Should writers respect or fear all of society's feelings in their writings?

Someone on Linkedin.com recently asked a question that I responded to:

Should a writer respect the feelings of all sections of society while expressing their views? As a writer can they enjoy unfettered freedom in the light of recent developments?

My reply...and then some:

It depends on what you are writing about, or what your intention is in what you are writing about. Some writers may not want to offend anyone (which is nearly impossible these days). Or a writer may want to inflame a certain portion of a readership, or wish to inflame or move, everyone. It depends on what the intention of the piece is.

Writers now a days have to be aware of backlash from certain elements to the point even of the writer's death. But we cannot let that dissuade us from our job. I am at times very vocal in my writings about what I think the ills of the world are to the point of calling out terrorists as the misled, the demented, the childish, and as cowards even in the face of brave situations, if one calls it that while blowing yourself up or being gunned down in the process of killing their own, the innocents, women, the old and infirm and, children.

It is good to consider, even if you are not a well read writer, how do you want your writings to be viewed after you have died? Either from natural causes or through the efforts and intentions of someone who has reacted violently to you because of something you have written?

Remember it's not about confrontation, it's about dialog on your side as a writer. That means on the side of enlightenment and change it needs to be about compromise and dialog. But also, on the other side, in that of a radical mind, it needs to be about dialog, but also about compromise in an individual with a mindset where that simply may not be an option. Well? It needs to be an option.

For some of us who are not fighters as I once was, though now I prefer to be more a lover, they or we can "fight" through our words for what is good and right in the world as we see it. Everyone should be welcome to speak their mind, as that helps to temper beliefs. But one must listen as well as speak.

Sometimes I publish things that are intentionally inflammatory in order to get people to see the error of their ways in beliefs and actions. If someone reads something I wrote on my blog and finds me a distasteful human being, but what they have read changes their mind to a better way of being, if they they then hate me for my efforts but go out in the world and do more good than they had been, what care is it of mine if I have offended them?

George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer in the United Kingdom, said:

"We shouldn't tolerate the intolerance." 

As writers and authors we produce art and words strung together in such a way as to evoke emotion. Is it only to be for entertainment? Or should we have an underlying and important message to convey to support or change things for the better? Further, should we at times overtly try to change people's minds away from their beliefs to what we understand to be the better good?

How does one do that?

By keying into someone's beliefs and gently changing their attitudes? Or at times by jarring them into reality and out of their delusions? There have been times when writers have spoken out and been killed for their efforts. Through their death change has been evoked, change greater than they could ever have achieved through their words while they lived. That is not a good thing for them, but it's something.

What should be your own legacy as a writer? To make a buck and no one ever knows of you or after you die your writings die with you? Or to change even one person to go out to do more, or better, or at least stop doing ill of others? Because for every one who stops doing ill, others see that and may follow suit or temper their choices.

Certainly it is your choice. I have made mine.

This all brings to mind... terrorism.

After 9/11, from that next day to December 31, 2013 there were on American soil, the following number of deaths:
Terrorism: 41
Firearms in 2011 alone: 32,351
Car/Truck Accidents in 2011 alone: 33,783

So "keep calm and carry on."

Terrorists in America  have blatantly failed. Overall worldwide, these are disaffected young Arab Muslim men. Muslims are not our enemies, religion is, if you want to entertain that kind of logic. But even then it is a disaffected and propagandized mindset by a minuscule hard core, radicalized group who propel and recruit through their pathetic agenda.

These people are lost in the modern world and not unlike those American conspiracy theorists who fear a "New World Order" when one is only going to happen regardless since we live on a planet together with limited resources. It is much in the same mental virus that involves fear and hatred of others who they do not understand or refuse to join with.

They are our failures in America.

Mostly these terrorists are poor individuals, poor in livelihood or poor in moral logic focusing only on what makes them feel good with no concern for either those they consider their enemies or their own people they claim to be fighting for and where those they claim to be fighting for en masse, have claimed that these terrorists are not fighting for them.

