well past jaded

[York99]

There's a great story in one of Malcolm Gladwell's books about a guy that infiltrated the Klan and then told the writers of the Superman radio show what their secrets were, who incorporated them into their stories. When the Klan members saw that their own children were pretending like they were Superman and defeating the evil Klan and using real secrets, the men felt ridiculous and soon stopped attending meetings.

Only because I just read this chapter the other day, I'm pretty sure it's not a Gladwell book - Freakonomics. The man in question is Stetson Kennedy and I did a quick check to see if he appears in a Gladwell book but came up empty-handed.

That's right. I read that and all of Gladwell's books back to back several months ago and they must have run together in my head... like a lot of other things. I didn't bother to check on it because I knew someone would catch it if I was wrong. You're my unwitting fact checker. Sucker!

[mpbrockman]

Yep, the "Clan of the Fiery Cross" story arc from the radio serial. I'm familiar with that one.

Not sure it's an apt analogy however. The KKK, while gaining frightening popularity, was still pretty much a fringe group. This serial was also performed under the protection of the secular law of this land, not sharia law. As soon as a group claims it's laws derive from a higher authority (see not only the sharia, but Antonin Scalia), we've got problems.

The number of people who are in up in arms about Trey, Matt and others like them is too big and too willing to kill to laugh off.

Plus, we're dependent on their oil - but that's a whole other can of worms.

But here I go criticizing without offering viable alternatives (like the earlier Robert Wright op-ed). My personal thought? Empower women. Nothing will cause the kind of internal change we need in places like Yemen, Iran, Somalia et al like a popular uprising among their female folk.

Now, that would be more effective than bullets and bombs. Bullets don't scare mullahs - but women do.

[Rev. Jordan T. Maxwell]

...satire does more to undermine, demean and destroy guys like this than bullets ever could.

If only this was true. Unfortunately, satire only works on those who "get" the joke and most of the Muslim world isn't equipped with much in the way of a sense of humor regarding the prophet. Trey and Matt are pretty much singing to the choir on this one.

Hell, theists in general aren't equipped with much of a sense of humor when it comes to their own brand of woo. Figure out what any person really has faith in and poke a stick in it. Have you undermined their faith and/or destroyed them; or are they just red-faced and wondering what circle of hell you'll end up in (or, in more extreme cases, planning this?)

Or if they're Scientologists - they're red-faced and calling Kendrick Moxon.

you may not be able to convert those so fundamentally married to their ideology or doctrine (be it religious, political, economic or otherwise)...but i think such people are in the minority and on the fringes. by satirizing and poking fun at them, you allow OTHERS to laugh at them and not take them as seriously, which rather deflates their arguments, particularly over time. bullets and bombs leave bodies and martyrs, and there are always plenty more of them all to go around...but skewering an idea? pulling back the curtain to reveal the silliness of the things we do, say and believe? that's an invaluable tool in the long run.

(and, as a Christian, i find religious satire hilarious. )

i do agree about empowering women as well, though...so clearly the answer is funny women. oh my god! LAFF is a recruitment tool to defeat terrorism!

[York99]

Empower women.

The humor is working already.

[mpbrockman]

So are we still "well past jaded" or is Bill Maher right when he asks of the GOP & Blue Dog Dems "Why can’t you just admit that Barack Obama is one efficient, steely-nerved, multitasking, black ninja gangster president?"

Seriously; over this last week the guy has flown to the tornado-ravaged South to pledge federal aid, embarrassed the f*ck out of the birthers, done quality stand up at the correspondent's dinner and had the balls to call in a SEAL strike on public enemy #1 when a clandestine/remote drone strike or missile could have accomplished the same purpose with less political fallout should bin Laden not have been there.

Right now - while not thrilled about the state of all things - I'm frankly a more than a little impressed with the brass ones on Obama right now.

[Jeff]

Right now - while not thrilled about the state of all things - I'm frankly a more than a little impressed with the brass ones on Obama right now.

Hells yeah. I loved what Maher said.

[Rev. Jordan T. Maxwell]

i think Obama's a bad ass pimp superhero with mad kung fu skillz...but i refuse to utter the words "Bill Maher is right" on general principle.

[mpbrockman]

... I refuse to utter the words "Bill Maher is right" on general principle.

It's the whole "Religion is a neurological disorder" thing, isn't it?

[Brad Hawkins]

... I refuse to utter the words "Bill Maher is right" on general principle.

It's the whole "Religion is a neurological disorder" thing, isn't it?

I'd be offended too! Jordan has religion, and he has disorders, but they're unrelated.

[Rev. Jordan T. Maxwell]

... I refuse to utter the words "Bill Maher is right" on general principle.

It's the whole "Religion is a neurological disorder" thing, isn't it?

nah. leather suits. skeeze me out.

... I refuse to utter the words "Bill Maher is right" on general principle.

It's the whole "Religion is a neurological disorder" thing, isn't it?

I'd be offended too! Jordan has religion, and he has disorders, but they're unrelated.

THANK you! at least someone understands me...

[York99]

So are we still "well past jaded" or is Bill Maher right when he asks of the GOP & Blue Dog Dems "Why can’t you just admit that Barack Obama is one efficient, steely-nerved, multitasking, black ninja gangster president?"

Seriously; over this last week the guy has flown to the tornado-ravaged South to pledge federal aid, embarrassed the f*ck out of the birthers, done quality stand up at the correspondent's dinner and had the balls to call in a SEAL strike on public enemy #1 when a clandestine/remote drone strike or missile could have accomplished the same purpose with less political fallout should bin Laden not have been there.

Right now - while not thrilled about the state of all things - I'm frankly a more than a little impressed with the brass ones on Obama right now.

Now that more than a month has passed since this post, we can go back to being jaded. What has Obama done for us LATELY?

[mpbrockman]

Now that more than a month has passed since this post, we can go back to being jaded. What has Obama done for us LATELY?

Thank you for weighing in, Middle America.

[Jeff]

Jeff wrote:
"Man, I can't wait to be jaded by Obama."

Well, sir, here is your chance:
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn ... ssinations

Personally, I was already jaded to the possibility that executive authority and the advice of all the lifetime miliary and counter-intelligence staffers in the closed-circuit of the presidency would alter somebody's previously-stated viewpoints on how to proceed in certain scenarios.

But this? Claiming powers and issuing orders that are specifically prohibited by the Constitution, something which he railed about during his campaigns? And then, to use the same claims of executive power to authorize the assassination of a U.S. citizen--without going through any trial or due process? I'm beyond jaded. I'm freaking appalled. I was appalled when the previous administration claimed they could eavesdrop on anyone and everyone, and now this administartion is going even further.

Regardless of your opinions on health insurance reform, TARP, nuclear arms reduction treaties, Pell grant funding, or whatever else Obama has done, this executive order should outrage you. Fans of the Constitution and civil liberties should be up in arms about this. Hell, even MSNBC's Keith Olberman, who's about as big a left-wing cheerleader as there is, called out Obama on this. His story on it (aired last Thursday, April can be found here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#36241433

Ugh.

Ick.

The above was posted in April of last year. Meanwhile, I just got a "News Alert" from the New York Times in my email that said "Secret U.S. Memo Made Legal Case to Kill a Citizen":

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/09/world ... tml?emc=na

That's an alert? Today, in November of 2011? What does "news" mean?