" General foresees 'generational war' against terrorism"
http://www.washtimes.com/functions/print.php?StoryID=20061213-010657-5560r
"The American people need to prepare for a long-duration war against radical Muslims who are set to fight for 50 to 100 years to create an Islamist state in the region, a top Pentagon strategist in the war on terror says.
Air Force Brig. Gen. Mark O. Schissler said in an interview that the current strategy for fighting Islamists includes both military and ideological components that make it similar to the 40-year Cold War against communism.
"We're in a generational war. You can try and fight the enemy where they are and where they're attacking you, or prevent them and defend your own homeland," said Gen. Schissler, deputy director for the war on terrorism within the strategic plans office of the Pentagon's Joint Staff....
"I don't care about the politics. I care about people understanding the facts of what's our enemy is thinking about, what's our strategy to defeat them, and for [Americans] to understand that it will take a long fight, mostly because our enemy is committed to the long fight," he said. "They're absolutely committed to the 50-, 100-year plan."
"One of my concerns is how to maintain the American will, the public will over that duration," he said. "_______________________________________________________________
COMMENT
"One of my concerns is how to maintain the American will, the public will over that duration," [the general] said. It's in the "fluids," general. (General Ripper in "Dr. Strangelove" is ready to sacrifice the planet to save those "precious bodily fluids.") I think the American people will become better informed and reject such views as General Schissler's. They need to put pressure on the politicians now to reverse the Bush administration's policies.
"It's a brave new world that has such men in it"
William Shakespeare, The TempestMust we secure the oil supply for China, India, and the EU? The mindset of being the sole superpower inevitably leads to unilateralism. We were the first sole superpower, now let us set another precedent by voluntarily stepping down from this role, announce it to the world, inform Israel that we are no longer it’s guarantor, make peace with the Arab world, require everyone else to pull their own weight. The cold war is over, but it seems everyone but us is reaping the “peace dividend”.
What the Baker report recommends is that the United States of America must do something to change the Bush administration's course of action, namely to attack terrorists, not Islam and Muslims, to rebuild, not to destroy, Iraq; to help the Palestinian and the Iraqi people, not to massacre them, and to stop looting economic resources that belong to Arabs and Muslims. The ISG report concludes that fighting the Iraqis will cost US imperialism a huge amount of economic resources that will generate an inevitable tendency toward the breakdown of monopoly capitalism.
The goal of the Iraq Study Group report is to preserve American monopoly capitalism. The committee authoring the report represents the most important elite defending the global domination of the wealthy class and the financiers. This elite has concluded that US imperialism has been on the verge of a historical defeat in Iraq. Consequently, the report suggests that there is a possibility that this expected defeat can be reversed in order to save the system. This is a "realistic" policy, reversing the ideological one of the Bush administration, with its rhetoric of a "War on Terrorism" (a term the UK government has now dropped) and a crusade against Islam.
However, the forces now unleashed in the world suggest American monopoly capitalism will not be able to achieve any victory in the Middle East. For US imperialism has attacked not just nations, but Islam and has been trying implicitly to convert Muslims into an unspecified religion. This has been manifested by the continued utilization of concepts such as jihadists, Islamic fascism, and radical Islam. All people know that some of these concepts have no place in Islam and Islam without jihad is not Islam. Americans are "jihadists" for they liberated America from British occupation. This perception of the US aim by the Muslims and the Arabs will create a more intense permanent resistance against US imperialism which the US cannot sustain. Further, US imperialism has been perceived by the Arabs, the Muslims, and the majority of the world as an executor of the hard-line Zionist strategy of the establishment of the greater Israel from the Nile to the Euphrates. This perceived strategy is revolutionizing a large number of Arabs and Muslims against US imperialism , because they do not like to be occupied or be submitted to the machine of US imperialism . Finally, US imperialism has been killing millions of Arabs and destroying their social capital for no reasonable cause. All people , including Americans, should resist such barbarian behavior.
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Clarke M.