Be concerned in a relative and reasonable way.

Do not fear those who are of broken ideologies, mind, spirit, logic, reason, or religion. Consider that the late Saudi King Abdullah has been putting change into place in his seminal Islamic country for years that has been quietly bringing about change.

There are now more women in that country in universities than men. That alone is amazing and in years to come it will change the face of Saudi Arabia and their version of Islam, which is a part and heart of the over all world of Islam.

Change is coming. But it takes time. We need to help get Islam and those mentally deranged versions of Islam past this sad point in its history and on into the future.

Those backward types who find terrorism as a positive force of change will eventually fade away with time and proper action and be seen in hindsight as a cancer in the state of Islam during this period. Bringing all Arabs and Muslims into modern times mentally and economically is what they need, not the ill will of the entire world.

It will take time, but they are on the way out and this age of attempted terror is their death knell.

#Terrorism

Muslim Terrorists vs. Violent Terrorists? Either Way Worse Scum Than the Flu? Absolutely.

Yes, I've been watching last Friday night's Real Time with Bill Maher.

You'll have to excuse my comments below at some point. Just be aware that if you can't, terrorists are the reason I'm saying these things and frankly? I needs to be said....

Two things.... the flu and terrorists. Two scummy things that we need to eradicate from the planet. I'd vote, kill the terrorists model first, being the more lowlife of the two. At least the flu can only attack as it's nature. Human beings have a choice and they decide that their petty God or Allan, their magic Guy in the Sky, is more important that a real human being right in front of them.

First, people who say flu vaccines don't work, why get them, aren't arguing they don't work (unless they're just ignorant), they're arguing they are only so effective as the flu changes and the shots are made five months ahead of time. But the do work, but only within a range of a percentage of what's possible. 23% is tossed about. Okay, so 23% of Americans find it useful. That's like 76 million people, who don't get it, get it lighter than they would or don't die. And they aren't infecting others or decreasing the number they would which is additional savings which aren't considered.

So yes, we all should get a flu shot.

Pres. Obama has started calling Muslim Terrorists, violent terrorists. Really? From within the perspective of all religions, he may be correct to do so. But from outside of the perspective of religion, I think he's wrong. At very least he should say religious terrorists or something. Yes, these people are in many cases just criminals wrapping themselves in the cloak of religion just to have fun or push a cause, but still religion is at the core of their efforts. It is not the mainstream cause of Muslims, most of them shouldn't suffer for the cause and actions of a few (don't go kill any Muslim, you have to wait till they yell "Jihad", or "Praise Allah" just before they push the button and blow you the hell up. Or shoot you. And the other woman and children in the market.

So no, all Muslims have little to do with Muslim Terrorists. But they are still Muslim Terrorists.

That being said, Pope Francis has said that you shouldn't talk smack about someone's religion because if the guy next to him was talking that way about his mother, he'd punch him out and then apparently mimicked the action. WTF? Jesus punching someone over anything? His representative on earth, doing what? Really? I love this guy, this Pope, I really do, but that was stepping over the line.

And I'm sorry, but anyone anywhere should have the right to call bullshit on your ridiculous religion or beliefs. Just walk away. Because if you can't, what are you? Twelve? Because the mindset I'm seeing behind religious killings is that of a child who has yet to mature into an adult who can play well with others, even when it's annoying to.

Anyone who wants to should be able to look you right in the eye, if you think you should be killing people for God, or Allah, of some Prophet and say to them, "F*ck your God", Allah, the Prophet, Jehovah, or Dog for that matter (because some people worship the most ridiculous crap, right?).

But you know what? And how many who are pissed at me for the previous paragraph are really reading THIS far?

We probably should NOT say, "F*ck your God." We should really say "Fuck YOU!" Because the concept of God, Allah, whathaveyou is really initially a good and positive mental construct. It is a well meaning attempt at humanism believe it or not. Typically a failed one I'd argue but it started out well. Usually it is there now to replace one that already existed that someone thought was defective and thought "F*ck YOUR God" to someone else coming before them. Probably long before them and so aren't there to defend themselves or their original intent. Just descendants of followers who probably now have a diluted and bastardized form of the original religion, much like today's Muslim Terrorists. Or Religious Terrorists. Or violent terrorists but really, isn't "violent" terrorists just redundant?

