Not exactly. A terrorist is someone on the losing side. A freedom fighter is a terrorist who wins. Back in the day in ZA we had to deal with 'terrorists' as such. Generally bandits who would creep into towns and farms and shoot up the civilians there. Often they would snatch up a black informer and necklace him or her. Now it turns out that those same people in the 'armed wing' of the ANC are in charge and guess what. They get to run a great eraser across history and rename themselves "Activists". Of course by now no one really cares except historians. Characters like Ronnie Kasrils, trained, funded, armed and directed by the KGB and Soviet army back in the day are now high ups in the government. And we chose to ignore the fact that he himself proudly claims a hand in the massacre of Muslims in Zambia even though now he is the go to guy for the ZA government when it needs some pro Arab/Iranian gestures and speeches. Well what's a few thousand blacks and Muslims killed by your own in the fight for freedom, anyhow? Collateral damage I guess. I don't know, you'd have to ask them. After all, they're all respectable politicians now and will surely tell you.

I wonder though, Berkman what the Shiites and Sunnis who are truck bombing each other at a pace of 200 per week would say about your notion of 'freedom fighters' though. I mean it's noble and romantic until then, yes? Everyone gets a black beret and a bullhorn? Couple hundred blown apart market shoppers? Pffft that's nothing, we're talking freedom fighting here?

I'll give you a hint. Why is it all the terrorism leaders are old men and all the shahids are not?

Let's see - hide behind anonymous? Check. Pontificate that you are psychiatrist? Check. General windbaggery? Check. Go out of your way to say you're too busy and smart to go out of your way? Check. Full of him/her/itself? Check.

You must be a paid up Salon premium member. Good plug pull through for Rober Novak though on your part. Score one for the other team! Kiss noise.

In America on the left, you're guilty of being a guilty Jew especially when you're not. The Blood Libel Lives.

I was raised as a non observant Belarussian/Polish/Italian/Irish extraction. I guess that means something. Because you know how THOSE people are......!

Pull up the lawnchairs and watch it burn from afar, you can hardly fault. There indeed is an advantage to isolationism. It's a kind of passive neglect, a benign neutrality. And it's a win win either way. If we leave it up to pure economic relationships, buying and selling then the Saloniks get to complain about 'globalism'. If we extend the hand of diplomacy, however flawed or weak, they can complain about the The LOBBY! If we send arms to prop up one leader or another - you got it - fascism. And if we don't, it's neocolonialist imperialism and racism.

I don't know about you but I can withstand those darts if it means we don't actually have anyone over there getting killed. We give them Roger Federer and Tiger Woods to live part time in Abu Dhabi and they do whatever it is they do over there. They're the ones that will have to figure out how to create several hundred million jobs in the next generation just to keep economic parity with where they are right now. And that's right at the time that oil begins to dwindle. I'm sure their arrogance, pride, failure to educate and general lack of cultural modernity will solve that problem for them. In either case, it's not our problem to solve or worry about. The biggest mistake ANYONE in the west has ever made is the assumption that pouring money on them wold turn them into middle eastern versions of us. It never will nor should it.

A sheepdog some nippleclips a length of rope and some girl who can shoot ping pong balls out of her vagina do behind closed doors is their business.

And if his wife scarfs a fistful of Valium and washes it down with Bourbon to get in front of a bunch of cameras and smile that she forgives him, well that's their personal hell isn't it?

And if he wants to wrap his dick with the flag and the bible and his minions don't care, then fine. Hoist a Lite Beer to the Rebel Flag for me too, Cleetus. Even my Baptist missionary friends say that if you want to change the behavior you have to change the man first.

And even if you want to criminalize a whole range of personal and interpersonal behaviors, lifestyles even though they are pretty close to what you yourself do regularly with impunity and righteousness, well I can't say I haven't seen that before.

But whatever you do, don't go away for 6 weeks of 'Rehab' and come back proclaiming Jesus cured you of your devil lust for Black Girl Midget Bukkake. Because we'll know you're lying. You never put down that shit. It gets in your blood.

Are cynical craven opportunistic shallow hypocrites

Film at 11.

Another meta diatribe about punditry about pundits, from Salon. See the problem is that Salon really isn't that good as a media critic. They think they are. But it's just complaining, or worse, transparent cynical posing meant to stir up the mob. Salon is about 50% opinions about opinions about opinions at this point. Which makes it one of the world's biggest and glossiest blogs.

Who really cares about Robert Novak? Did his agent call asking for a few words from Salon? I mean, bad press is better than good press for people like that.