Words Mean Things (But It’s Not Always Obvious)
September 9th, 2007Osama bin Laden has released a new tape to the world. You can read a news account of it here, as well as a transcript of his comments, verbatim. There are a variety of things to take from the tape. As an analysis found here points out, he may be attempting to make himself relevant once again; he might be sending signals for an attack (as Mohammed used to ask people to become Muslims before he killed them); he may be attempting to bolster a political party or political sentiment in the United States (like, say, “convicing” Republicans to stay in Iraq because it is great propaganda for him and his ilk — which is the CIA’s point of view, since 2004, and no, I’m not saying he “supports” Republicans).
Some people, unfortunately, have taken the speech — in which he praises Noam Chomsky — as an opportunity to declare bin Laden a Democrat. It’s unfortunate and disgusting. The truth is that Osama bin Laden is not a political liberal and he is definitely not an American liberal and by extension he is not an American Democrat. He is not a Republican, either, or a conservative Republican or a Conservative by any Western means. Whatever he says is said for symbollic purposes in the Muslim world, to convey secret messages to supporters, or to incense the American public. There are no endorsements of ideology not relating to the Caliphate in his speeches.
Wonder why he dyed his beard, though. What will people in the Muslim world think of their great, Allah-defending soon-to-be martyr when they realize that he hasn’t struck the West since 2001 but has time to get his (facial)hair done?