Name a terrorist who wasn't violent, because terror by its nature tends to be violent so really, at very LEAST religious terrorist should be the go to phrase. But then Catholics, and those idiots over at Scientology, Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists and all the other nut cases including Judaism would start whining.

What we should be saying is "F*ck YOU, you rat bastards for killing innocents and pushing your defective extreme (not fundamentalist) thoughts onto others who not only don't see things your way, but may very well in general see things your way as you do after all KILL MUSLIMS, you ASSholes!"

Praise being kind to other people who are real and need our compassion. Should that include terrorists? Well, by their own definition I'd argue, No.

Put down your guns, your bombs, head cutting off knives and swords and your bad attitude and rejoin the human race and then yes, I'd agree. You'd have my compassion again. Until then, you die, whenever possible. Not that it's very hard to do, kill you I mean, since after all half the time you die in the action of killing others and really that's the epitome of stupidity.

Your attrition does help our side however. The side of the entire rest of the world who is against you. So join the rest of humanity because if you think you are right and 99% of the rest of the world is wrong, you really are a loser. Come on. Come join us. Be a part of humanity. You can do it. Just turn your back on ridiculous beliefs. Really. It's doable. Many have done it already and more are all the time, realizing how stupid religious wars against the majority of the planet are.

But first you have to get your head out of your ass.

God, or Allah, ain't up in there.

Understanding Life

I find with so many things that they can be misunderstood, misconstrued and misinterpreted.

This however, is not one of them....

Moving along...I have grown through my life wanting things. I've been told, that is bad. A bad thing to do. And yet, no matter what I try to do, I still seem to do them.

I grew up in Catholicism and found it lacking. Sorely, lacking. I tried many other forms of religion, philosophy (which really, was the start off all this and a brother to psychology which my degree is in), and sociology (a much larger version of psychology).

I settled upon, Buddhism. Very possibly, not a Buddhism you would know or think of. Or maybe possibly so.

I'm not a ritualist, though I understand its usefulness. In any form of theism or philosophy, there is fat. It needs to be trimmed. In writing we have a theory, when you finish your final draft, cut 10% more.

So it is with other forms and disciplines.

I always wanted to be someone who works on computers. I did that. I always wanted to be a Webmaster. I did that. I wanted to be a technical writer. I did that. I wanted to be a writer and author. I've done that.

I wanted to own my own car. My own house, trees, acreage, my own... other things. I've done all that. As a child I wanted to own a mansion, to have servants who waited on me, to own a swimming pool, much acreage, a motorcycle (did that repeatedly), a boat, a plane (I learned to fly and skydive for that matter but my wife wouldn't let me get a plane for some reason, well, we're divorced now).

Then, I realized something.

All my life people said that was all bad. I have seen many stories of people who were materialistic, who became rich, and then were miserable. Donald Trump once said about that, that he knows many rich people and they all seem to be quite happy. Perhaps it's a tail only told by the poor?

Or I've known people who only wanted to sleep around, or to be considered the best in a field, or...whathaveyou.

But then, I realized it.

Speaking only for myself of course, I realized something about all of that. It wasn't that I wanted those things... forever. It wasn't (possibly) that others wanted those things... forever. It was that they wanted to break out of their pigeonhole, into the next level, to experience it, to tire of it, then to move on to another better challenge. Most of them perhaps, simply didn't realize that.

It is those who achieved those things and then sat and did nothing, who were the miserable ones.

I also think these are one of the primary reasons for many to seek out things like religion, philosophy, a guru, extreme sports even, or a therapist.

When really all they need to do is to consider what I'm saying here and follow through.

