This is the third part to a seven part series that includes an introduction to the Fox News Terror Survival Handbook and a description of the six crucial items that should be carried as part of the Terror Survival kit.

Part 1: The Introduction
Captain Subtext has taken upon himself to bring light to the otherwise deceptive information, data, comments, commentary and other general pronouncements that appear in the media. From time to time he feels that it is his civic duty to clarify the political landscape as he encounters it. On one of his treks through the wonders of the World Wide Web or as he calls it www dot oh my god dot you’ve got to be kidding dot do they think we’re idiots dot what a bunch of morons dot com, he stumbled upon the Fox News Terror Survival Handbook. What follows is his translation of the Fox News’ Terror Survival Handbook version into his unique view of reality. The Terror Survival Handbook text will appear in block quotes followed by the Captain Subtext translation labeled as, well, Captain Subtext translation.

How is Obama different than Bush on Iran?

if Iran isn't a threat why is Obama saying it is?

But wait, I said I was going to post reviews of movies relevant to what's going on in our country vis-a-vis politics, etc.

Well, one of the interesting things about being a film critic is seeing how filmmakers contextualize our post 9/11 politics, neuroses, and paranoias into popular entertainment.

The Dark knight is just the latest to show those influences.

At the Fourth of July parade in Montpelier, VT a few weeks ago, GOP governor/Bush apologist was harmlessly pied in the face by an activist dressed up like Santa Claus. Sadly, I was on the other side of the block when this happened, so I didn't see it firsthand.

But apparently, a pie is now a weapon of terror, according to the government.

What do you say when someone you care about tells you they're voting for McCain?  What do you say to someone who wants to vote for the man who would continue Bush's destructive policies - or worse?

Copy this diary and show it to them.  If you can get them to read the whole thing, it might just give them pause.

More below the fold...

Now here's a story

Yes, I said a story.
Stories can be true, not true, not quite true, and completely false.
I think this one belongs somewhere in between.

This is the second part to a seven part series that includes an introduction to the Fox News Terror Survival Handbook and a description of the six crucial items that should be carried as part of the Terror Survival kit.

Part 1: The Introduction
Captain Subtext has taken upon himself to bring light to the otherwise deceptive information, data, comments, commentary and other general pronouncements that appear in the media. From time to time he feels that it is his civic duty to clarify the political landscape as he encounters it. On one of his treks through the wonders of the World Wide Web or as he calls it www dot oh my god dot you’ve got to be kidding dot do they think we’re idiots dot what a bunch of morons dot com, he stumbled upon the Fox News Terror Survival Handbook. What follows is his translation of the Fox News’ Terror Survival Handbook version into his unique view of reality. The Terror Survival Handbook text will appear in block quotes followed by the Captain Subtext translation labeled as, well, Captain Subtext translation.

If you missed part one click here.

This past Wednesday, in a rare public appearance, Hezbollah's leader Sayyed Hassan Nassrallah greeted the five Lebanese freed from captivity in Israel after his organization returned the bodies of two captured Israeli soldiers.

"The period of defeat is over and the time of victory has arrived," said a beaming Nassrallah to a jubilant mass waving Hezbollah and Lebanese flags in Beirut.

This is the first part to a seven part series that includes an introduction to the Fox News Terror Survival Handbook and a description of the six crucial items that should be carried as part of the Terror Survival kit. Look for Part 2 of Captain Subtext's Translation in the near future.

Part 1: The Introduction
Captain Subtext has taken upon himself to bring light to the otherwise deceptive information, data, comments, commentary and other general pronouncements that appear in the media. From time to time he feels that it is his civic duty to clarify the political landscape as he encounters it. On one of his treks through the wonders of the World Wide Web or as he calls it www dot oh my god dot you’ve got to be kidding dot do they think we’re idiots dot what a bunch of morons dot com, he stumbled upon the Fox News Terror Survival Handbook. What follows is his translation of the Fox News’ Terror Survival Handbook version into his unique view of reality. The Terror Survival Handbook text will appear in block quotes followed by the Captain Subtext translation labeled as, well, Captain Subtext translation.

"The story of Turkish involvement in transnational jihadism is one of the best kept stories of the war on terror."
Brian Glyn Williams, associate professor who "has tracked the movement of jihadis for the U.S. military's Combating Terrorism Center at West Point.

A newly released AP article notes that al-Qaida is recruiting many foreign fighters - from Turkey, Central Asia, Chechnya and the Middle East - for the war in Afghanistan. According to the article,

"Turkey appears to have emerged as a source of recruits. Williams estimated as many as 100 Turks had made their way to Pakistan to join the fight in Afghanistan."

Is the "surge" succeeding?  If we stick with the "surge" will we "win?"  If we leave Iraq will we lose?  Implicit in each of these questions are more fundamental questions, like: who are we fighting and why?  what are our goals and why?  These are strategic questions that should dictate our policy and someone should give kudos to Obama for having the judgment to appreciate the need for a comprehensive strategic vision.

