The Angry Arab: Reprise and Reprieve
Wouldn't you know it! Just as soon as I finished speaking harshly of Angry Arab's comment constituents, yesterday a different bunch took over and even put considerable time and effort into making a number of interesting and informative posts. That didn't keep the worst of the "buzzards," an endlessly shrill and violent being named Barabie, from making an appearance, but even that was subdued because it was so brief.
Thinking so much about Angry Arab's world yesterday wasn't the most comfortable preliminary to two programs that I saw that night on the National Geographic channel. The first explored the political history of Pakistan in recent years, a lot of it having to do with the now very sadly deceased, wondrous Benazir Bhutto. The second refreshed our memories about the details of the escape of Osama Bin Laden from U.S. clutches following 9/11.
What a messed-up situation that is, in those two ill-fated countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan! And the programs made it sound as if U.S. agencies engineered much of it, though the inhabitants, mainly the men with guns, bear the lions' and also the jackals' and the hyenas' and the vultures' share of the blame.
The U.S. is in a tough position, geopolitically-wise. It feels compelled to keep both feet sunk in Angry Arab's world, because of Israel, oil, and the 9/11 attack. Things weren't quite as bad directly after 9/11, because then it had company in the effort, but now those allies are so appalled that they are constantly looking for ways to ease out of the scene and let things in and around the Khyber Pass and the Persian Gulf and the Gaza beaches work themselves out on their own.
To that end I wouldn't be a bit surprised if, among some Americans themselves as well as among those allies, there isn't a secret wish that the oil does indeed run out, soon, in spite of all the dislocation and the need for drastic adjustments that that will cause.
The La Brea-type tar pits are too numerous and too active in Angry's world.
Postscript:
I am now beginning to think that the comment mood on that site shifts drastically from one day to the next, and that sometimes a certain amount of insanity is involved.
Today Angry Arab's threads were dominated bu two people on different kicks. One guy kept posting long articles that I suspected weren't on topic, but I couldn't know because they were entirely in Arabic, which is rarely used there. The other guy, one of the ubiquitous Anonymous Boys, went from thread to thread posting in each the same long rant that, though in English, was also entirely unintelligible to me. It seemed to be an invocation of some kind, addressed to Syrian Sunnis and referring frequently to "Alewite dogs."
But another Anonymous got in a good lick at his brother's expense.
In one post As'ad said that whereas 20 years ago there was one mosque in Egypt per every 6,000 plus people, now there is one for every 750 or so. The second Anonymous said that that is because after each new mosque is finished, Brother runs in and repeatedly shouts that rant about the Syrian Sunnis and the Alewite dogs, and that promptly creates the need for the building of another mosque.
Thinking so much about Angry Arab's world yesterday wasn't the most comfortable preliminary to two programs that I saw that night on the National Geographic channel. The first explored the political history of Pakistan in recent years, a lot of it having to do with the now very sadly deceased, wondrous Benazir Bhutto. The second refreshed our memories about the details of the escape of Osama Bin Laden from U.S. clutches following 9/11.
What a messed-up situation that is, in those two ill-fated countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan! And the programs made it sound as if U.S. agencies engineered much of it, though the inhabitants, mainly the men with guns, bear the lions' and also the jackals' and the hyenas' and the vultures' share of the blame.
The U.S. is in a tough position, geopolitically-wise. It feels compelled to keep both feet sunk in Angry Arab's world, because of Israel, oil, and the 9/11 attack. Things weren't quite as bad directly after 9/11, because then it had company in the effort, but now those allies are so appalled that they are constantly looking for ways to ease out of the scene and let things in and around the Khyber Pass and the Persian Gulf and the Gaza beaches work themselves out on their own.
To that end I wouldn't be a bit surprised if, among some Americans themselves as well as among those allies, there isn't a secret wish that the oil does indeed run out, soon, in spite of all the dislocation and the need for drastic adjustments that that will cause.
The La Brea-type tar pits are too numerous and too active in Angry's world.
Postscript:
I am now beginning to think that the comment mood on that site shifts drastically from one day to the next, and that sometimes a certain amount of insanity is involved.
Today Angry Arab's threads were dominated bu two people on different kicks. One guy kept posting long articles that I suspected weren't on topic, but I couldn't know because they were entirely in Arabic, which is rarely used there. The other guy, one of the ubiquitous Anonymous Boys, went from thread to thread posting in each the same long rant that, though in English, was also entirely unintelligible to me. It seemed to be an invocation of some kind, addressed to Syrian Sunnis and referring frequently to "Alewite dogs."
But another Anonymous got in a good lick at his brother's expense.
In one post As'ad said that whereas 20 years ago there was one mosque in Egypt per every 6,000 plus people, now there is one for every 750 or so. The second Anonymous said that that is because after each new mosque is finished, Brother runs in and repeatedly shouts that rant about the Syrian Sunnis and the Alewite dogs, and that promptly creates the need for the building of another mosque.
posted by Carl (aka Sofarsogoo) | 9:37 AM
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