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July 20, 2006 "General foresees 'generational war' on terrorism"
December 14, 2006 08:58 AM EST
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Comments: 24
And I thought the war in Iraq would only need to be 80 years long and in Afghanistan I thought 120 years long.
Does Bush have that kind of staying power?
Violence is benevolence for the Shi'a. There will be peace after all the infidels are killed off, that would be the Jews, Christians and the Sunni Muslims, all gone from this world.
I just said that now the Shi'a muslims are killing the Sunni Muslims. They also say that after the Sunni are all dead in Iraq that there will be peace.
The recommendation in this article is one of the best I have seen yet. It is what is needed in this world now. It is not likely to happen though w/o we the people really getting behind it.
Left to our present leadership on their own, it would appear that they are attempting to fire us all up for a real clash of civilizations ... that would not be very nice ... completely nonproductive, in fact extremely destructive for the entire world.
Right to the point as always. Dr. Strangelove and Gen Schissler are equally scary. Hopefully, Schissler will follow in Rummy's footsteps before long. But then it probably doesn't make a difference--at least for now. The entire cold war was a concoction and preoccupation that served the "empire" very well. When the soviet union imploded -- what to do? Re-focus.
Talk show host Dennis Praeger, who is jewish, in his ranting and raving about using the Quran instead of a Bible for the swearing in of the newly elected congressman, who is muslim, would apparently have us begin a new Judeo-christian crusade for the "new democracy." The "commie-pinko thing, while still simmering under the surface, just doesn't work anymore with the public at large. When Bush looks deep into Putin's eyes and see's a reflection of himself, it's because both of them, while vastly different in many things, are new democrats for the new millenium. Putin himself says that "communism was a fairy tale." The democracy that most of us learned about in sixth grade is a fairy tale as well.
btw, I wonder if it was really an "oopsie" that we learned Israel has gone and joined the nuclear club.
You're right, Jerry, we are supposed to be the more or less--depending on how the troop levels hold up--enthusiastic spectators and participants to the clash of civilizations. He or she who does not wish to participant will be godless, gutless, unpatriotic, and those who want to seriously reboot the peace process between the Palestinians and Israeli's will be called anti-semetic. Hillary severely understated it when she said "we have a connundrum here." It will be up to the "people"
When christians do kill, are they violent; or, are they benevolent as in doing it for the good of others--or the greater good--for the "long" haul?
When christians do kill, are they violent; or, are they benevolent as in doing it for the good of others--or the greater good--for the "long" haul? '
Beats me. I never asked any.
Pentagon generals like Schissler prefer to 'blame the Arabs'. From the beginning the US Administration has been manipulating the break-up of Iraq into more manageable mini-ethnic client-states,after fueling ethnic cleansing, which makes every natural resource-rich, multi-cultural secular republic in the Third World take serious notice There is, of course, the Biblical justification spewed on the public air waves of the US by the Evangelical allies of Bush - to turn 'Babylon into a howling wilderness where not even a cockroach can survive' as a prophesied prelude to the final establishment of the Kingdom of Israel ( this is weekend fare on the media for American 'believers'). The more educated, favor the Civilizing Mission of 'Progressive Colonialism;', a term used by some Turkish Kurds who want to join their real estate with the US client in Free Kurdistan (Northern Iraq).Then there are the Saudis, Bush and Baker's friends who never liked their secular, republican, multi-ethnic neighbor as an alternative to their medieval kingdom. The position paper prepared by Richard Perle and company for the Likud Party called for the dismantling of Iraq as a step toward unchallenged Israeli regional hegemony. The Iranians probably cooperated with the US at some level in the invasion. So Bush and Blair are not swilling alone at the bloody trough of Empire.
CNN did a "nice" version of the progressive colonial thing with their program on Who is a Chrisian, or something like that, with a nice pie chart and everything. There's "prosperity" evangelics, amongst many other varieties, and then there are the christian zionists. It's worth watching to see the expression on the face of the guy trying to explain what happens to the jews, when the rapture comes. Stalwart allies that they are, they don't get to go to the final big party in the sky.