Of those who realized that and strove to achieve more, what was their choice in continuing on their quest for the next better thing? Did that then in the end make them miserable, too? After all, some people will just always be displeased, always. Avoid those types. On the other hand, it's good to want to achieve more and better, if handled properly. We should always after all, strive to improve, but recognize your achievements and appreciate your efforts for therein lay some of the pleasure.

Or, did they chose the right thing as the next step in the path?

Sometimes the next greater thing, after you hit a certain point, isn't the next obvious step up, but a step away from it. Sometimes, the next step is an oblique to your path, or a reversal.

We just have to realize that in our lives that what we sometimes think is the next step up, only goes so high. One needs to realize when it's time to shift direction. It is those who never see that and then continue on in the same direction always and forever, who suffer.

Those others who see the shifting tides, who can fathom the finest paths to freedom, are the ones who never experience the gloom of satiation and so go on to continue with lives fulfilled with freedom and experience.

That, can be you too.

Is Islam out of control? Is it time to take control?

At what point do we consider that Islam, is out of control in the world?

Should we have special task forces just dealing with violent Muslim activists? Don't we already? Should we start cracking down on them, more than we are, with different tactics? They have long argued a right to these actions, is it time to say no more and become aggressive? Is this the time for the Religion War to begin? Are we tired enough yet of the nonsense religion has been and is still fostering upon us as a species?

These concepts are dangerous.

Now this is news, Anonymous Is Targeting Islamist Sites Over Charlie Hebdo Attacks and Anonymous claims first victim in 'Operation Charlie Hebdo'.

So are these ideologues who are taking it upon themselves to protect a religion, or their beliefs through a religion, to be taken seriously yet? I mean, SERIOUSLY. To that point that we act?

Do we need special task forces dealing only with this situation until it is ended? 

If we were to do that, there is no doubt in my mind that innocents would be killed in the effort to kill this mindset in that of those young, those disaffected and those typically male. 

Or should Islam begin it's own task force to deal with this issue, heading off outsiders starting their own mindset that we've all had enough?

The issue with Charlie Hebdo in France, may have turned into the next step, escalating this issue. Has a gunman taken hostages in another situation, perhaps linked to the killing of a police officer yesterday, in an attempt to help or support the two Charlie Hebdo gunmen still at large and possibly now surrounded by police? We already know about these two orphaned jokers....

French police released photos of the Kouachi brothers - Cherif (L) and Said (R)

Well it seems these guys are dead now.

If Islam doesn't start to do something about this situation, should non-Muslims, forces from outside of Islam? Shouldn't Islam start doing something to clean up their own mess? Isn't it about time?

I've called for them to take this on before. Some have stood up in the Muslim community around the world to denounce these criminal actions. But when will they pull out all the stops? They are great at fighting for themselves. If this is a true religion, when will they start fighting for others? Otherwise I have to suspect Islam is just another false religion that praises yet another false God (well actually I know it does, but that's beside the point here). Where IS Allah in all this? Are these people following Allah, Mohamed, or just themselves? 

If it is just themselves, shouldn't Islam handle it? Because with the way things are going, if outsiders are left to police Islam, that is a very dangerous thing indeed. This could spark the beginning of the end for all religions. 

Because we non-Muslims, are sick to death of this NON SENSE.

Yesterday Fareed Zakaria called for the leaders of Muslim countries to speak up and out about this, to denounce these men. Why isn't Islam up in arms themselves screaming about it, denouncing these actions by these criminals, these mass murderers? Because to not speak up and out about it is to agree with it. Are Muslims cowards? Is it a religion of people fearful of themselves, their beliefs, their "God"?

Isn't it time that God finally be put into his place? 

Islam as a religion needs to be devalued. Judaism was long ago, as was Catholicism. It is time for Islam. It is a religion too young to exist in the modern age. Once they realize this, to play well with others as a whole, it is merely a cancer in the world that needs to be cut out.

People are scared, though they are putting on a brave face. But as some have pointed out, it's rational and okay to be afraid. Just be aware that if the people that people are being afraid of is YOU, you might want to consider taking matters into your own hands as a whole before scared people do.

