No so funny cartooonist

I went to Borders Outlet Bookstore and bought a slim volume by Ted Rall with "Afghanistan" in the title. I bought it because it was small, nicely bound and cheap. It cost a whole dollar. I've since read a chapter and discovered the book would have been a total waste of money except for it's perspective on how far left liberal Americans think.

The author is intelligent, but from the first paragraph his anti-American bias is crystal clear. By the second he's off on an rant establishing his credentials as an pure nut-case. Mr. Rall tries to be an "intellectual". He considers his abilities to be on the same level as Gore Vidal, or Christopher Hitchens for example. . He fails completely.

Before reaching the third chapter Mr. Rall has pointed out that EVERYTHING wrong with the world is George W. Bush's fault. He thinks there is a deep and dark conspiracy behind every reported disaster. He sincerely believes the uprising of radical Islam was caused by President Bush, who bombed them for no good reason at all.

Mr. Rall is especially upset with Israel because America help them defend themselves from Muslim terrorists. Hows that for logic. Wait, it gets worse. He complains that Islamic people everywhere are fed up and tired of American's using modern weapons against them because it's just not fair. He says that Muslims regard all American aircraft bombing as being directed at women, children and the elderly.

This kind of rubbish sets Mr. Rall's stage for saying that the middle-eastern conflict has nothing to do with:

• Saddam Hussein,
• The brutality of a tyrant,
• The evil schools of radical Islam,
• The civilian targets of radical Islam,
• The deranged Mullah's preaching of hate,
• The increasing number of suicide bombers,
• The raging anti-Semitism of desert Arabs, or
• The long standing inter-tribal arguments in the region.

These are (according to Mr. Rall) simply excuses.

According to this self appointed foreign affairs expert, , the reason America attacked Muslim fanatics in Afghanistan, and then later in Iraq, is solely because of oil. He believes: "THE POWER MAD "BUSH-CHENEY-RICE-RUMSFELD" CABAL LIED TO THE WORLD SO THEY COULD GO TO WAR IN THEIR PURSUIT OF OIL PROFITS".

Blaming ALL of the mid-east's problems on OIL is disappointingly stupid. Of course OIL is the most important commodity in the middle east, and the single most important factor of geopolitics in the entire region. So what. Of course OIL was an influence in the decision to go to war - but Mr. Rall has conveniently forgotten: (1) The increasing belligerence of several governments in the area,(2) the growing danger to Israel, (3) the promises of murder and violence to Americans and their friends,(4) the fast moving intolerance of Islam, (5) the threatened disruption of the western world's oil supply, and (6) the proclaimed pursuit of nuclear weapons. ALL of these elements led to the war.

Anyone want a slim volume of rubbish?

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