"If there is no struggle there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will."
Frederick Douglass, the renowned abolitionist, began life as a slave on Maryland's Eastern Shore. When his owner had trouble with the young, unruly slave, Douglass was sent to Edward Covey, a notorious "slave breaker." Covey's plantation, where physical and psychological torture were standard, was called Mount Misery. Douglass fought back, escaped to the North and went on to change the world. Today Mount Misery is owned by Donald Rumsfeld. His friend, Dick Cheney has a house close by. It is ironic that this notorious plantation run by a practiced torturer would now be owned by Rumsfeld, himself accused as the man principally responsible for the U.S. military's program of torture and detention. Rumsfeld was recently named along with 11 other high-ranking U.S. officials in a criminal complaint filed in Germany by the New York-based Center for Constitutional Rights
Only know "school" version of Douglass; another book to get. My little town has a wonderful library but on precarious fiscal footing--as so many are these days--at least in the hinterlands; when the waiting list is too long, I buy a copy and donate it.
However, Jesus was only a teacher and can't bring any salvation to one that believes in him.
Also there will never be anything close to a 'Rapture' only a fool believes that Jesus will save them, as they are incapable of saving themselves.
Also to tell all that war usually just creates more war. Peace, j.
Well said as always. I'll take "personal" rapture if I can find it -- it's elusive -- perhaps more so for some of us than others - always something to aspire to.
Richard, I agree jesus was a teacher, perhaps of divine spirit, but not divine in the sense that those who "believe" apparently do. You say all the sunni's, jews and christians will be killed. Are you saying only the shia will be left? Are only the Shia not infidels?
Your Scoop Jackson article is very pertinent here. I think I see what you're saying, having read it now -- but not particulary with regard to the shia.
Rapture is a British fundamentalist's invention, as I recall, in the 19th century. It got imported to the United States. The Sunnis are the bombers (which they learned from the Japanese "Red" group, who did the first suicide bombing in Israel several decades ago). It wasn't practised by Muslims before, and mostly has been done by secular groups in the 20th century. The Shia don't do it. They do believe in a Messiah , the reappearance of their last martyred Imam. In Iraq , Sunni and Shia often celebrate each others' festivals (although the Shia ones depict the orthodox Sunni caliph martyring the last Shia caliph's heirs. A good show.) and honor each others' saints and holy places. Most Shia and Sunni Iraqis don't discriminate according to religion, many are intermarried. The political factionalism and class struggle is because of the destruction of the social institutions. Iraq was a modern, secular state prior to the Gulf War, with a prosperous middle class, a modern infrastructure, universal health care, excellent education and legal system. For most Iraqis, Shia and Sunni religion isn't a big deal. Iraqi Shia did most of the fighting against Iran in their 8 year war. The Saudi Arabians are the fundamentalists, and they are getting more involved in Iraq . Fundamentalist Sunnis sometimes say the Jews used the Devil to create the Shia. Saudi political concern may explain the resignation of Saudi Ambassador to the US Turki al-Faisal after only 22 months in Washington. Prince Turki was head of Saudi intelligence , also an effective diplomat , reached out to ordinary American audiences ,unlike "Bandar Bush," Prince Bandar bin Sultan, his long-serving predecessor in DC and intimate of the Bush family. Prince Turki advocated principles of non-violence for the Palestinian cause. The Saudis figure in the formulation US policy in the Middle East. With Rumsfeld gone and Cheney pressured by the November elections, Bush may also be dealing with Saudi hysteria about a regional guerrilla war in Iraq . There is no love lost between Bandar and Turki , so it looks like a power struggle with Saudi King in the middle. A de facto Israeli-Saudi alliance may be forming against Iran and the Shiites. Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz is now saying that the 2002 Beirut peace plan put forward by then crown prince--now King--Abdullah of Saudi Arabia must be the basis for going forward with an Arab-Israeli peace process. Abdullah got the Arab League to offer Israel full recognition and political and economic relations if only they'd go back to the 1967 borders and recognize a Palestinian state. In 2003, Iran accepted the Arab plan and offered to recognize Israel, but Bush wouldn't respond.
