Political Observations

[akirlu]

I noticed something the other day -- a particular trope of the neocons' toolbox that essentially does the brilliant political aikido move of getting the victims of class war to fight vehemently against their own interests. But I didn't write it down and now I've forgotten again. Bother. I hope it comes back, because it was one I hadn't seen anyone talk about explicitly.

Elsewhere, Atrios points to this post at MSNBC, which leads off:

Iraq has to be a serial killer's paradise. Scores of dead bodies turn up on dumping grounds outside the country's main cities every morning. Iraqi police reports speak of corpses discovered bound, often showing signs of torture, and shot in the head.

I know that public memory isn't much these days, but anybody remember the "flypaper theory" of taking the "War on Terror" to Iraq? Anybody want to try to sell the plausibility of supposing that there are serial killers in Europe and Middle America who are right now packing up their bags and moving to Bagdad to carry on serial killin' there? Yah, no, didn't think so. Does kinda point up what a stupid idea the flypaper theory was in the first place, though. As if we didn't know that. And, as Atrios points out, it doesn't seem like a huge improvement for the Iraqis over life under Saddam.

Comments

ohmygod

[farmgirl1146.livejournal.com]

I never thought of serial killers just moving into Iraq, but it makes horrible sense. I suppose that some of these boys and girls learn it in the military or quasi-military, too. Serial killers are not only a European and American phenomena. There has been a particularly horrible one (or more) in China in recent months. It must be like the serial killer's picnic.

Let's see, if reincarnation is a given, Ted Bundy, would have been reborn twelve days later (shinto teachings), which makes a birth date of Feb 5, 1989, or 17 1/2 years old. The boy would be back in business.

[numbat.livejournal.com]

I suppose it's possible that one or more serial killers would consider moving to Iraq but I think it pretty likely. As far as I understand the psychology of such people serial killers don't just target anybody, most of them are very consistant in terms of the sex, age, social group etc of their victims. They can't just kill anybody and even if they found themselves in Iraq for one reason or another it's probable they would find themselves too disorietated to kill.