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You are here: Home / To Raise the Level of the Debate

To Raise the Level of the Debate

by John Cole|  July 8, 20055:19 pm| 13 Comments

This post is in: General Stupidity

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This is too rich. In the wake of the London bombings, Lashawn Barber offers up a ‘think piece’ on what to do to fight terrorism. Her intent:

1) To raise the level of interaction on this blog. Some commenters are treating it like their own personal forum (or toilet) where they can say whatever they want. Not so. If you don

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13Comments

  1. 1.

    Steven

    July 8, 2005 at 5:56 pm

    You must be immensely bored to be reading LaShawn’s site. Go walk your cat or track down the 10 pound W Va rattler that’s making its way across the Net or something.

    Please don’t give us commentary on Michelle Malkin.
    And for God sake, no World Net Daily.

  2. 2.

    The Lonewacko Blog

    July 8, 2005 at 6:36 pm

    Well, let’s see now. From Top bin Laden aide toured state. SPECIAL REPORT: Al-Zawahiri solicited funds under the guise of refugee relief:

    Traveling with a stolen passport supplied by the local terrorists and using a fake name, al-Zawahiri, who has called on Muslims to kill “Americans wherever they are,” visited mosques in Santa Clara, Stockton and Sacramento as part of a coast-to-coast fund-raising mission, according to these accounts.

    Even the L.A. Times speculated in “Al-Qaida May Have Had Network in California Long Before 9/11”, and from al-Guardian comes “U.S. Deports Saudi Envoy Living in [L.A.] Calif.”. Both of those mention the King Fahd mosque in Culver City, CA. Then, there’s “Feds Search Virginia Islamic Center”.

  3. 3.

    albedo

    July 8, 2005 at 6:37 pm

    Found this little gem at LaShawn’s site in the biographical section. You can’t make shit like this up.

    “July 17, 2004 – Discussion panelist at Conservative University 2004 at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, DC. Sponsored by Accuacy in Academia.”

  4. 4.

    John Cole

    July 8, 2005 at 6:46 pm

    LW- that wasn’t what she was asking, and if it was, she was really imprecise. There is a difference between calling for spying on citizens and seeing what church/mosque they go to and examining the secret fund-raising activities and where they send their money.

    And when you take it with the totality of the post, it is pretty idiotic in context.

    A discussion of the merits of internment, giving advice to centcom on air v. foot power, etc., are not what we need.

    I am with her on the immigration issue. I would like a discussion of policy in Iraq. The rest of it is absurd.

  5. 5.

    Tim F

    July 8, 2005 at 6:51 pm

    Careful John, picking on the low-hanging fruit gets addictive. If you look at it a certain way, the net is like a schoolyard full of ten thousand retarded kids waiting to be beat up. Find somebody who matters and who uses more of his or her brain than Terry Schiavo, and provoke a good old-fashioned blog war.

    Take the Juan Cole – Jonah Goldberg slapfight for example. Readers got top-dollar entertainment, the combatants each got cred for tangling with a big name and their site traffic likely tripled as everybody in the schoolyard circled around.

    Who am I to toss around advice? Nobody of course. Some douchebag who doesn’t even use his whole name. Just saying.

  6. 6.

    John Cole

    July 8, 2005 at 7:01 pm

    I thought the Juan Cole – Jonah Goldberg debate devolved pretty quickly into name calling with big words.

    But this is still besides the point- there is no necessity for racial profiling (not even in airports, despite my realization that it is absolutely absurd to be removing shoes from grandmothers at airports or forcing mothers to drink breast milk to make sure it is safe before the board planes) when profiling behavior is much more effective, I don;t want the FBI tracking people to and from their mosque, their synagogue, or their church, even discussing internment is on its face offensive, CentCom does not need our input on the appropriate use of air power, and I would love a debate about Iraq and our policies that doesn’t devolve rapiudly into ‘liberals are traitors.’

    the only thing she listed that makes any sense is the immigration bit.

    How about improved port and transportation security? How about revamping border patrol and the INS? There would be a place to start…

  7. 7.

    Kimmitt

    July 8, 2005 at 7:32 pm

    I thought the Juan Cole – Jonah Goldberg debate devolved pretty quickly into name calling with big words.

    This is because namecalling is both the only appropriate response to and only rhetorical capacity of Jonah Goldberg. Don’t wrestle with a pig, and all that.

    John, you’re looking at this “Islamic terror” thing as a security concern which can be managed with a finite amount of effort. What you fail to understand is that if you are a bigotted neurotic who is completely ignorant of US history, the ideas which she puts forward are the appropriate response to the unprecedented horror which the brown menace poses.

  8. 8.

    Tim F

    July 8, 2005 at 8:42 pm

    there is no necessity for racial profiling

    Yes, it is clear that she is dangerously out of her gourd. Since Ashcroft departed and, um, a socially-moderate hispanic took over at DOJ I’d say the chances of increased profiling lie between slim and none. What we have might already be too much, depending on whom you ask, but more won’t happen.

    Pretty much everybody agrees that immigration is a problem. On the one hand porous borders invite bombers, while on the other hand without illegals the produce-picking, contracting and nanny industries would go bankrupt tomorrow. On this issue you’re working against powerful constituencies both blue and red.

    Much to discuss, I agree, but is this LaShawn person really representative? If she’s not an outlier then we’re all in trouble.

  9. 9.

    The Lonewacko Blog

    July 8, 2005 at 9:14 pm

    As I understand it, she was providing a range of options.

    As for Kimmit’s comment, let’s all pledge to keep it an inside joke.

    On a related note, someone I consider to be one of the sleaziest politicians around, Rep. Chris Cannon, had a similar incident. (search for cannon or morris)

  10. 10.

    The Lonewacko Blog

    July 8, 2005 at 9:20 pm

    On the one hand porous borders invite bombers, while on the other hand without illegals the produce-picking, contracting and nanny industries would go bankrupt tomorrow.

    Gosh, that would be a bummer, wouldn’t it? Of course, just because the same arguments were used against ending slavery doesn’t necessarily mean that slave owners and those who profit off illegal immigration are the same thing. It just means they use the same tactics.

    I know I’ve seen a very similar (perhaps sarcastic) comment before, but just to make it clear: if all the illegals left tomorrow there would definitely be an effect. However, since this is America I am forced to believe we would pull through.

    In fact, our new diaper-changing, roof-shingle-nailing, and canteloupe-picking machines would lead to many other benefits.

    And, we wouldn’t need to worry about traitors allowing a country to resettle lands that it thinks of as its “Lost Territories.”

  11. 11.

    Geek, Esq.

    July 9, 2005 at 2:44 am

    John:

    Quoting LaShawn Barber on anything involving Muslims is like quoting David Duke on the problems facing black Americans.

    And, in case anyone thinks that comparison is extreme:

    Despite what they may say, Muslims are and have always been on a mission to conquer and kill infidels. They

  12. 12.

    CalDevil

    July 9, 2005 at 9:31 am

    Despite what they may say, Muslims are and have always been on a mission to conquer and kill infidels. They

  13. 13.

    Rick

    July 9, 2005 at 12:02 pm

    So, the Balloon-Juice comment lice are asserting primacy over the LaShawn Barber comment fleas. A most amusing spectacle.

    Cordially…

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