The impetus of today's argument is the unfortunate, tragic death of Mr. James Foley, who was beheaded in the Syrian desert by ISIS terrorists*. His death may have finally woken those who currently in power here in the U.S. to the real threat that ISIS presents in a way that nothing else to this point has done.
It was just 7 months ago that our current President and his administration dismissed ISIS as being nothing more than the "JV" of terrorist networks. If the President and his administration could have kept that sentiment in-house, it might have been one thing. Taking that statement to the press and letting the entire world know that is your perspective seems rather foolish, however. Even if the statement is true, I don't know that the analogy really works. Is there really such a thing as a "JV" terrorist? The only difference that exists (possibly) between ISIS in January and other more well-known terrorist groups is the matter of resources. What doesn't change is the fact that members of each group despise and hate America and other Western nations simply because we exist.
This is a fact that those in power, and those who voted those in to power here in the U.S. seem unwilling to accept. They like to believe that negotiations might achieve something with people who have deep, strong convictions on this issue. Perhaps it is because our own politicians are so weak-willed and malleable that they assume that 'leaders' in other parts of the world are of the same ilk. Unfortunately, for our citizens and government officials, it isn't true in this situation, and many others like it. Terrorists don't necessarily worry about bad press, or how it affects their poll rankings.
Unfortunately, our politicians do, and so they make rather short-sighted policy decisions based on how they think the voters will react to them. This is not leadership, it is pandering. Pandering to an informed electorate is one thing, but our society has reached a state that is such that if an opinion can't be made in a 6 second video or there isn't a catchy tag line, no one pays attention to it. People are so busy following the latest reality television 'stars' to pay attention to the politicians they vote for (if they bother to take the time to get out and vote.) The aftermath of that is you end up with a 'community organizer' taking up residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
To be fooled once, as was the case in 2008, aided and abetted by the press, is one thing. To repeat that same mistake 4 years later because of hubris and an unwillingness to admit that you were wrong in your previous vote is simply stupid. Granted, the Republican Party made it as easy as they could for people to make these two mistakes by running out the two candidates for President that they have in the last two elections, but the nation would have been far better off if everyone voted for Mickey Mouse (I did not, but I also did not vote for anyone on the Presidential ballot the last two elections. My guys lost in the primaries.) Instead, voters doubled down on a man who managed to do nothing but enrich his friends and cohorts.
Video of the horrific death of James Foley is widely circulating on the Internet. I have not watched this video, nor do I have any intention to do so. I also respect 100% the reasoning why the family would want to have the video in all forms removed from any place it might exist. However, I also believe it is important for the video to remain within the public domain, because it may help to serve as a reminder to those who vote for a candidate simply because it's the 'cool' thing to do. Elections have consequences, and the death of James Foley is one of those unintended consequences. Let us hope that there are no more.
*Of course the tag terrorists is all a matter of perspective. Being an American citizen, I see anyone who threatens to overthrow the U.S. and has murdered, in one of the most barbaric fashions imaginable, a U.S. citizen as the bad guys (while threatening to do the same to another U.S. citizen they have kidnapped.) By their very actions, they are terrorists, coming from this worldview. It's wholly possible that they don't view themselves that way, and those that follow them don't believe they fit that description. They may assign that tag to the Americans and other Western nations.
