Zach LarkinsJOURNALISM
I have been accused in the past of being a poor journalist. Not because I don't make money at it, but because some dim bulbs insist I am one and do the job poorly. I never claimed to be one, but these fools show up every once in a while to take a strip out of me when they can't debate with a true journalist. Now that we have that out of the way, let's take a look at one who happens to be one of the few original thinkers in Canadian journalism, George Jonas.
Way back when, I started to get interested in politics and started reading Jonas' work. I might agree with him on about what he says 50% of the time, but I sure can't take away his ability to look at things in a different and new light. His worst habit is that he seems to tie everything into the Holocaust and proceeds to tell the reader how he and his family suffered and finally escaped the Nazis. Once you get past those two paragraphs, you're in for an enlightening read.
He has recently written his 14th book, called Reflections on Islam, in which he decries the notion that we are at war with terrorism. And when you think about it, he is right. "We're not at war with ‘terrorism.' Terrorism is a weapon, not an opponent. We've been at war with militant, fundamentalist Islam that uses terrorism as a weapon," he says. This is where we all smack our heads and say, "Why didn't I think of that?"
The world has approximately 1.2 billion Muslims and contrary to what some readers of this blog believe, not everyone thinks they are all terrorists, and not every Muslim takes things too personally. President Bush, rallying the troops and the general population after 9/11, said that we were at war against terrorism, not Islam. Jonas looks at it and says, "It's essential to remember that 99.9% of Muslims and Arabs aren't terrorists. But a parallel truth is that 100% of the terrorists who currently threaten us are Muslims and/or Arabs." Maybe this is why some thin skins do take it so personally, in the fact that it is their religion, and their's alone, that is giving us the suicide-murderers while other enemies pretty much play by the rules of established warfare.
Jonas goes on to say, "President Bush spoke of the need to ‘smoke terrorists out of their caves.' The trouble is, the terrorists' caves aren't all in Afghanistan. Some are in New Jersey and Florida. Others, no doubt, are in Ontario or Quebec. Much as we dislike ethnic or religious profiling for self-evident reasons, we can't disregard the fact that the current crop of terrorists recruit their members from specific religious and ethnic groups, and use their communities for camouflage. If only 0.1% of all Muslims who reside in North America are willing to participate in militant acts against the West, or support in some material way the ones who do, it means that Osama bin Laden has thousands of troops at his disposal right in our midst."
Remember, it only took 19 to carry out 9/11. And the liberal left wing nuts want to cut and run from Afghanistan and Iraq. Nancy Pelosi has made headlines by holding talks with leaders of the mid-East. I'm not sure when the Speaker of the House became authorized to make and carry out US foreign policy, but maybe someone should make her read Jonas' book.
And for those who constantly try to point out the difference between a journalist and a columnist to me, I never labelled Jonas a journalist, although he only writes a twice a week column. People who actually get paid to know these things put that handle on him.
Way back when, I started to get interested in politics and started reading Jonas' work. I might agree with him on about what he says 50% of the time, but I sure can't take away his ability to look at things in a different and new light. His worst habit is that he seems to tie everything into the Holocaust and proceeds to tell the reader how he and his family suffered and finally escaped the Nazis. Once you get past those two paragraphs, you're in for an enlightening read.
He has recently written his 14th book, called Reflections on Islam, in which he decries the notion that we are at war with terrorism. And when you think about it, he is right. "We're not at war with ‘terrorism.' Terrorism is a weapon, not an opponent. We've been at war with militant, fundamentalist Islam that uses terrorism as a weapon," he says. This is where we all smack our heads and say, "Why didn't I think of that?"
The world has approximately 1.2 billion Muslims and contrary to what some readers of this blog believe, not everyone thinks they are all terrorists, and not every Muslim takes things too personally. President Bush, rallying the troops and the general population after 9/11, said that we were at war against terrorism, not Islam. Jonas looks at it and says, "It's essential to remember that 99.9% of Muslims and Arabs aren't terrorists. But a parallel truth is that 100% of the terrorists who currently threaten us are Muslims and/or Arabs." Maybe this is why some thin skins do take it so personally, in the fact that it is their religion, and their's alone, that is giving us the suicide-murderers while other enemies pretty much play by the rules of established warfare.
Jonas goes on to say, "President Bush spoke of the need to ‘smoke terrorists out of their caves.' The trouble is, the terrorists' caves aren't all in Afghanistan. Some are in New Jersey and Florida. Others, no doubt, are in Ontario or Quebec. Much as we dislike ethnic or religious profiling for self-evident reasons, we can't disregard the fact that the current crop of terrorists recruit their members from specific religious and ethnic groups, and use their communities for camouflage. If only 0.1% of all Muslims who reside in North America are willing to participate in militant acts against the West, or support in some material way the ones who do, it means that Osama bin Laden has thousands of troops at his disposal right in our midst."
Remember, it only took 19 to carry out 9/11. And the liberal left wing nuts want to cut and run from Afghanistan and Iraq. Nancy Pelosi has made headlines by holding talks with leaders of the mid-East. I'm not sure when the Speaker of the House became authorized to make and carry out US foreign policy, but maybe someone should make her read Jonas' book.
And for those who constantly try to point out the difference between a journalist and a columnist to me, I never labelled Jonas a journalist, although he only writes a twice a week column. People who actually get paid to know these things put that handle on him.
Video Gamer Kids
Little Green Foosballs
PolyKicks
You know, I didn't like the idea of the whole Ethics 2.0 for bloggers, but knowing you and your desire to legislate ethics and whatnot (anyone here can look at your older posts) I think it will be just the fit for you.
The only war going on here is set to make oil companies more profitable, thats about it, and it is working spectacularly. Your so called fundamentalist Islamic enemy doesn't exist, and even if it does, did less to take away your rights than your precious conservative leaders. All in the name of security, of course.
"The world has approximately 1.2 billion Muslims and contrary to what some readers of this blog believe, not everyone thinks they are all terrorists, and not every Muslim takes things too personally."
Well you should start saying that instead of labeling all of them with what one person does, and saying they are stuck several hundred years ago
The only thing you folks are at war with is yourselves, going to war is just a nice smokescreen to take away your rights in the name of security and make specific corporations which happened to be amongst the biggest funders of GWB's campaign into office more profitable. At that it is working spectacularly and look what we have here, people still think they are at danger of thousands of Muslims living in America.
Take care,
Nick
Medicinal Nature
Take care!!
~Manda
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Don, Nick, Manda, thanks for the comments and thanks for being able to read.
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The Florida Keys and Everglades
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The male mystique
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