We saw what happened to Iraq after 9/11. An angry and scared America lashed out and ridiculously attacked Iraq and we don't need any kind of a re-occurrence of that nonsense. Lashing out like that is a sign of cowardice, of fear. Scared people act stupidly. I studied martial arts and the first thing we were taught was never to allow fear to win over in a fight. That all being said, Saddam had to go but he should have gone the first time around in the 1980s. 

If I were a Muslim, I sure as hell wouldn't let outsiders do it. All Muslims need to stand up now and demand an end to the hijacking of their religion and start making it something that all of them can praise and share in the world. And not just for the Charlie Hebdo situation, but for all and future situations.

Religion loves absolutes, Islam even more so, Islamic terrorists (and wannabes like the Charlie Hebdo murderers who are merely criminals) even more so, still. When someone in your Muslim group starts talking crap, shout them down. Punch them in the face. Kick them in the balls. Kill them, if need be, before they kill others when you would really have an issue with masses of others killing random Muslims. Let's avoid that.

Be a real Man, be a real Woman (though being female in Islam is problematic) for your God's sake. Be a Muslim! Stand up wherever you are right now and shout it: "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore! Muslims everywhere stop killing!" Refuse to allow it. Take a zero tolerance stance. Typically I'm against zero tolerance situations but when it comes to certain things like killing, especially innocents, it may be justified. If you want to kill, to stone someone, try killing killers.

This is an effort that needs to come from the ground up, but also from the top down. The leaders of Muslim countries need to stand up, speak up, make changes that will resonate. If they don't, then who? Because if they don't and they don't know who, not being proactive just isn't going to work. There's a lot of Muslims in the world. But there's a lot of others in the world too. Sooner or later people are going to feel they've had enough.

So stop allowing ANY Muslims to be known for cowardice and punk tactics like using bombs to kill innocents, or slaughtering people who have never held a gun and never would.

Otherwise, what does that say about Islam?

Because a God who would allow this to happen, who seems to call for this to happen and keep happening, is a small God indeed, anyway.

By the way, if you think I'm anti Muslims, you're wrong. I'm not. I'm pro people. I'm anti religion. I don't dislike people because they choose religion. I dislike people when they make horrible choices. Religion isn't a horrible choice, it's a bad choice. Big difference (for me anyway).

Let's consider this, "France's New Hero Is The Muslim Police Officer Killed Confronting The Charlie Hebdo Gunmen."

Here's a thought, How to Suck at Your Religion. Because if I had a God, He'd have a sense of humor. Enjoy....

Still here? Okay....

Someone responded to this blog with this:

"What an ill-informed, reactionary piece of toss this is. Muslims around the world are confronting these cretinous zealots... every day. The question we need to ask is why are young, western Muslims turning to an extreme version of the faith, and on...the societies in which they have lived. Task forces won't deal with that, they'll exacerbate it."

Good points. I agree task forces are useless. What is my main point with this blog? Muslim leaders needs to stand up and speak out. Those t the grassroots levels need to stand up and speak out, vociferously. This needs a grassroots effort. My point here was that if Islam doesn't do something, others will and I fully agree, that's a horrible idea. But yet, if Islam doesn't do it, someone will eventually. If you love your Islam, do something, get people involved. Speak out. 

Yes, there are Muslims around the world confronting these cretinous zealots. But they aren't obviously doing enough, not enough are doing it and again, that is my point. This isn't going to go away soon. Unless superhuman action is taken from within the Muslim community and so far? I'm just not seeing it.

As for young Muslim men turning to extreme versions of Islam, well, that's young men in general, and when you add a history such as their or poverty, or not having a voice, or simply feeling disenfranchised, you get young men like that. Young men are always on the lookout for excitement, for a cause, for a focus, for one single thought that requires no thought. But that's what religion is all about too. So again, religion is a big part of the issue to begin with. 

I've spoken on all these issues here before. We need to address why these people are killing people. But Islam needs to act and make it a major issue that parallels the primary elements of their religion. And honestly? I don't see that happening.

