THE TERRORISTS SUPPORT MCCAIN

From the Washington Post courtesy of Crooks and Liars:

On Al-Qaeda Web Sites, Joy Over U.S. Crisis, Support for McCain

Al-Qaeda is watching the U.S. stock market's downward slide with something akin to jubilation, with its leaders hailing the financial crisis as a vindication of its strategy of crippling America's economy through endless, costly foreign wars against Islamist insurgents.

And at least some of its supporters think Sen. John McCain is the presidential candidate best suited to continue that trend.

"Al-Qaeda will have to support McCain in the coming election," said a commentary posted Monday on the extremist Web site al-Hesbah, which is closely linked to the terrorist group. It said the Arizona Republican would continue the "failing march of his predecessor," President Bush.

The Web commentary was one of several posted by Taliban or al-Qaeda-allied groups in recent days that trumpeted the global financial crisis and predicted further decline for the United States and other Western powers. In language that was by turns mocking and ominous, the newest posting credited al-Qaeda with having lured Washington into a trap that had "exhausted its resources and bankrupted its economy." It further suggested that a terrorist strike might swing the election to McCain and guarantee an expansion of U.S. military commitments in the Islamic world.

More here.

I must admit to enjoying some delicious irony here, the Republican hypocrisy which Crooks and Liars is all over, but really, trying to ascertain who the terrorists support or don't support in order to gain some cheap political points has always been fucking stupid. I mean, okay, I've always imagined that hardcore Islamic terrorists, the guys who want to force Muslim theocracy down the Middle East's throat, totally support the Republicans because endless American aggression in the region does nothing but bring in terrorist recruits. But that's an argument easily made without speculating about who the terrorists might actually support. And that's what it is, speculation. We can't really trust these kinds of statements one way or the other. Al Qaeda terrorists are evil asshole thugs, criminals who lie in order to confuse as easily as they kill in order to fan fear.

The Republicans have always been complete morons for using the "who the terrorists support" line of attack. And it doesn't really seem to be all that effective, anymore, either. Really, the best way to approach US policy on Islamic terrorism is to study the issues at length and make decisions based on how you understand the facts. That doesn't mean watching cable news; it means reading a bunch of shit that you may find boring, but informative.

On second thought, maybe "who the terrorists support" is an effective line of political attack. Most Americans have no interest in reading boring shit. But at the moment, in the short term, such attacks can apparently only harm McCain.

Because the terrorists support his candidacy for president!

Heh.

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