StreetVerse

CPAC Bitch!

Posted By: The Abstract Analyst
Filed Under: Opinion, Politics on March 3, 2010

I’ve said for years that the way americans look at terrorism & radicals is very xenophobic. I think that part of it simply the fact that looking in the mirror is hard.

“The evidence suggests that terrorists care about influencing political outcomes. They are often motivated by geopolitical grievances. To under stand who joins terrorist organizations, instead of asking who has a low salary and few opportunities, we should ask: Who holds strong political views and is confident enough to try to impose an extrem ist vision by violent means? Most terrorists are not so desperately poor that they have nothing to live for. Instead, they are people who care so fervently about a cause that they are willing to die for it.” –http://www.american.com/archive/2007/november-december-magazine-contents/what-makes-a-terrorist

I’m willing to bet if you perfom a survey on 100, a 1000 or any statistically signifant sample of reasonably educated adults to describe a radical or the person most likely to commit an an act of terrorism – the description would fit the description of an arab or an indian (since many americans are just that ignroant). If you put up pictures I’m sure Bobby jindal (R-gov of lousiana,indian)

Do you even know who I am?

would be selected more times than say, Glenn Beck (self described conservative, media personality).

Real American Hero?

Yet if you listen to the rants / words of both these individuals & put them in isolation I’m willing to bet Beck’s words would come off more like the rantings of a radical, more like a man willing to kill for what he believed in. A man who is willing to take lives of others just to send a message.

This past week CPAC conference was a great study in contradiction. (After listening to some online, & reading about it / hearing about it from what passes as news it scared the piss out of me (fore the record I’m an independent). For conservatives as well as staunch liberals there is no such thing as a center. Like any radical group, any deviation from their belief’s put you squarely in the emenies zone & makes you a member of the other end. Worse yet they are wishing for your death damn near since you stand in the way of realizing their dream.

At cpac where the goal was attempting to embrace the youth, & unifify the conseravative movement in the face of these flakey centerist republicans & progressives, in the end they basically rallied around their same tenents & loudly condemed those who dare devaite from the script. They even called out the organization for allowing GOProud to be a sponser since the organization was too progressive in its advocacy of gay rights. (One quick question when it comes to gay marriage – I’ve heard its against multiple religious prinipals these people beleieve in, but doesn’t it generate greater revenue in the form of higher taxes & lower cost to insurance co’s?  There is a fiscal component to this & I guess their religous political needs take a higher priority to their fiscal oh well…) Either way I’m sure there is a liberal counter to cpac that will be happening soon & they’ll be screaming & clapping just as they were at cpac.

But the irony is this these events will mirror each other & also mirror what occurs at terrorist / radical gatherings. Great furor, claims of being disenfranchised, an attempt to gain youth invovlment & a singular goal of mobilization to bring their world closer to their vision. Its funny we are trying to bring the suni’s & shites to be closer to our image of how government is run & power is distributed yet we are coming closer to them in how our country acts & is divided. Small factions big beliefs.

About the Author

MBA graduate and observer of media, politics, sports and every thing absurd...