Bob I have found you a candidate: Tom Tancredo

[Aggrad02]

Tom Tancredo: Bomb Mecca and Medina

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo’s campaign stood by his assertion that bombing holy Muslim sites would serve as a good “deterrent” to prevent Islamic fundamentalists from attacking the United States, his spokeswoman said Friday.

“This shows that we mean business,” said Bay Buchanan, a senior Tancredo adviser. “There’s no more effective deterrent than that. But he is open-minded and willing to embrace other options. This is just a means to deter them from attacking us.”

On Tuesday, Tancredo warned a group of Iowans that another terrorist attack would “cause a worldwide economic collapse.” IowaPolitics.com recorded his comments.

“If it is up to me, we are going to explain that an attack on this homeland of that nature would be followed by an attack on the holy sites in Mecca and Medina,” Tancredo said. “That is the only thing I can think of that might deter somebody from doing what they would otherwise do. If I am wrong, fine, tell me, and I would be happy to do something else. But you had better find a deterrent, or you will find an attack.”

Tom Casey, a deputy spokesman for the State Department, told CNN’s Elise Labott that the congressman’s comments were “reprehensible” and “absolutely crazy.” Tancredo was widely criticized in 2005 for making a similar suggestion.

–CNN Associate Producer Lauren Kornreich

What a great way to win them over.

[Chris Grieb]

Bay Buchanan's suggestion of bombing would of course turn all followers of Islam rather than the small % today. Fundamentalists in both the Christian & Islamic world would be very happy. The rest of us would be dead.

[BaalChatzaf]

Bay Buchanan's suggestion of bombing would of course turn all followers of Islam rather than the small % today. Fundamentalists in both the Christian & Islamic world would be very happy. The rest of us would be dead.

First, you cannot be certain of that. Second, even if so, we have enough weapons to take care of ALL the Muslims on the planet. Of course we would have to use a different approach in North America. But we have practice. Historically we had the Indian Reservations and more recently, the Japanese American population of the U.S. was interned. Where there is a will, there is a way. All that we need is to get rid of the mawkish sentimentality that stands between us and our proper defense. The Romans mastered this over a long period of time. When trouble brewed they sent in the legions, and using rather low-tech instruments then soon put the trouble down. The Romans maintained the Pax Romana for over two centuries. Conscience doth make cowards of us all. Answer: get rid of conscience.

Ba'al Chatzaf

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Heil Hitler!

Michael

[galtgulch]

I think that if Tancredo made it known that if there were another terrorist attack on the "fatherland" or the homeland or perhaps included Europe, that then bombs would fall on Mecca and Medina in the hope that would serve as a deterent he might be in for a surprise.

No doubt many would be deterred. But there are so many crazies in the world any number of whom would see that as the kind of apportunity to create the war between the West and the Islamic world so they would welcome that kind of ultimatum and would attack to call Tancredo's bluff.

galt

[Chris Grieb]

Bob; Your history is wrong. All Japanese Americans were not interned during WW2. Only those who lived on the West Coast. There was never internment in Hawaii. This was one of ironies in the policy.

[BaalChatzaf]

Bob; Your history is wrong. All Japanese Americans were not interned during WW2. Only those who lived on the West Coast. There was never internment in Hawaii. This was one of ironies in the policy.

1. True not all. Most. There were very few Japanese or Japanese-Americans east of the Rockies.

2. Hawaii was a territory and not a State. But still, it is ironic that the Japanese and Japanese Americans in Hawaii were not interned.

None-the-less, American born folks WERE interned which shows that during a War extra-ordinary actions can be and often are taken, which was my very point. In a War one does what one -thinks- is necessary. Right and Wrong have little to do with the matter. A War effectively cancels morality (which is just convention and sentimentality) and law. During a war you have exactly those rights the government lets you have.

We are at War. De Facto, but not (yet) de Jure. Eventually Congress will have to authorize the Executive by letters of Marque and Reprisal to take action against Muslims. Such action may include heavy attacks on Muslims overseas and in North America the internment or otherwise restricting American born Muslims and Muslims living here by legal permission. War justifies (meaning requires) rather nasty behavior. If militant Muslims would not attack or threaten to attack the U.S. none of this need happen. As Sherman said, War is all Hell.

Self defense justifies any action consistent with self defense. Morality has nothing to do with it. Morality is a convention we can afford to observe when folks are "nice" and don't act up or otherwise do threatening or nasty things. In -any case- morality- is NOT a suicide pact. Given a a choice between being moral/ethical and surviving, survive.

Ba'al Chatzaf

Ba'al

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Bob,

Are you surviving? Have you done anything not involving morality to counter the threat to that from the enemies you identified?

Michael

[Steve Gagne]

What a hoot! This is hilarious. How come it wasn't posted under "Humor" or "Rants"?

Everyone keeps trying to tell "Bob" that his warmonger attitudes are all wrong, without discussing his premises. Further, the attacks on him are made as if one were attempting to convince a public official or some such other idiot of an alternate viewpoint.

Sounds as useful as trying to enlist Barney Frank in helping pass the Federal Marriage Amendment.

The fact is that Tancredo's anachronistic responses are brought up as if they had any value. They don't. Telegraphing punches doesn't work in boxing, and it's doubly so in diplomacy. If this were going to be a useful policy, it should have been carried out within 6 hours af any of the earlier "terrorist" attacks. It's too late now. "Speak softly and carry a big stick."

Asking "Bob" to comment beyond this is merely asking him to comment on Tancredo's irrational, emotion-laden political campaigning techniques. Quelle barbe!

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Steve,

We are just horsing around. I think the main message is that talking big about killing on the Internet is cheap. It makes a person feel good and macho and there is almost zero risk reality-wise.

People who are really concerned about some issue or the other do things about it. They don't just talk. I am one such person and I have scars all over my body to prove it. After a while, though, I have gotten tired of being busted up and sewn back together. Physical therapy ain't no fun.

But that's why I get amused at Bob. It's the people who do things in life who protect his ass. He doesn't do much in return except talk big about killing enemies.

Heh.

Michael