Back on November 24, 2002 Osama bin Laden promised to destroy the economy of the west. It’s six years later and his prophecy appears to have come true, at least in the United States. But yet the media has all but ignored his threat as the cause of our current problems. There is no doubt that Laden, his family, and his vast supporters have great influence in Saudi Arabia (as well as the rest of the Middle East) and they could easily have brought about the various scenarios we are facing now: high gas prices, devalued dollar, etc. Thus, the question of the day is whether his threat was in fact carried out or whether it’s all one big coincidence.
One could equally wonder if he is going to make the sun come up tomorrow, “if god wills it.”
“One could equally wonder if he is going to make the sun come up tomorrow, “if god wills it.””
God, that’s idiotic. The sun predictably comes up every day, but gas is at 4 dollars a gallon for the first time in the US. And not to mention that the dollar is at its lowest in modern history. Yet another first.
The first rule of making an analogy: it must be analogous! You cannot compare events that occur predictably and regularly to events without precedent.
#2 SN:
One day you may learn to recognize sarcasm.
#2–SN==well that was my point. Total predictability that America’s economy was subject to an oil threat since at least the oil embargo? a la 1973. About the first news that came out of the 9-11 attack was a slump in our economy==what else could Osama reliably predict would happen without him having to do a thing, just like the sun rising?
Maybe he wouldn’t have predicted BushCo would actually help in the destruction of the USA, but not hard to predict the downward pressure.
So, you don’t like the analogy of guaranteed astronomical events with guaranteed economic events not because of their certainty, but because of their causation and control?
Fair point. But every analogy has points of difference, otherwise it wouldn’t be an analogy.
You might be somewhat anti-american as many have pointed out (irrelevant in my book), but I’m more pessimistic.
#3–Fred==that was a much quicker way to say it, but SN did raise a point about what makes an analogy, and therefore the sarcasm, appropriate.
I could have been more conforming.
#6–Pedro==without any details to the post, it is a complete throwaway–not really anything there to put tin foil on?
Now, any kind of allegation of some “action” taken by Osama would move it to a theory. Like having enough money to become an oil speculator?
Thats probably the “element” that supported my analogy==both SN’s post and mine were completely stupid. I wonder if SN taking the time to call me out on mine means he doesn’t “really” get the same point about his?
Tin foil can be fun, but to make a hat, you need just a wee bit of structure.
Rubber chickens are made from oil. Mission Accomplished.
It’s Batman Begins all over again!
Rubber Chicken Ingredients
3 oz Canadian Club® Whisky
1 part Limeade concentrate
1 part Ginger ale
[That sounds interesting. – ed.]
Of course it’s the work of Bin Laden… 10s of millions of Americans who have lived beyond their means (Subprime loans anyone?) had nothing to do with. Neither did spending more than a trillion dollar on the war in Iraq. And Walmart et al has nothing to do with it either… Americans shouldn’t work… just spend money on cheap goods from China, India, Bangladesh etc.
Be careful when you discuss any weakness in our economy. I’m sure you wouldn’t want former Senator Phil Gramm to call you a “whiner.”
Of course he created the ruination of the American economy along with the help his idiot friend and the thief in the White House. Remember they were the threesome that started this rich man’s bing we have been living through.
But the Iraq will pay for itself with oil revenues, right? That will fix everything.
Bin Laden’s master plan was to bait George Bush into a quagmire in Afghanistan — and bleed the Americans to death, they way they did the Russians.
Bush stupidly took that bait and then voluntarily got us stuck into the even deeper swamp of Iraq.
And the Republicans cheered him on, every step of the way. Good thinking, guys.
#16 GregAllen
Bin Laden will be flattered to find another groupie among the whining dead. Perhaps you could pull your head out of his ass long enough to give him a pat on the back.
#16–Greg==I once heard that bin Laden was “surprised” we actually invaded Afghanistan. OBL viewed America as a large lazy power that did not want to fight. We had 10-12 instances of attacks on USA with little to no response. So, he thought he could get a free hit on WTC. Note, he was a civil engineer and also did not think the building would fall.
I think there are two viable theories then. Attack USA and USA will do nothing much to the Gain of OBL, or they invade Afghanistan which would be to our ultimate injury again to the gain of OBL.
You’d have to be an idiot to think USA would invade Iraq and get bogged down there to our financial ruin, so I don’t creidt OBL with THAT. I prefer the former theory.
another piece of below average writing to dumb on the internet.
go study economics.
Does anyone on here really believe that Bin Laden is responsible for our economic woes? Its hard to believe someone could think that. 9/11 had a short term negative impact but the long term downturns we are having and will have are the result of many more variables that are much more complex than the results of terrorism. The short answer would be large companies are exploiting capitalist opportunities to make insane amounts of money. This happens ever so often in a capitalist democracy and when the exploitation gets bad enough the reactionary government and populace will enact laws to regulate it. Once enough time goes by and enough people forget the past the laws will be “deregulated” and the whole thing will happen again. Its just like on NA how John talks about how we used to have laws against this kind of stuff because of Rockefeller and Standard Oil, etc and a lot of those laws got deregulated. Eventually things will get bad enough that we will pass new laws and start the cycle again. The small curve is around 40 years, and the large one is around 80 years, or at least thats what I hear.
