I was recently re-reading some of my Tom Clancy collection (say what you want about the man, he virtually invented the technothriller genre), and a few things struck me as odd. While the former insurance salesman has proven frighteningly accurate about a few things, almost to a supernatural degree, he has also shown himself more than willing to strap on his blinders to some other elements.
(Note: I’m putting most of this piece in the extended entry. For one, it contains spoilers for several of Clancy’s later books. For another, I suspect a lot of people simply won’t care.)
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Interestingly, I keep waiting for a Palestinian Gandhi or MLK Jr. to show up. If the Palestinians chose to use nonviolence in their intifada, it really could change the current dynamic of the Israel/Palestinian conflict.
–|PW|–
PennyWit, the Palestinian Gandhi and Martin Luther King showed up a while ago. They were dragged out in the streets and shot as “collaborators” by masked “Palestinian authorities.”
J.
Jay, I think you are being too hard. I dont agree at all with Mass Murder in the name of liberation politics, it is a failed philosophy, but I do have some very close Palestinian American friends, and the truth is that their history and the injustices commited against them has never been presented to American public, partially at least becuase they have chosen terrorism as a method to fight their battles, nevertheless the stories are sad, and perhaps one day we will get to hear their side from a leader who understands that this war will never be won by violence.
Everybody’s got a sad story to tell. People who let their sob stories become their culture and identity, are thus putting themselves into a death spiral. In theory the Palestinians could recover by following a leader who rejects terrorism, but Jay has a point about what’s been happening to those who want peace.
Sadly, the only way to finally convince the rank-and-file Palestinian to abandon the terrorists is for it to be shown once and for all and in no uncertain terms, that terrorism isn’t going to work. And that, unfortunately, is going to require the Palestinians to suffer even more than they already are.
Hey McGehee, I agree with you in principle, but the point I was trying to make is that their story has never really been told. My friends are very successful Americans of Palestinian descent. They are far from being sob story types, but I have heard their stories, and what has happened to their families (Israeli land grabs and what not), is tragic. Fairness dictates that we at least try to be fair about what is going on in Israel.
If their stories are so sympathetic, all the more reaosn to drop terrorism as a tactic and instead go the MLK route…
David, I didn’t intend this thread to revolve strictly around the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but my opinions are built around three simple contrasts.
Most extreme example of Israeli jurisprudence: mass murderers are tried and sentenced to life imprisonment, or until released to save kidnapped hostages.
Most extreme example of Palestinian jurisprudence: “Israeli collaborators” are, upon accusation, publicly executed without benefit of trial.
Most widely protested Israeli atrocity: building a wall.
Most widely protested Palestinian atrocity: blowing up buses.
Israeli reaction to 9/11 attacks on the US: Public declarations of sympathy, lining up to donate blood, offers of rescue assistance.
Palestinian reaction to 9/11 attacks on the US: Public declarations of support for Bin Laden, singing and dancing in the streets, giving sweets to children to celebrate.
I could go on, David, but I think I made my point… if someone wants my sympathy, it helps if they act in a remotely sympathetic fashion.
J.
I have to agree with your assessment of Clancy’s declining talents. I am done being duped into buying substandard hardcovers. I guess I enjoyed his early work so much (I reread Red October frequently), that I ignored the declining quality of his work and I continued to get in line and buy his hardcovers. That ended with “Teeth of the Tiger”. Although I can appreciate the idea behind of a team of assassins that travels the world elminating the heart of the terror network, the book was awful. There are whole pages of fantastically repetitive drivel. I frequently noted the same sentence reprinted only pages apart. It seems to me that Clancy’s ego has gotten so big, he has become un-editable, but the publishing house tolerates it because shlubs like me go out and buy anything he writes. No more.
Okay JT, I need to answer this, been waiting all night to answer it actually, since we had a power failure last night locking out my entire grid. Here goes:
“I think you are forgetting the assassinations of Palestinian leaders without trial, systematically and without regard to innocent bystanders.”
Actually, David, Israel has shown incredible regard for innocent bystanders, to the point of forgoing attacks when the targets are surrounded by civilians and reducing the warheads in missiles to minimize additional casualties.
And under international law, the safety of those bystanders is not Israel’s responsibility, but those they target — see my posting here which cites the Geneva Convention, which places the onus on keeping away from civilians (and, by extension, the onus of any subsequent casualties) squarely on the combatants.
As far as the reactions to 9/11 — I didn’t point out the widespread Arab praise for the attacks because the discussion was strictly about the Palestinians. Yeah, it was contemptible, and I (like most Americans) will have long memories of those days.
Now, as to your Palestinian friends’ reactions… I was talking strictly about the reactions of the Palestinians in the Middle East. They have devolved into a cult of perpetual victimhood and death-worship (to see the death worship in action, go over to Little Green Footballs and search for “car swarm“), and to “reward” them with statehood would be the worst thing we could do for them, the Israelis, and the entire world.
But now to drag the topic kicking and screaming back to it’s original subject… I forgot to mention Clancy’s French fetish. According to his books, the French are the most civilized, polite, professional people in the world, and eager to repay favors done to them.
Man, whatever he’s drinking/smoking/swallowing/shooting up, I wish he’d share…
J.
Hey, you want uncanny realism that comes from a movie made prior to 9/11 check out the film
THE SIEGE holy crap, this flick practically predicted everything that is happeining now. From the mass attack on US soil, the military response even the torture and murders are predicted. Amazing!
Jews have more than a little influence in the American media, so it is not surprising the ‘Arab side’ of the story doesn’t get told. Sixty percent of Americans support Israel, compared to forty percent of Europeans; the difference is due to media bias.
I don’t know what effect the occupation has on Arab infant mortality, but if it has increased it the Israelis could be responsible for the deaths of over a million Arabs–far worse than building a wall.
Speculative fiction seems to underestimate the degree of decadence in the West, and the degree to which non-Whites are colonizing Western countries.
Oh good, the old “Jews run the media” trope! I hadn’t realized how much I missed that.
/sarcasm
Truly, if the Jewish influence on the media were so widespread, how is it that these stories get lots of press:
UN condemnation of Israeli actions
Jenin “massacre”, without followup about what was manipulated in that event
Palestinian “right of return” requests, without noting how they would effectively remove the housing rights of existing Israeli citizens.
Riddle me that, Batman.