goutman rants

Coffee with the Malteaser.
"Did you see Charlie Wilson's War?" quoth she.
"No, Gabbie, I didn't." (Wearily.)
"It was brilliant. It showed what really caused all this Islamic terrorism."
"No, Gabbie, it didn't."
"How do you know if you haven't seen it?"
"Because it stars Tom Hanks and that means it finds a way to blame America for every murder Islamic terrorists have committed."
"James you haven't seen the film so you can't judge it."
"Okay. Tell me if I'm wrong then. The film claims Islamic terrorism was caused by America supporting Afghan resistance to the Russian invasion in 1979."
"Yes. But that's what happened."
"It's not what happened Gabbie. The Russians tried to grab Afghanistan in 1979. The Americans supported the thoroughly decent Muslim Afghans who were fighting to save their country. Osama Bin Laden and some other low rent Arab playboy toe rags living off their Daddys' oil money insinuated themselves into the resistance. They weren't Afghans and they had less right than America or the Russians to be there. Surely the presence of Bin Laden and his scum doesn't discredit the right of Afghans to resist forcible incorporation into the loser Soviet bloc? Nor does it discredit America for trying to help them."
"Heelers!"
"What?"
"Nobody is as pro American as you. Not even the Americans."
"It's the future of the human race Gabbie. Something Tom Hanks doesn't give a shit about."