LOL — The destructive power of personal attacks in debate

[Big thanks to Machoid for stating these concerns about the destruction of irresponsible political dischord]:

Jo, great post…you are dead on correct, IMO. Prior to the election, I took the step of deleting my Facebook account, because it was obvious that there is an inability in most people to disagree agreeably. There was one lady (I wouldn’t call her a beautiful person, but we’re called to love one and all) who was passionate on FB about her adoration for Obama. I entered into a dialogue with her, methodically stating my objections, and she called me a racist bigot who was a fake Christian, etc. When I–and two others defending me–responded that it was a matter of record and intent, not race, she would not back off the point that the only true opposition to Obama was his race. Right after the election, on Twitter, I “unfollowed” virtually all of my political interests because I was discouraged with the conversation. Although most of it was harmless, the results of the election made me understand how deeply divided we are as a nation…and I have a hard time seeing it improve because the positions are so polarized and so important. I’m an eyelash away from declaring myself completely unpolitical because in 2012, with our country moving the way it is, I see little chance of a candidate with truly conservative interests doing well in any national election. The elections are now largely decided by population centers in states with large populations. If you look at a map of the presidential election results on a county by county basis, comparing blue counties to red counties would make one think that Romney should have won by about 5:1. But that wasn’t the case, because Obama won in the cities by such a landslide that he was able to carry those states. Very discouraging.

A Powerful Peace perspective: pig extremist hypocrites fail and will always fail; they run against what’s right in every human being’s breast

Good luck, Taliban hard liners (you fine, strong, decent and righteous “holy warriors”). Good luck to you, too, Fred Phelps and Westboro “Baptist” pretenders. Good luck, in fact, to all those hate-filled, self-serving rejectors of all that is hard-wired into the human experience of the true spirit of God. You blind wretches.

In today’s posting, I will let the insanity of such thinking speak for itself in the article below. The madness of the Taliban trying (and failing) to kill a little girl for speaking out against them is one many of us would not be able to fathom…but this story of their promising to finish the job is another dimension down the rabbit hole, indeed!

These cowardly, greedy, cruel, ignorant, pathetic, despicable pigs invalidate and isolate themselves a full mile further from the human race with every such unspeakable atrocity. They fully earn the rage and contempt of billions, from all faiths…and also from those who, staggered at such monstrous abuses justified in the name of God, choose to believe in none.

The attempted murderer of this little girl and every one of his accomplices deserves nothing less than a terrifying, agonizing, possibly lingering death for such indisputable evil. Sometimes, in the broader course of crime and punishment, mercy is not germane to a situation. This is one such case. And anyway, when these swine die—and every one of them will—they will enjoy an eternity of screaming for mercy from whichever high-ranking and enthusiastic demon is assigned responsibility for their endless torment.
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#NYTimes: “Taliban: Attack on Pakistani Schoolgirl Justified”

“ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Taliban insurgents said on Tuesday that the Pakistani schoolgirl its gunmen shot in the head deserved to die because she had spoken out against the group and praised U.S. President Barack Obama.

“Malala Yousufzai, 14, was flown to Britain on Monday, where doctors said she has every chance of making a ‘good recovery.’”

“The attack on Yousufzai, who had been advocating education for girls, drew widespread condemnation.

“Pakistani surgeons removed a bullet from near her spinal cord during a three-hour operation the day after the attack last week, but she now needs intensive specialist follow-up care.

“Authorities have said they have made several arrests in connection with the case but have given no details.

“Pakistan’s Taliban described Yousufzai as a ‘spy of the West.’”

Read the rest: http://ow.ly/1OZfq2

Here’s exactly why we have to bravely confront the crisis around the “anti-Islam video” and “filmmaker” Sam Bacile

May I explain to you the incredible and tragic irony of the world’s loss of a selfless ambassador and his staff, the endangerment of hundreds of other American diplomats, the irrational hysteria of thousands of faithful Muslims worldwide, and the very real threat that this wildfire might spread to incinerate hundreds of thousands more innocent lives? It was started by a cruel and stupid little boy with one little match…and it is being fanned and fueled by another cruel and stupid little boy.

The cruel, stupid little boy with the match is known by many, many names. That is typical of thieves and cheats; this little cheat and thief was convicted in 2009 of bank fraud. One of this liar’s many names is “Sam Bacile.” (Click “Sam‘s” name to read all about his checkered past and present.) I will prefer to use what should be his actual and real name, “Im Becile.” Im is a very bad little boy, who pushed his little matchstick of personal bigotry and hatred into a field of very dry grass known as strained tensions between cultures.

The other cruel and stupid little boy is represented by violent extremists. Many of these claim to be lovers of God, but are in fact merely scheming political animals seeking to gain personal power. The first stupid little boy’s video has been a wonderful opportunity for them. These violent extremists have no idea that the gasoline they pour on this fire will destroy all they personally value in life, and that the successful takeover of a society that has been utterly destroyed by war…is not much of a victory at all.

We hear about “angry protesters” in Libya, and we hear about an attack that took the lives of four American citizens. It’s very easy—natural, even—to assume “causation” between those facts.