Focusing on the "surge" in Iraq is a misplaced focus on "a" tactic and not necessarily a meaningful measure of long term success in the wider war.  The "surge" is simply one tactic we've employed in Iraq, but whether it is "succeeding" or not does not answer the bigger questions of whether we should be there at all, how long we should be there and what we are hoping to accomplish while there.  

Obama's speech yesterday was the first to define a broad strategic vision for true security and a leadership role for this Country at the dawn of the New Global Age.  The following is a discussion of guerilla tactics, Iraq and the implications of each with respect to our broader global objectives.

Finally, we're getting around to discussing this as a nation. The final justification settled on by the Bush Administration after all other justifications were proven to be completely fabricated, is that Iraq is the "central front in the war on terror."  As I explain, the very argument betrays a fundamental ignorance on the part of this administration and lays bare the profound strategic and tactical incompetence of their "battle plan."

Recall, that in the summer of 2002, we were first scared into believing that Saddam was in league with the terrorists, was somehow part of Al-Qaida, was mixed up in 9/11 and posed an immediate and imminent threat to the United States through the WMD program that Iraq somehow, inexplicably, reconstituted under our noses in the ten years between the first Gulf war and the present incursion....this, despite our maintaining continuous no-fly zones over the Country and routinely bombing threat level activity.....never mind those facts, we gave Bush the benefit of the doubt.... scared Americans went scrambling for duct tape and sarran wrap while our congress issued a carte blanche authorization for war.

Net-roots, American's celebrate. We have a real Presidential candidate on Foreign Policy.

Today,when Obama gave a Major Foreign Policy Speech on Iraq, Iran, Afghan, and Pakistan. He spoke about a range of realistic concerns & solutions.

After 8 years of George Bush lies and cover ups. I can honestly say Obama touched some truths, that you would ever hear from a major American politician.

It's Ironic that one of the top diaries today are from Brandon's rehashed 911/Taliban/$$, terrorism link.

Obama boldly stated(paraphrases):

Iraq is not the center of the war on terror and it never was".

He also said we have to understand that we have to get serious about Pakistan, and stop sending a blank check to a Dictator, that doesn't have our best interest.

He also said that:

"George Bush and McCain don't want to win in Iraq, but they want to stay in Iraq. He says, "They want to stay when violence is up, or when violence is down". Wow! I've been saying that for months.

"Obama, also stated, We have to move beyond just a military alliance, where the people don't like us, just to facilicate ourselves, that creates more violence.  He even defined what victory in Iraq would be

A sensible foreign policy indeed.

Glen L. Carle knows about the threat America faces from Islamic extremism. He should; during his stellar 23-year career as a member of the CIA’s Clandestine Service he’s personally drafted many of the government’s most senior assessments of the threats we’ve faced by al-Qaeda and just about every other Muslim extremist organization in the world over the past two-decades.

Mr. Carle devoted his entire career to understanding and combating the jihadist threat. Perhaps that’s why he's taking such exception to the constant fear mongering promulgated by both the Bush administration and the campaign of the presumptive Republican nominee for president, John McCain. He felt the need to speak out now and he has done so in a very heartfelt and eloquent way.

The subtitle Why you can not understand 21st century politics with an 18th-century brain seems exceptionally appropriate in this case!  I know there has been much already written on this, but a careful analysis from Lakoff's perspective may help us sort through some of this stuff.  I'll give it a try.  I have been writing in parallel with Lakoff for some time now trying to recast some of his ideas in the context of complex systems theory applied to understanding the mind and how it operates in terms of world views.  There is much overlap between our ideas since much of what I have put together stems from the interplay of Lakoff's teachings and the complexity theory of Robert Rosen.  The best place to get a taste of Rosen's revolutionary approach is his book:Life Itself: A Comprehensive Inquiry into the Nature, Origin, and Fabrication of Life (Complexity in Ecological Systems) (Paperback) published by Columbia University Press in its "Complexity in Ecological Systems" series.  Look below the break and I will give you a quick synthesis and apply it to the infamous cartoon.

This is what I'm waiting for.  The "I'm not a Muslim, but so what if I was?" speech.  We have examined race, now it's time to defuse the rumors and celebrate the faith.  This is an opportunity to remove the elitist stink from the sanctimonious suggestion of "Christianity" as the only acceptable faith tradition for our leaders.  It is time to end the disenfranchisement of Muslim-Americans, who are by all accounts http://pewforum.org/...), as productive, educated, and "...are decidely American in their outlook, values, and attitudes" as the rest of us.

Are you secure under the current administration?  I have had so many folks in this very red state tell me how much more secure they have been under Republican leadership.  The question is, how do you define security?

Found this interesting blurb over at the Progressive, the article is a few weeks old so my apologies if somebody has done a diary on the topic.
It concerns the drafting/appointment of certain personnel to assist in the
detection of terrorists in our midst. It makes me wonder if we are all facing a future of being dragged in from of a special house committee to deny that we are terrorists and to give lists of names.