[lit-ideas] Re: Ground Zero Mosque's Saudi Patron
- From: Phil Enns <phil.enns@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 08:25:17 +0700
I had written:
"Groups like al Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood are dangerous, and
people who support these groups must be challenged. However, these
groups are not existential threats to countries like the U.S. or even
Israel."
to which Eric replied:
"Scenario: al-Qaeda style attack. Five small nuclear weapons detonated
simultaneously in five major US cities. Decapitation of government.
Assistant Secretary of Agriculture put in charge. He orders
retaliatory nuclear strikes against Mecca, Tehran, Damascus,
Pyongyang, and in his madness, Islamabad.
China reacts by launching first strike of one hundred nukes at US. US
reacts by sending 500 nukes at China. Russia reacts, and either in
preemption or response, the US sends 700 nukes at Russia as it sends
100 nukes at what's left of the US. India sees a chance to attack
what's left of Pakistan but not before Pakistan lobs a few nukes at
India.
The rest is described in _The Road_."
If we follow Eric's scenario, the existential threat is not an al
Qaeda style attack, which may have devastating effects but would not
mean the end of the U.S. Rather, the existential threat would lie in
how the U.S. responds to such an attack and the blowback that would
necessarily follow. This is similar to what happened on 9/11. The
attacks on New York City and the Pentagon were not even remotely a
threat to the country and its existence. However, the U.S. response
has proved far more costly, in terms of human beings and resources,
and more devastating to the politics of the U.S.
Al Qaeda and similar groups are very dangerous, but the threat they
pose to countries like the U.S. is quite limited. And, to quote from
a movie, 'Every search for a hero must begin with something which
every hero requires, a villain.' For those who need a villain, and
such a need is not limited to individuals of a particular political
stripe, these groups are not sufficient. But Islam could easily be
portrayed as a monster worthy of Bellerophon.
Sincerely,
Phil Enns
Indonesia
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