Youtube Jihad

Youtube, one of the most popular video-sharing websites has come a long way since its establishment in 2005. In 2006, Google bought the company for a record-breaking US$1.65 billion in their stocks. Youtube offers users a way to post videos online or watch any of the clips posted by other users. Not all videos are posted by teenagers talking about their day or a dog chasing some neighbors cat. Youtube has been quickly taken up as a political battleground and a propaganda war. Ranging from controversial videos glorifying terrorism and urging "Jihad", or holy war, against America and their ally, Israel, through the many revolting 9/11-was-an-inside-job conspiracy theories, all the way to videos trying to undermine American foreign policy through blatant home-made propaganda. Think of it a bit like a digital version of a Qassam, an improvised missile used on a daily basis by Hamas against the Israeli city of Sderot, but aimed not at the body, but at the mind. Here is an example:



This video was posted by a user by the name "protectIran". Go figure. The video is shot with a hand-held camera and depicts a festival with Muslims dancing. Phrases appear every couple of seconds in yellow font: "This is multiculturalism.", "this is a real utopia". Curiously, the rating for the video has been disabled and comments are moderated. This means that every comment has to be approved by the poster. There are 3 comments on the video, all of them posted by Iranians:

-IF I was the president of Iran I would do the same thing to this arabs like Hitler did to jews

-Me too!!

-The should get the fuck out.

The comments have been rated as +2 or +3.

Interestingly, the face of Iranian multiculturalism might be a little bit different.



It is important to be aware when watching you-tube that there are videos there that are blatant foreign propaganda leveled at us. If we let the Iranians sway us with their pretty words and gentle whispers while their leaders train and supply terrorists, preach the destruction of Israel and refuse to stop enriching uranium that can be used in a nuclear weapon, we will be sorry later.

As a wise general once said, "If you embrace your enemy, he will stab you in the back. But if you grasp him by his arm, he will retreat and you will have peace."

Terrorism did not start with the 9/11 atttacks. It did not start with the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. It has been around for decades. There will be more attacks, unless things are changed. The policies implemented by George W. Bush make it easier for anti-terrorist organizations to stop those attacks, and there have been multiple arrests and convictions of terrorists planning to carry out attacks against the U.S. Even so, it is not a permanent solution. The only way to truly stop terrorism is to ensure that the states who fund them stop doing so.

Here is the official message from Iranians to America and Israel. I think it is pretty clear. Do we really want to let them make a nuke?

U.S. Presidential candidates ponder Putin...

The presidential candidates have voiced their opinions of Putin, and they are radically different then that of President Bush. The U.S. presidential candidates seem to have a much clear view of the true Putin, supreme leader of Democratic Russia. Note the italicized text. While in theory, Russia is a democracy, in practice, it is under Putin's ultimate control. The mere fact that he was a KGB spy is enough to not believe a word he says, as the presidential candidates seem to understand. Putin was named as person of the year by Time magazine, which was very highly criticized. Putin's achievements include re-militarizing Russia, conquering Chechnya, turning Russia into a police state reminiscent of Stalin, imprisoning and murdering all his political opponents, churning out new Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles
(the US is the only realistic target for those particular weapons, most likely equipped with nuclear warheads, though chemical and biological weapons can also be fitted, and Putin has enough to kill the planet several times over). Oh let us not forget that he has viciously attacked Eastern Europe through economic pressures that have been extremely dramatic in some countries, showing his malicious intent towards the region he wishes to be back under the grasp of his state. While Americans today no longer view Russia as an enemy in a cold war, Putin views the west as a constant threat.

Fortunately, Putin's term is coming to an end and he will have to step down after 8 years of ruling Russia with an Iron Fist. Actually, I'm just kidding. He won't be giving up power you see. His plan is relatively simple and considering his total control of Russia, foolproof. He will nominate a replacement, who will be used as a puppet to nominate Putin as Prime Minister, who will then continue to solidify his power over Russia and expand it abroad. His current (2nd) term expires on May 7, 2008.

You may be sure that you will be hearing a lot more about Putin in the future, and I'm sure that I will write plenty more about him as time goes on. And as far as the U.S. candidates are concerned... I'm just surprised they didn't all turn to stone after looking so deep into those eyes.