The Jihad Candidate

[frpeter]

Conspiracy theories make for interesting novels when the storyline is not so absurd that it can grasp our attention. 'The Manchurian Candidate' and 'Seven Days in May' are examples of plausible chains of events that captures the reader's imagination at best-seller level. 'What if' has always been the solid grist of fiction.

Get yourself something cool to drink, find a relaxing position, but before you continue, visualize the television photos of two jet airliners smashing into the Twin Towers in lower Manhattan and remind yourself this cowardly act of Muslim terror was planned for eight years. Read more...

Thoughts/opinions appreciated.

[rcgreen]

I hate Islam. It totally sucks, but groundless conspiracy theories
add nothing useful to the discussion. It is tempting to take a few
cheap shots at Obama, but "when you throw mud, you get
some on yourself."

No one seriously believes that any of the presidential candidates
are the jihad candidate, or the zionist candidate
or whatever.

There needs to be a "twelve step" program for recovering
conspiracy theorists. "Hello, my name is Randy, and I was the second
shooter on the grassy knoll, but I am in recovery and
trying to make it one day at a time..."

[nihil]

That should be the "da'wah" candidate

I would have thought that with the American political system, a president cannot do that much damage on his own?

[frpeter]

rcgreen,

Though I am inclined to agree, I do have to question just what our country is giving as an impression to other countries around the world. My friend in Australia has a very different percetion of our country then I do.

I can't help but think that this percepttion impacts how they do business with the U.S. I have seen many perception like this from foriegners. This may be part of a larger question in that is the global perception of the United States affecting the prices we pay for imported products, including gas?

[frpeter]

nihil,

In practice that is true. However, most foriegners have no idea what goes on in Congress or the Senate and only hear negatives about the President.

[nihil]

frpeter,

This may be part of a larger question in that is the global perception of the United States affecting the prices we pay for imported products, including gas?

My answer to that is "no".

1. Money is money? let's face it, we deal with some pretty obnoxious regimes because it suits us economically to do so.

2. Commodities are mostly traded on World markets so everyone pays the same.

However, most foriegners have no idea what goes on in Congress or the Senate and only hear negatives about the President.

That is mostly because the World's media is still terribly insular and just don't supply the information. A good example would be the presidential nominations. Sure we had coverage over here, but it was all about who was going to win, not about issues, policies, and implications. Hell, they don't even cover stuff in France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Greece etc. and they are fellow EU members!

As for the US President........... if he split his pants or fell over that might make the news, otherwise no-one over here is really interested in him. The collapse of the US sub-prime lending market got plenty of coverage, but that had a direct impact on our finance sector

[frpeter]

That is mostly because the World's media is still terribly insular and just don't supply the information. A good example would be the presidential nominations. Sure we had coverage over here, but it was all about who was going to win, not about issues, policies, and implications. Hell, they don't even cover stuff in France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Greece etc. and they are fellow EU members!

As for the US President........... if he split his pants or fell over that might make the news, otherwise no-one over here is really interested in him. The collapse of the US sub-prime lending market got plenty of coverage, but that had a direct impact on our finance sector

The U.S. media is no better. I haven't seen much on the issues being discussed yet... everything else has been drug through the mud though.

[nihil]

I can well imagine. What strikes me as particularly saddening is that our long established "quality" newspapers are almost as bad as the rest.

I can understand regional and local media catering to their catchment area, and even the daily national tabloids who reflect the interests of their readers, but organs such as The Times, Telegraph and Guardian really should be able to do better.

About the only two publications that seem to buck the trend are The Financial Times, which is a specialist newspaper somewhat similar to your Wall Street Journal and a monthly magazine called The Economist.