Matadors, Mimes and Messages

Following on the theme touched on in The American Taliban in the preceding post, The Origins and Nature of Fundamentalism in Society by Niccolo Caldararo provides a scholarly analysis of and insights into religious fundamentalism of the kind we see at home and abroad.

Among the more original and interesting voices on the Right is that of Lee Harris at Techcentral. In a fascinating essay entitled Al Qaeda's Fantasy Ideology, Harris presents a highly original view of terrorism, terrorist ideology and terrorist motives. Well worth the read!

Bush's Lost War by James Fallows, writing in The Atlantic Monthly boldy goes where most journalists fail to go regarding the Bush administration's invasion of Iraq:

By deciding to invade Iraq, the Bush Administration decided not to do many other things: not to reconstruct Afghanistan, not to deal with the threats posed by North Korea and Iran, and not to wage an effective war on terror. An inventory of opportunities lost.

Here's another original view of the same subject:

It’s hard to believe, but the Bush administration’s foreign policy and the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq are influenced by the writings of a cave-dwelling hermit who had apocalyptic visions some 2000 years ago.

And yet, it seems, there's method in this madness:

Rutgers University history professor Jackson Lears, in a recent letter to The New York Times, “How a War became a Crusade” (3-11-03), suggests a reason why Bush is so cavalier about the possibility that war in Iraq will have unintended consequences. Bush, according to Lears, “denies the very existence of chance.” “Events aren’t moved by blind change and chance,” Lears quotes Bush as saying; rather, events are determined by “the hand of a just and faithful God.”(Source)

Lest we forget -- and for those who don't but should know -- here's a slide show you won't want to miss: The Right 101.

Finally, a little fantasy of our own at our favorite message board.

As the Singing Detective said, Am I right or am I right? :)