This is such a religious mess. I'm just glad others seem to know of the Muslims problems.
The Sunnis want a regional Caliphate, which I also favor by the way. However, the Shi'ites will never allow that to happen. The al Qaeda Sunni want to get rid of all the kingdoms in the area and replace them with Islamic Theocracies.
The Sunni in Iraq want to keep the political power in Iraq, while the Shi'a are taking retribution for past grievances.
There also are no borders seen by either the Sunni or the Shi'a on much of that area. There are only the Mullahs and Imams that run and maintain much of that area. No outsider can talk to any of the Grand Ayatollahs, as all of the political stuff including any war is beneath them. However, they run the joint.
Iran had a democratic constitutional government in 1906, which the Russians overthrew to reinstall the Shah. When Reza Shah took power after WWI, he ruled as a dictator with that constitution as did his son until 1953 when he was overthrown then brought back by the CIA . So that constitution lasted until the Islamic Revolution of 1979. There is still a democratic constitution, but power is shared with the mullahs. They do have free elections, and political parties, but the reform movement of President Khatami (1997-2005) got supressed. Iranians are nationalists first, anti-mullah theocracy and pro-American, but paranoid about western governments' hostility. The Arabs are their traditional enemies and the Palestinians' cause they don't consider their affair. Tradititionally Iran and Israel had good relations before the the 1979 Revolution. Iranian Jews still travel freely to Israel. Those who have emigrated to Israel still visit Iran without difficulty.
Many of the national Islamist parties today are country-specific and not theocratic or terrorist. Hizbollah is an ally of Iran, but doesn't orders from Tehran: it is a movement of the poor Shia majority in Lebanon. The problems are political not religious.
My earlier remark about a 'personal' rapture was but my usual attempt to get people to begin thinking about their 'inner spiritual' relationships to 'things' ...
Especially those that are so 'objective' in their religious views (and much of political view revolves around religious concepts, realized or not). The point being that one can turn withIN and find peace which negates the fear that leads to hatreds and wars ... as soon as they truly seek such inner truth.
They do not have to 'fight' an infidel, based upon an exoteric concept of jihad, when the real Jihad is of the inner subjective and truly spiritual (esoteric) ... for the Christians, the same thing applies, they need not wait for death or a 'Savior' descending from upon high to 'save' them ... a personal salvation now awaits in their INternal subjective esoteric experience IF they can put 'the other' aside and seek there now instead.
Most all 'religions' have various 'sects' with differing beliefs, often centered around a central theme. Unfortunately it is those differences that divide them into conflicts ... not at all what the love of their essential God proposes. Man's objective and exoteric version around (outer) manifested physicality issues, as opposed to Spirit's subjective esoteric (INner version) of that, which SHOULD matter more.
All of the major religions have more relatively rare groups or sects that are more 'mystical' because they put their emphasis more on the essence of the spiritual truths that are a priori to the 'so-called' truths practiced by the majority in (a posteriori) relative ignorance. That same 'majority' often condemns the mystics as 'heretical' and being of the 'occult', as if that were 'bad'.
It is that majority 'opinion' that wants to always fight and defend ego and land issues (territory) ... their religious ideas also being basically ego related. (fear based).
God is (really) all about Love ... to have the "correct" and proper understanding of 'that', would really solve all of the worlds problems ... without bloodshed !
To base Christianity on Christs shedding Blood and/or Islams view of dominance via the Sword ... are just ignorant objective exoteric MISunderstandings of the REAL TRUTH INTENDED, that of the subjective spiritual esoteric application INto the minds of each person here and now of LOVE (the UNconditional kind).
I just want to plant this seed of esoteric thought for some few at least that are not TOO wrapped up in their common (exoteric) views of reality.
Peace, j.
Consumer religion. Mall mosque-temples, human sacrifice via the Neverending War Story, eh?