Guerillas In The Mist
George Orwell, in December of 1944:
We are told that it is only peoples objective actions that matter, and their subjective feelings are of no importance. Thus pacifists, by obstructing the war effort, are objectively aiding the Nazis; and therefore the fact that they may be personally hostile to Fascism is irrelevant. I have been guilty of saying this myself more than once. The same argument is applied to Trotskyism. Trotskyists are often credited, at any rate by Communists, with being active and conscious agents of Hitler; but when you point out the many and obvious reasons why this is unlikely to be true, the objectively line of talk is brought forward again. To criticize the Soviet Union helps Hitler: therefore Trotskyism is Fascism. And when this has been established, the accusation of conscious treachery is usually repeated.This is not only dishonest; it also carries a severe penalty with it. If you disregard peoples motives, it becomes much harder to foresee their actions. For there are occasions when even the most misguided person can see the results of what he is doing. Here is a crude but quite possible illustration. A pacifist is working in some job which gives him access to important military information, and is approached by a German secret agent. In those circumstances his subjective feelings do make a difference. If he is subjectively pro-Nazi he will sell his country, and if he isnt, he wont. And situations essentially similar though less dramatic are constantly arising.
Canadian activists were out in force at a recent conference in Cairo that sought to forge closer links between the international anti-war movement and Islamic resistance groups, including several on Canada’s terrorism list.About 20 Canadians attended the March 29 to April 1 Cairo Conference, the largest delegation from Canada in the event’s five-year history. According to one report, it was also one of the largest delegations from outside the Middle East.
In total, as many as 1,500 delegates from the Middle East, Europe, South Korea and the Americas attended. Many of the Canadian delegates were from the Canadian Peace Alliance, the country’s largest umbrella peace organization, and some of its 150 affiliated groups, said peace alliance coordinator Sid Lacombe, who attended the conference.
Groups that sent delegates include the Toronto Coalition to Stop the War, the Canadian Arab Federation, the Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid, Artists Against War, the Venezuela We Are With You Coalition, the Toronto-Haiti Action Committee, the Toronto- Egypt Solidarity Campaign and Not In Our Name—Jews Against Israel’s Wars. The conference attracted representatives of at least four organizations that appear on Canada’s list of terrorist organizations—Hamas, Hezbollah, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and Jamaat al-Islamiya.
I hate to intrude on Mr. Lacombe’s fantasies of revolution; but we are in a war, and he and his co-rebels have clearly chosen their side.
Wars have consequences, and they extend to people who play footsie with the enemy. Let’s imagine that Sid Lacombe’s dreams come to fruition; the West’s armies quit the field, and the Jihadi have time and space to refocus their attacks. Emboldened in no small part by the likes of Lacombe and his smelly friends, the battles will continue in the Toronto subway and any and every other target where defenceless people gather.
For someone who makes a fetish of civil liberties and your heroic (and imaginary) struggle for them, you don’t seem to have thought the problem through.
What do you imagine the state of human rights in this society will be following a Beslan-style massacre? Two or three of them? Or if your technically-challenged buddies actuallly manage to touch off a nuke in D.C. or Boston?
You expect that the basic decency of your fellow citizens and the rule of law that you fight against will protect you then? You’d better hope that the police find you first—they might have some residual attachment to procedure and process, and you might even get a fair trial out ot it. I don’t think that the people you’ve betrayed will be quite so sentimental. Whether you know it or not, you’re on The List.
And when the balloon goes up, payback’s going to be a bitch.
Comments are off for this postBook review: The Mind Keepers
The Mind Keepers
by Kenneth Maclean
Its great to come across such a good novel by an author you have never heard of. This is a techno thriller of the best kind, though the location is rather rural, rather than normal urban an environment. First of all I have to tell you that I read the book in one sitting, it was that involving and good. Rather than the turgid overlong rubbish that one finds these days, this book is just as long as it need be there is no fluff or extraneous elements.
The characterisation and scene setting is very well done. There is just enough technical info to make it credible without overkill that gets uber-geeky. The author knows wherefore he writes as well but does not let his knowledge overpower the novel. As with any good novel it just a cracking good tale.
The tale involves bleeding-edge technology, envirofascists and militia types all in a small town out West. Their are various government agencies pulling and playing with people to add to the mix. Add to it some good ole’ jealousy, revenge and angst for good measure. This novel has all the right elements in the right amounts to make it a cracking read.
Needless to say with its high-tech elements and conspiracy it would make a cracking film as well. There is enough action here to keep any good director on his toes making it play out. Now the book is very visual and lends itself to a screenplay it does not read like one which is nice.
Overall I think this book is well worth your time and schekels.
Crossposted @ BNN.
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