely in favor of, almost exclusively, muslim boots on syraq ground - to try to make a point that may seem related, but is not directly, some here talk about hill not taking a nuclear option off the table in iran - with which we have a treaty hill supports! - so she's just talking warheads down off their cliff for the next 15 years - that is, practical political correctness bernie probably shares - they both pander to aipac, go figure!
my point is wait until the conventions - then you will get a clear choice between a zomblcan warhead, who wants to invade syraq, no matter the cost in lives and disabilities, and think about it later, and a dem, be it bernie or hill, who will debate showing dramatically less interest in us invading syraq
this is shaping up as a giant issue for 2016 - with all the zomblican warmongering, it appears we american public may just get a good look at a clear difference between parties - and i like our odds of persuading a majority of voters - go bernie!
0
#
2015-12-07 11:30
President Obama
should offer Cruz, Trump, Rubio, Fiorina et al commissions as officers
in some branch of the millitary, and tell them their first posting will
be in Iraq, to lead the "war" against ISIS. Of course, none will accept,
but if one does he/she can lead as many redneck right wing nuts who
will sign up with them to fight ISIS. Their first task will be to tell
us just where the ISIS "army" is located. The Air Force will then fly
this army of war lovers to that location, and drop them off, where they
can shoot their guns as much as they want. My guess is that a single two
passenger Cessna is the only plane that will be necessary. Bullies with
guns talk big, but are cowards at heart.
