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Mea culpa

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Clarissa

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I was wrong. The San Bernardino couple turned out to be real, hardcore terrorists. I passionately wanted them to turn out to be just a pair of sad, crazy fucks, and that clouded my judgment.

I was also wrong in my suspicion that the Obama administration was going to sell out Ukraine in return for a Putinoid promise to kinda sorta fight ISIS. Hollande caved, Merkel vacillated, but the US stood strong and Ukraine wasn’t sold out. For now, at least. That’s very positive, and I’m grateful.

It’s good to recognize one’s mistakes every once in a while.

18 responses to “Mea culpa”

  1. NG Avatar
    NG

    “The San Bernardino couple turned out to be real, hardcore terrorists.” True.

    I guess that you can file this item under you can’t take it with you.

    “One of the Reuters government sources said Farook and Malik apparently pursued a scenario previously followed by U.S.-based militants by draining their bank accounts and taking credit lines to their maximums before embarking on what they believe was a suicide mission, knowing that they would not have to repay the debts.

    Fox News first reported on Monday that Farook engaged in transactions involving more than $28,000 and that the money originated with WebBank.com (on-line P2P loans) around Nov. 18. It said investigators were trying to determine if the money was a loan taken out by Farook.”

    http://www.reuters.com/article/us-california-shooting-account-idUSKBN0TR27P20151208?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&utm_source=twitter#vFCrOsTbBlcsW1cJ.97

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    1. Clarissa Avatar
      Clarissa

      Wow. That’s really hardcore. Thank you for the link!

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  2. c u n d gulag Avatar
    c u n d gulag

    Admitting your mistakes is no way to become a highly paid conservative TV, newspaper, or inter-tube pundit! 😉

    So, welcome fellow “Libtard,” as we fallible liberals and progressives are known to the “infallibe” conservative ignorati! 🙂

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    1. Clarissa Avatar
      Clarissa

      I’m following the venerable Marxist tradition of self-criticism and public recognition of my mistakes in analysis. 🙂

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      1. c u n d gulag Avatar
        c u n d gulag

        I guess hair shirts over the bloody self-administered whip scars on your back was just a tad too “Christian” for Ol’ Karl, huh?

        I guess what you’re doing is somewhere between the old Christian self-flagellation tradition, and the more modern Soviet way – where, after a late night knock at your door, and being falsely accused, at a “show trial,” you’d admit guilt (usually after torture), self-criticise, apologise, get public denunciations for the mistakes and errors of your ways, and get taken for your punishment – usually a one gun, one-bullet salute right behind your ear outside in the backyard of the courtroom, and a quick burial.

        That’s probably what happened to my paternal grandfather.

        So, what you and I do when we admit our errors, is kinder and gentler.

        Now THAT’S what I call progress! 😉

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        1. Clarissa Avatar
          Clarissa

          Funny. 🙂 Thank you, you made me smile.

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  3. Dreidel Avatar
    Dreidel

    “I passionately wanted them to turn out to be just a pair of sad, crazy fucks.”

    Why did you want that conclusion? At least by clearly being a terrorist event, this tragedy is forcing some Americans to recognize that ISIS is a deadly, growing threat that isn’t just “over there,” and is slowly turning public opinion toward taking appropriate military action.

    Obama still hasn’t gotten the message, alas. But other politicians are starting to wake up.

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    1. Clarissa Avatar
      Clarissa

      Because an act of terror hurts Hillary’s chances at the election. Of course, I didn’t know that Trump would be so eager to help her gain back all her ground so fast.

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      1. matt Avatar
        matt

        Again that is only if he gets the nomination. He has made moderates out of the rest of the republican party… Rubio will look very moderate and clinton a stereotypical “weak liberal” in comparison. I agree, Trump wins, Hillary likely is in, but Rubio is the consenus candidate for establishment and this all helps him a ton.

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        1. Clarissa Avatar
          Clarissa

          What would really help Rubio is to hire a psychological consultant or two to teach him how to look more serious and project some gravitas. The fellow looks like a scared little chicken most of the time.

          It’s strange that a Hispanic guy can’t manage to bring any manliness to his image.

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  4. Dreidel Avatar
    Dreidel

    Well, I’d like to see a Republican elected, but this is about much more than the 2016 election. ISIS isn’t going away while Obama looks the other way, and pretends that this is all about domestic gun control.

    We’re AT WAR, and the war isn’t going to end until the country wakes up and takes the fight seriously.

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    1. c u n d gulag Avatar
      c u n d gulag

      Who are we at war with?
      And who do we fight?
      ISIS/ISIL?
      Fighting a useless war in Iraq, and then occupying that country, is what created that group in the first place.
      By threatening and clamoring to fight – congratulations! – you’re doing that group’s recruiting work for them – in the Middle East, Europe and here in America.

      You know what?
      I don’t think I’m to respond any further.
      Anyone who wrote what you wrote, if that’s what you truly believe, isn’t worth trying to have a discussion with.
      I’ve tried too many times before, but I’m learning to save my breath.
      I’ve already wasted
      Time writing back to you, that I’ll never have back again!

      “Well, I’d lIke to see a Republic an elected…”
      Some people just never learn.
      Yeeeeeeeeeeesh…

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      1. Clarissa Avatar
        Clarissa

        “Fighting a useless war in Iraq, and then occupying that country, is what created that group in the first place.
        By threatening and clamoring to fight – congratulations! – you’re doing that group’s recruiting work for them – in the Middle East, Europe and here in America.”

        I love Americans but they keep shocking me with their truly insatiable narcissism and self-aggrandizement. As I always say, whenever a bear sneezes in Magadan, there is an American going, “Me! That was me! I made him do it!” This intense American patriotism is scary.

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      2. Dreidel Avatar
        Dreidel

        Tell me, c u n d gulag, are related to a certain Stringer Boy? Or were you both just dropped on your heads as babies?

        On the other hand, your self-description on another post (“an old 1/2 Ukranian/Russian drunk”) is undoubtedly correct.

        You got all your brains from the Russian side of your family, right?

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        1. Clarissa Avatar
          Clarissa

          OK, careful with insulting Russians because I’ve got a Russian husband here and he’s very brilliant. Which is why he left Russia, obviously.

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          1. Dreidel Avatar
            Dreidel

            “Which is why he left Russia, obviously.”

            Obviously. 🙂

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  5. cliff arroyo Avatar
    cliff arroyo

    “turned out to be real, hardcore terrorists. I passionately wanted them to turn out to be just a pair of sad, crazy fucks”

    I really don’t see the contradiction. I assume that most terrorists are sad crazy fucks who become terrorists as a way of working through their rage at the world (usually narcissistic – they want to change the world so that it will reflect their self image).

    The idea of terrorists as othewise well-adjusted ideologues has never made sense to me. There may have been a couple of but they’re greatly outnumbered by the angry damaged people who’d be sad if they hadn’t turned to evil.

    And… I don’t think this can be classified as classic terrorism. Classic terrorism is anonymous, treating anonymous human lives like eggs to be broken to make their revolutionary omelet.

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    1. Jones Avatar
      Jones

      … and now I can’t resist saying, “Make my revolutionary omelette with extra bacon” … 🙂

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A conservative literary critic and college professor

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