No Brainer for Terrorists in US: Use Guns

I'm surprised it's taken so long for them to figure it out, but thanks to the NRA it is so easy to get lots of high powered firearms, with no tracking or registering, it was really just a matter of time before lone wolf type terrorists started becoming more common in the US.

So, really, the NRA is, in fact, an enabler of terrorists.  Note: this has actually been true for some time as lots of not-brown gun nuts and gun nut groups do employ terrorist techniques in the literal sense of instilling terror in others, particularly any opposition (think open-carry activists).  Really, the NRA is guilty of this.  So I suppose the [modern] NRA is both an enabler of terrorism and itself a terrorist organization.

Winged Angels of Death

No comment.

Yes, It is Terrorism

I'm fairly certain that the media just don't understand what "terrorism" is (which is why Atrios put this up).  Just to be clear: someone who goes someplace with lots of people and starts killing them is a terrorist.  That person may not be connected with any organization, and may not have any agenda, but that is a terrorist.  Full Stop.

Anyone saying that the killings at the movie theater in Colorado are not the work of a terrorist really means, "not a [Muslim/Arab/Middle Eastern/...] terrorist".  For fuck's sake the people who protest abortion by calling doctors murderers and the women whores are terrorists.  They are trying to intimidate and frighten people. 

The murderer in Colorado is also a terrorist.  He may be white (and Christian) and he may not have an agenda (at least not one that is known yet) but he is a terrorist. 

Shorter NPR on Obama

NPR talking Obama/Bush terror policy this morning:

Obama's just like Bush when it comes to terrorism, so why isn't he getting love from the pro-bombing of Muslim countries people?

I guess being the secret Muslim socialist that he is most right wing warmongers just don't believe that his "targeted assassination of American Muslim abroad" program is sincere.

Kind of Scary

Two big articles on CNN. Two comment threads full of hatred and bile. One is on a Muslim comic book, that was initially banned in Saudi Arabia, and is now, effectively, banned in the US, land of...free speech? The other is about an Hispanic family displaced by the xenophobic Alabama law.

Both articles themselves are depressing examples of how much hatred, bigotry and xenophobia have permeated much of US society (yes, particularly older, whiter, more male parts of US society). The comments are a predictable and pretty fucking horrible demonstration of that same bigotry combined with a huge helping of stupid:

...there is no such thing as a Christian terrorist.. because to be one would go against Christian doctrine and there you would not be a Christian. The odd thing is.. to commit acts of violence in Islam, actually goes right along with their doctrine.. I mean look at what happened when Mohamed entered in Medina...

After someone pointed out that Timothy McVeigh was, in fact, a Christian terrorist. The "No true Christian..." syndrome. That followed by the historical reference that seems to ignore similar heinous historical events that were undertaken by Christians in the name of Christ. The level of idiot that it would take to write that is mind boggling.

Why Religion Sucks

This.

Ok, it may be a bit over the top for a headline, and is very Bill Mahr in tone, but one bigoted hateful pastor in Florida burns a Quran, and then a whole slew of violent protests result that basically give credence to what bigoted hateful pastor says about Muslims.

Here's an easy guide to are you, as an individual, an evil representative of religion or a good representative of religion.

Have you ever burned the holy book of another religion? (Yes = evil)

Have you ever attacked/destroyed people/cars/buildings because some jackass burned your holy book? (Yes = evil)

Have you ever held congressional hearings on how members of one particular religious group are out to destroy your country? (Yes = evil)

Note: answering "No" to the above doesn't make one a good representative of anything, just not an evil one.

Disappointing

Considering his behavior since being inaugurated I'm not exactly surprised, but this is, frankly, despicable. One of the things I hated most about the Bush/Cheney administration was their treatment of terror suspects, including indefinite detention and torture.

I can't vote for Obama. I can't. I don't care who runs against him. He's lost me. This is more important than health care. This is more important than the economy. If we can't be a nation of laws, if people count so little, then all else is lost, so bring on Sarah Palin.

Yea, the Constitution's Fucked...

KSM: no civilian trial for you. Of course, now Republicans will all love Obama and vote for lots of legislation he supports and also everyone will get their very own puppy (to practice torture on obviously).

And, yes, like almost always, I do like Glenn Greenwald's take and by "like" I mean "agree with and get very depressed by."

Finally, apparently, Wolf Blitzer is still refusing to comment on whether he is a child molester or pedophile. I'd love to believe that he is neither, but his silence on the issue is speaking volumes.