This is a statement that is rarely expressed in political circles in the West.  Mirror imaging American expectations of genial discourse onto enemies has been a traditional problem in the intelligence community.  Ditto for diplomacy.  However, those who are familiar with rough and tumble tribal politics recognize the sentiment as blunt, and correct in many ways.  It as a fact of life in certain areas.  To read a similar explanation about northwest Pakistan, read Stanley Kurtz’s article, “Tribes of Terror,” in the Claremont Review of Books.  Kurtz reviews three books about Islam in Pakistan, and the conflict of Islam and its struggle with modernity.  He offers a compelling explanation of the roots of Islamic terror: 

“The Islamist revolution is a conscious choice—an act of cultural self-defense against the intrusions and seductions of an alien world. Although the social foundations of the traditional Muslim way of life have been shaken, they are far from broken. So long as these social foundations cohere, advancing globalization will provoke more rebellion, not less—whatever America decides to do in Iraq and beyond. The root of the problem is neither domestic poverty nor American foreign policy, but the tension between Muslim social life and globalizing modernity itself.”  

“While the use of such force is often difficult for the American public to stomach, Middle East officials recognize its effectiveness in a region where force is often the only language that is understood.” 

Who has the tallest, most powerful wind turbine in North Carolina?  Blackwater. 

“Atop a 120-foot-tall tower near the building where the security company builds Grizzly armored personnel carriers, the turbine’s three blades spun into a slow rotation, pushed by a stiff north wind.

“There you go,” Vogel said.

“It was a minor demonstration of the 50-kilowatt wind turbine, but over the next year it is expected to produce about 110,000 kilowatt hours – enough to power 10 homes – and save Blackwater around $10,000, Vogel said.”

“If this turbine, erected last month at a cost of $180,000, contributes enough to the electricity needs of the 70,000-square-foot Grizzly plant, then Blackwater could put up more turbines and add credence to the forecast that North Carolina coastal counties can effectively use wind power.”

“Currituck County Superior Court Judge Russell Duke gave no additional jail to the seven, six of whom also were convicted of resisting arrest. They had appealed their original convictions from District Court in December.”

“Dean Vander Mey, the girls’ father, spent hours on the phone trying to get his daughters home and away from the recent violence over the country’s elections. He even looked at paying $20,000 for a helicopter to lift them out, but there was not one available.”

Who was available?  Blackwater Worldwide.  Go here to read more.
Once again, Blackwater has proven to be a valuable asset in conflict areas.

“Blackwater spokeswoman Anne Tyrrell said the dog had attacked one of Blackwater’s bomb-sniffer dogs while a security team was sweeping the compound for explosives.”

“The K-9 handler made several unsuccessful attempts to get the dog to retreat, including placing himself between the dogs. When those efforts failed, the K-9 handler unfortunately was forced to use a pistol to protect the company’s K-9 and himself,” she said in an e-mail to Reuters.”

1. How much does it cost to train a K-9 to be a bomb-sniffing dog?

2. Bomb-sniffing dogs are used to save human lives. What then is the more moral thing to do, shoot the dog the Times probably found wandering the street, or the dog that has been trained to save lives?

3. Probably no one missed the media’s continuous video feed of pit bulls fighting during the Michael Vick scandal. The Blackwater employee should be commended for placing himself between one dog trying to kill another.

UPDATE (12/22):  The Times has other dogs too and they don’t play well.