World Trade -- Acknowledgement

I wouldn't be so quick to bind the stupid, right-wing religious factions to the stupid, right-wing militia movement. The two have no particular regard for one another, though there may be considerable overlap. What they have in common is the low ratio of grey-cells per capita, and they feed on one another's lack of insight. Though I'm acquainted with quite a number of active evangelical Christians, I know nobody willing to acknowledge affiliation with the "religious right" wing. I also am, through my former involvement in shooting sports, acquainted with a number of weapons (gun-ownership-rights) activists, and none of them will admit to being, or knowing other who are, of the "religious right" wing. While we've recognized that they can't all be as dumb as they seem, it's odd that the religious right is always represented by some spokesman of not much more than room-temperature IQ. Pulling off a terrorist act such as what happened yesterday is not rocket science, though there are a number of details that have to be managed. However, buying knives isn't difficult, even if it's done over the web. Ordering plane tickets can be done that way also, as can reserving a car or two. Fortunately, with the aid of appropriate subpoenas, the law enforcement guys will have all the details in a few days. None of this stuff takes tons of money. I doubt that the whole operation cost the instigators/funders more than $50K. That Bin Laden thing of deny, deny, deny, never admitting, let alone claiming, responsibility for an attack is what's likely to cost him his support within the cultural base on which he relies. He buys the loyalties of poor, muslims by donating money to the families of suicide bombers and soldiers killed in actions against the Israelis and Americans. Faced with the potential punishment to be meted out by the Western powers once the originator of this most recent attack is discovered, they won't continue to be loyal followers. Once he's without that low-level support, he's done. Meanwhile, once presented with incontrovertible evidence that Bin Laden is, in fact, responsible for a terrorist act on this scale, I doubt the Taliban will be anxious to continue offering him aid and comfort, fearing the wrath of those who disapprove of such acts. They will endeavor to gain favor with the West by giving him up, as their only other option will be to suffer a terrible punishment. Though it's easily possible, and possibly warranted, it's not likely the U.S. will have to reduce the entirety of Afghanistan to a lifeless cinder, just to get this guy. There's a civil war going on there right now, and who ends up with the upper hand is still a question. If the West becomes involved in any way, particularly in supporting one side or the other, it could go very badly for Bin Laden. I think the die is cast where Bin Laden is concerned. The gov is determined to "get" him, and that's what they'll likely do. I just hope it's really he who is determined later to have been the one responsible for this attack, for which he seems to be getting the blame. If that's the case, no punishment will be severe enough. Dick ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sipke de Wal" <sipke(a)wxs.nl> To: <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org> Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2001 12:34 PM Subject: Re: World Trade -- Acknowledgement as of or of We and