Here's part of the problem. Said, your cousin is talking shit about killing for Mohammed. You turn him in.but he wasn't going to do anything. You've caused a huge issue now. Said says something like that in public, at the temple, in a coffee shop. Everyone, stands and denies his Islamicism. That starts to happen everywhere. Muslim media denounces it, leaders, "We are a non violent religion!" That is what's cool. That is what's accepted. 

It will still take years but then instead of zealots, criminals and mentally ill, it will get down to only criminals and mentally ill (we're getting there) and then only the mentally ill. But Islam needs to do it. Perhaps they need our help externally to give them a bad guy to get started but they have to stand up and say they believe to their core EVERYWHERE that Islam doesn't kill. 

I hear that from Muslims now, indeed, but not like what I'm talking about. It has to be on par with someone standing in a coffee shop or temple and saying, "Mohammed is a homosexual!!" 

Yeah, he'd die, right? Same has to be true of the concept of killing for Mohammed. When did the "Prophet" become God, anyway, cuz it sure seems like that's what has happened with many of these guys.

Now this, is what I'm talking about! Hezbollah Leader Says Islamic Extremists Have Hurt Islam More Than Cartoonists

Charlie Hebdo Murders. More Stupid Faux "Terrorist" Attacks

More Murder, this time in France at the offices of Charlie Hebdo where two police officers and ten employees and journalists were murdered.

First, see this article about the victims. Because really, we care about them. Not the slime who murdered them. Currently according to French police, believed to be the Kouachi brothers - Cherif and Said (see link, bottom of page for their photos). A couple of very low criminal types.

French police released photos of the Kouachi brothers - Cherif (L) and Said (R)

I strongly denounce killing in the name of any religion. I'm kind of against killing period, actually.
For those anti American types out there who say America shouldn't kill either...well, I fully agree. And we're working on that. I wish we were working on that harder but groups like ISIS\ISIL, Assad in Syria, etc., make it difficult to stop.

There is a big difference however between nation states and religious killings.

Yes I agree some people should just be shot and put down. But they are few and far between and really need a concerted communal effort first to not kill them (serial killers come to mind, and terrorists). If the communal effort however is some village who says "yes, we need to stone this woman for adultery", or "for driving a car", or "for that man for drawing a cartoon of Mohammed", or "for disparaging Allah", or whatever other bullshit you can dream up in your deluded tiny mindsets, then you need a far bigger community to decide for you because obviously you are incapable of deciding rationally for yourselves. 

It's sad, very, very sad. This kind of thing is simply no longer acceptable.

What we need to do is dilute the arguments for these killings, not bow to them as Sony recently did with the nut cases in North Korea.

You want Mohammed? You got it....

by David Pope

That being said....my politically correct Mohammed drawing against the drawing Mohammed's image jihad cartoon:

Silly drawing of Mohammed dancing a silly dance in a sandstorm....

To good Muslims, my apologies for all this.

To the certain criminal Muslim cretin elite, kiss me Irish arse. 

By the way, if you feel you need to track me down and kill me, at least do the good service of warning me so I can start packing heat. But you won't, will you.? You'd show up and kill me from behind, in the dark, unknown, hidden, cowardly. Wouldn't you?

Or in plain sight with an automatic gun, sniping, or using a bomb probably killing more innocents, possibly more Muslims. Actions you think looks cool, where you know I can't fight back.

Which you see, is what "terrorists" are all about, which makes you cowards. We don't have much terrorism anymore. What we have now are just criminals committing crimes. Low level wannabees. Low lifes. People with no lives. Scum.

I've actually avoided doing this for some time, but I knew it was going to happen eventually. Just be aware, if you come for me I have training since childhood and I shoot back. Unlike many of these types of victims. Well all these killings have finally brought on a backlash.

And so....

La vie de Mahomet
Publish Charlie Hebdo's Mohammed cartoons in solidarity with the victims of censorship and violence

Mohammed, such a silly guy who liked a good party.