It amazes me that no one has picked up on this sooner. Yes, bin Laden and al Quaeda associates (including Iran) are working to destroy the West via economics—not missiles and bombs. Iran posts bogus photos on the Web which Drudge runs as real—and the mainstream follows suit—and speculators drive up the price of oil to an all-time high, causing the West more economic paid and plunges the Down below 11,000 in 2 years. Everything relates back to the cost of energy—even the mortgage bubble. EVERYTHING is related to the cost of fuel–and if you can control or push the cost of energy skyward and have OPEC members spout off saying things like “$200 oil is not out of reach,” (although not officially), THAT drives the cost of energy higher. The terrorists are destroying our way of life from the inside, economically. They don’t need bullets or bombs. Why can’t we see that? WHY?
Boy, the folks who run this website are some of the most thoughtful, insightful observers and analysts of the geopolitical scene that I’ve ever come across.
No knee-jerk, pseudo-transgressive hyperbole mouthed in mindless lockstep with a thousand other clueless jackasses here! nosiree BOB!
I love this place.
Later, I’ve got dane-gelt to pay so I’ll be safe to enjoy these brilliant insights forever.
[Ouch! – ed.]
Bad economy is good for the war effort. It’s great for recruiting. Why not continue to spend billions to help those freedom loving Iraquis and Afganis establish their democracy? The government is responsible for the health and welfare of this nation, they have only our best interests at heart and are doing the best job possible, so of course if you don’t agree you’re a whiner(traitor).
Conformity is double plus good.
THE MINISTRY OF TRUTH
It’s always ironic what harm little people in the third world can do with limited tools
The problem is that in an open society that is there no shortage of targets or readily available off the shelf components that can be made into weapons
You do this – and they do that
Couple that with foolish or even stupid bureaucrats or administrators either involved in turf wars or proving who is boss – and you wonder who the smarter ones are – us or them
At least America has the guts to do something
Contrast that to most of the Europeans who are busy selling Iran everything, catering to the Saudi royal family – all while being gouged and set up for even worse
Oil prices are a product of weak dollar plus a loophole passed in 2000 by a Republican Congress and signed by a Democrat in the White House that has allowed oil speculators to send the price of oil up higher than it ought to be. By best estimates with the current usage it should be about half what it is. 60% at the most. Close the loophole and watch the price fall. Call your congressman now!
“You have nothing to fear, but fear yourself.”
Bin Laden!?! Funny, I thought it was 8 years of Baby Bush!
I’m shocked. Many of these posts were written by intelligent and thoughtful people.
I think obl was surprised by Allah taking down the towers, but disappointed by the Taliban getting wiped out.
THEN, surprised by how over-terrorized Bush-America diverted to Iraq, and now happy that Bush has killed even more Americans than himself.
And now pleasantly surprised by Taliban resurgence in Afgahnistan, failure in Iraq, rising oil prices (btw which *some* Americans and a lot of Texans actually profit from), other signs of economic despair, and Bush et al continuing to keep America feeling terrorized.
Come on, let’s take control back. Drop the arrogance, focus back on Afgahnistan, and focus back on minding our own business. And btw, terrorism may come back in other forms, like a dirty bomb in a container on a ship, in which case we should be working harder at making more cooperative relationships with our international neighbors… especially the ones sending us all the stuff via container ships that we so voraciously consume.
That’s just one example of what terrorists might do someday. Hey, maybe they’re even spraying our produce with salmonella right now?
Ie, our biggest problem never was Iraq, or even Saddam.
I think obl was surprised by Allah taking down the towers, but disappointed by the Taliban getting wiped out.
THEN, surprised by how over-terrorized Bush-America diverted to Iraq, and now happy that Bush has killed even more Americans than himself.
And now pleasantly surprised by Taliban resurgence in Afgahnistan, failure in Iraq, rising oil prices (btw which *some* Americans and a lot of Texans actually profit from), other signs of economic despair, and Bush et al continuing to keep America feeling terrorized.
Come on, let’s take control back. Drop the arrogance, focus back on Afgahnistan, and focus back on minding our own business. And btw, terrorism may come back in other forms, like a dirty bomb in a container on a ship, in which case we should be working harder at making more cooperative relationships with our international neighbors… especially the ones sending us all the stuff via container ships that we so voraciously consume.
That’s just one example of what terrorists might do someday. Hey, maybe they’re even spraying our produce with salmonella right now?
Ie, our biggest problem never was Iraq, or even Saddam. We “stayed the course” until we got WAY lost, and into trillions of dollars lost. Brilliant economics there, huh, fearful, terrorized, flag-waving “Patriots”?
How do you know there is currently a recession?
If the hypothesis is correct, that’s one more reason why Bill Clinton should have accepted Sudan’s offer to hand over Bin Laden. Could details of this offer have been what Sandy Berger stole from the National Archives?