Q: Taliban is to Islam as __________

A: KKK

Another reason to love The West Wing. They postponed their season premier to show a special episode written and produced in response to the attacks. The setup was that there was a perceived threat to the White House and the whole building was locked down -- no one gets in or out -- while the threat was contained and evaluated. Caught in the middle was a group of high school students who happened to be there for a visit.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the entire staff came in to lead a lecture/discussion of terrorism. Various staffers' positions ranged from the press chief who was entirely willing to give up some liberties for safety, to her boss who couldn't despise Big Government/Big Brother more if he tried. But the amazing thing was that every position was well articulated and apparently reasonable.

The analogy in the subject of this post was, IMO, the most concise description of the true nature of the Taliban I have yet seen. The character who got the line, Josh Lyman the assistant chief of staff, was later asked by one of the students, "So what do we do now." He answered, "Well, some people a lot smarter than me are going to have to answer that. Problem is, there aren't very many of them."

All in all, a great episode.

And also how someone as ept as Sorkin could so broadly frame the Pandora's box of 'issues' floating around since so large a shock.

Those who have labeled it 'left-wing propaganda' in past, have probably not bothered to stick around and notice how often the er 'Republican side' (or even the Repo! side) gets expressed -- often considerably more persuasively than the common doggerel of Murican 'political cant' du jour.

I think they *try* to demonstrate something we have long since lost, in all the bizness-media:

~"What honest debate used to look like".

Tee Vee shows are canned far ahead. Imagine putting together this variant, from first idea to finished, in this time frame and amidst all the distractions.

They're gonna take on Big Tobacco this season. I noticed (PBS of course) opening POV? or joint-effort with Nova? revealed some more about the burying of "less killful cigarettes".. decades ago because: they'd sorta kinda suggest that - the regular ones might seem to have been a bit umm (harmful) yada yada. Sorkin will carry that ball.

Rest of prime time will feature spoiled brats competing for "GameShowSurvival" -- exhibiting by stark comparison, how vast remains the wasteland of our Popular entertainment. Even after shows like this demonstrate what Might Be.

We are the looosers. $$-Ads \ufffdber Alles is all Muricans deserve (??) At least: will ovinely settle for, sans any real complaint.

Bah,

Ashton

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