You see, we need to put an end to the nonsense of people thinking they can kill over words like this, or cartoons. Grow up.

And.... there's this:

And dammit, it's funny. Anyone who takes their religion so seriously without joy and laughter, has entirely missed the reason behind religion.

Humor after all is a higher function of intellect and so in saying that religion should be entirely serious, is to indicate either the worshiper or their God, isn't. You can be devout and have a sense of humor. One sign of how foolish you or your religion is, is an inability to see humor in it. God is laughing, why shouldn't you? He really won't mind. Unless He is just a fabrication of your own sad and limited image of a God is. Religious writings are written by men, mostly. Another consideration of their own self importance over that of what a real God would be like. And if you can't see that, maybe you're the stupid one who should be bombed out of existence.

I'm really not that concerned because religion is on the way out anyway as humanity becomes more educated and realizes they have been deluded for a very long time, following the agenda of other men long since dead and not magic beings in the sky.

Yes, religion is silly. Killing for it is even sillier. The sooner people realize that the better for us all. If you want to go along believing in nonsense, you are welcome to in my book. Just don't try and put that off on the rest of us and for God's sake, don't kill over it.

Either way, have a sense of humor.

Now of course, let's move on to the one that started it all...

Just in case you think I'm picking on Mohammed....

Seriously and again back to the original point. What's more cowardly than killing unarmed journalists? Children? I've seen they seem to be doing that too. I must be missing something but I don't see how killing innocents or the unarmed is either brave, deserving of reward of any kind or useful to one's cause, unless that cause is to get people pissed off at you, your agenda and if religious based, your stupid religion, considering they are already starting in the minus column in my book, anyway.

I think we need more films where Muslim terrorists (and various "Murderers for Jesus", for that matter) seemingly die in glory (probably murdering more innocents) and then end up with (in the Muslim case) 72 virgin... demons... in Hell. That is, they aren't praised but made to be the fools they are.

Perhaps a flood of films like this, cartoons, etc. until these Muslim murderer types are so overwhelmed worldwide that they finally HAVE to give up their murderous religious fun.

While we're at it, let's have "The Interview" bomb dropped into North Korea (might as well cover all spectrums while I'm at it) en masse. Aren't you sick of these bullies yet?

I do think that all this nonsense in the Muslim community in recent years (the killings) exemplifies the death throws of religion in general worldwide. As with any wounded and cornered animal, just before it dies, it gives a good show of killing anything within reach. Humankind can then finally rise from the veld and count itself among the intelligent species in the galaxy. '

Many of us are biding our time, trying hard to be patient in a pool of delusional despair for many of them who fear the end of their beliefs. It is painful and you have my condolences. You can try but what is to be will be and you can't look at it as prophecy will triumph, because what is to come is what can only triumph. Religion has had its place long since passed by. It survived and had a hardy existence. It continued as long as it could

But then, inevitably, it will die off as reality overtakes wish fulfillment and childhood fantasies. . 
Disclaimer: Most Muslims aren't bad people, so don't harangue them for goodness' sake. But they all do have to get over the concept that non Muslims have to live by their rules of their religion. Honestly, we don't for the most part, care. Same issues for, Christians with Attitude.

Just learn to get along. 

Good Grief.

Has Enhanced Interrogation Gotten a Bad Rap?

There are times in the human experience when you have to take things back from the language abusers. Sometimes, good things simply get hijacked. Less frequently bad ideas do not become hijacked for good ideas. It happens all the time, both ways.

Islam for instance as a religion, needs to be taken back from Islamic terrorists.

NOTE January 7, 2015 - The cowardly attack on the French weekly satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, killing 12 people and injuring seven, is being reported as an apparent Islamist attack. The only more cowardly attack could have been made on children, which has also been happening in relation to Muslim groups like ISIS\ISIL. Can there be a more cowardly action than to attack people who have no way of protecting themselves? It's like the killing children in a glass bowl. These killers deserve our anger (and not Muslims in general, by the way). Get over yourselves and your agendas already, be that religious or geopolitical. Mohammed certainly does not deserve this kind of help or bad press. If He wants people dead, let Him kill them himself. Or better yet, let Him kill these punks with guns.

