Wednesday, September 03, 2014

Lay down your Jackson and you will see

In the night you hide from the madman 
You're longing to be 
But it all comes out on the inside 

Eventually

-- Steely Dan, "Here at the Western World"

Let fury have the hour
Anger can be power
Did you know that you can use it?

-- The Clash, "Clampdown"

You don't tug on Superman's cape
You don't spit into the wind
You don't pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger
And you don't mess around with Jim

-- Jim Croce, "Don't Mess Around with Jim"

Walter Russell Mead is wondering if ISIS is pulling on Superman's cape:
Disheartened by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and lacking confidence in the nation’s political leaders, until recently the American people have been more interested in ignoring the world than in dealing with it. Now, with everyone from Putin to ISIS treating the United States with undisguised contempt, public opinion is beginning to stir.

We aren’t there yet, but ISIS isn’t far from igniting a Jacksonian firestorm in American politics that would transform the country’s foreign policy stance in short order. 
Today is 9/3. If something happens 8 days from now, maybe things will change, but at this point I still see a lot of weariness out there. Back to Mead:
There are few things in the world more terrifying than the American people in full pursuit of an enemy that is cowardly, treacherous, and mistreats American prisoners. ISIS is, according to some, planning terror attacks on American soil and on the soil of our NATO allies. It is impossible to tell in advance what the tipping point will be that sets off something like the post 9/11 reaction or something even stronger. (Americans have a tendency to respond with more violence and less restraint after a second offense.)
Do you think that we will respond? Let's poll it -- you can vote for more than one answer:

Should the United States respond to the depredations of ISIS with great fury?
 
pollcode.com free polls

3 comments:

First Ringer said...

Best. Poll. Questions. Ever.

Gino said...

what? no place for Michael Sam?

Bike Bubba said...

I'm thinking Stuporduck is a better analogy than Superman in this case, sadly.