Honestly and trust me, Mohammed along with Jesus says, "STOP killing in my name!"

French police released photos of the Kouachi brothers - Cherif (L) and Said (R)

The latest Muslim Murderers of the Charlie Hebdo slaughter. Very sad excuses for human beings, to be sure.

Now, as I was saying....

Many words have been hijacked, it's a natural evolution in language, actually. One however, that at times needs to be struggled against. Here is a video that gives some examples of a few aspects of this concept that is interesting.

The term for instance, "intelligent design" is an example, perhaps in reverse. It started in theological writings around 1920s in an American Christian movement and needs to be used more accurately and scientifically rather than in theistic terms. Whether or not you argue that point, matters little. Because the fact remains that the term could be hijacked and reused to mean the exact opposite of what it was originally intended for.

Hijacking words isn't always a bad thing. But when it is it needs to be addressed, reversed, or at least made to be widely understood. For making knowledge of it commonplace is to dilute its meaning and therefore reverse it's misuse. It just takes longer.

I have a fairly good knowledge of the history of the intelligence community. The Bush Administration took them into a dark place they didn't want to go in the first place. The CIA is situated in a position where it can easily be abused by the Executive Branch of our government and typically, they don't like it very much, as in this case.

The disingenuous term "enhanced interrogation" needs to be reclaimed for actual enhanced interrogation, something that has been used in intelligence agencies for many decades. Probably for hundreds of years. By setting aside that Bush administration term to mean only torture interrogation, is going down an ugly, lazy road. By using it appropriately we can reclaim its actual meaning and at the same time, denounce the abuse that was put into play by way of a misleading phrase.

I wouldn't want anyone to go through it (the actual interrogation not the torture version, you following this?). It is grueling. It involves lying to the person being interrogated (supported by the supreme court), twisting things, using some info to make it look like you know more, it is expanding on knowledge of a small amount of information in such a way that it appears you literally know everything.

It is also other things just like that. These have been shown to be highly effective. However, it takes time. Which apparently doesn't matter as in at least one case, the "enhanced interrogation" time and as there was a forty-five day lapse before any questions were asked at all and then, they eventually found the guy was on our side!

If this doesn't speak to incompetence....

It is also unfortunately, necessary at times.

Actual EI does not involve waterboarding, stress positions, keeping someone up for a week at a time, though some of that can be a part of it. Though I would argue that is excessive and the same can be achieved with less. But it doesn't involve torture.

Actual EI is a dialog at a higher level and it does ferret out information. It's been used for years by intelligence agencies and no I don't mean those in the Middle East or others (or us) who use torture in so these so called "enhanced interrogation".

Actual enhanced interrogation is an interrogation method that is enhanced with a higher level of interrogative skills and really only requires a little information and excellent speaking and debating skills; skills which have been honed through an intensive intelligence field orientation.

That being said, over the years due to cost cutting our intelligence skills have become weakened. We have continued to try to not use HUMINT, human intelligence methods. Rather we've been trying to do it all on the cheap, using ELINT, electronic intelligence.

The fine art of human on human intelligence has lost its edge.

The Bush administration took this method of dealing with spies and disingenuously expanded it beyond the scope of what EI is and always has been. We've known for decades not to use the so called "enhanced interrogation" methods because they simply don't work. That isn't news. In fact it was mandated for us to not use torture and yet, the Bush administration pushed for it.

We need to make the term, "enhanced interrogation" mean just that, an enhanced interrogation, not an interrogation that is skewed into the "Twilight Zone" of information acquisition. Torture can work but it's a one end one means thing. For most uses, it just isn't functional, however.

All I can say is if that isn't clear enough of an explanation to explain what I'm saying, then I mustn't be talking to someone who has a clear understanding of English or linguistics.