Now look behind the assumption:

Libya consulate attack came after militants joined protesters, say witnesses, officials “At least an hour before the assault began, a stream of cars was seen moving toward the U.S. Consulate in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi. By late Tuesday evening, as many as 50 heavily armed militants had gathered outside its high walls.” Click the title to read the rest of that article from the Washington Post.

Whatever rockets, grenades and automatic weapons have been used in concerted attacks of terror in Benghazi and elsewhere, can any rational person even consider that these might have originated among a crowd of angry shopkeepers? These are extremists, terrorists, and they have been looking for such a stupid little boy as the “filmmaker” for a very long time. Now we have to choose: will we let a tiny minority of vocal haters on either side convince the vast majority of us that we’re all in a cosmic war? Please, for God’s sake—in all its literal meaning—try to stop and comprehend what is being done to twist everyone’s minds. Try to comprehend what is on the line, here.

The first stupid little boy has a little matchstick of bigoted hatred against Muslims, and he wants to burn up Islam itself. He says plainly that he hates the entire religion, as you can see in his article at the top. He stupidly thinks his little matchstick can be used to damage that one billion-plus people without hurting the other six billion on the planet. He is stupid in this, because any grownup knows that a matchstick used against one room of the house will burn the entire thing down.

More incredibly, his little video is reviled by the vast majority of Americans as being exactly what it is: despicable, offensive, wrong. Yet that is enough for the other stupid little boy, the violent extremists, to twist reality and spread the message that this idiot represents America.

They simply want to have political power. They think they can pour gasoline on the fire and excite enough support to push back against—and overcome—their political, racial, national and religious opponents.

They, too, think they can burn just one, isolated room in our house.

OUR HOUSE IS STARTING TO BURN, FRIENDS.
WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?

We can respond with gasoline of our own, and burn up our children. We can ignore it, and watch it worsen to burn up our children anyway. …Or we humans can stand together—regardless of nationality, faith or race—and apply the only possible solution to a crisis of this nature. We can form a bucket brigade to stop the irrational efforts of both little boys, and save our whole house.

If you still think this whole emergency is the fault of “The Muslims,” I would invite you to review my earlier posts here and timelines at www.Twitter.com (I’m @RobDuBois) or Facebook (www.Facebook.com/PowerfulPeace) of the past few days, during which I’ve been capturing and sharing something that does not break the threshold to be shown on an ordinary media spectacle: Muslim outrage against the murders and violence.

Better yet, please read the excellent writeup by my fellow Tweep and believing Muslim who can put that faith’s perspective into context for outsiders. That’s immediately below.

And finally: if any of this is making sense to you, please—please—share this message with your friends and colleagues. It is time to walk our Powerful Peace talk.

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Extended post by ” @4Q2x ” ==>;

#Islam #Muslim #Libya #Afghanistan #Cairo #auspol #uspol #ausmedia #usmedia OK I am going to have to vent some so here comes my soap box. Firstly let me start by making a disclaimer I am a #Muslim. Next let me condemn those #Muslims who murdered Amb Stevens and his security personnel in the strongest terms possible, I will try not to swear but you get my gist.

There is no place in #Islam to murder innocent MEN, WOMEN or CHILDREN, Corey Saylor from the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ articulated my feelings better than I could have when he stated, ‘The greater insult to Islam is the violence, not the movie’ http://bit.ly/SiDtXM

What most people miss in all this discourse is a very important point raised by an incredible person who I only know through #Twitter =>; @eaaknighterrant a very intelligent person with a heart of gold. Before I raise his most important point I would encourage all of you to watch this clip and hopefully the full documentary “Beyond the Call” =>; http://bit.ly/scN2ld and read the book by his friend and another TRUE Humanitarian @RobDuBois ‘s book “Powerful Peace” =>; PowerfulPeace.net

Now getting back to Sir Ed’s point he states, ” This enemy we are now facing around the world..Isn’t just Islam or any specific Muslim sect..We are facing an IGNORANT enemy that we don’t even know and you can’t defend against an enemy you can’t understand either..” That point is HUGE in so many ways that most people in the community any community misses it entirely.

Read the rest: http://twextra.com/apjrdv

A Facebook exchange on extremist murders and unconscious bigotry

In response to my previous Powerful Peace post, below, I had an exchange with a dear friend and fellow SEAL family member. (Lynn’s late husband Steve was an excellent friend and role model to many of us.) Without fanfare, this thread merits its own post:

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Lynn Bukowski:

Reading the series of Tweets helped me. I know in my soul that these murders, attacks, protests are not supported by the majority of the “citizens” from Libya, et al. It helps to see that many are as outraged as I am.

Rob DuBois:

Humans share human nature at the foundation of all our incredibly diverse cultural layers. Murder and mayhem are repugnant to humans. These murderers are in a radical minority by EVERY scale; among Muslims, among Libyans, among males, among North Africans….

Our greatest natural challenge, as I see it, is to fight the urge to assume the same traits–in other words, to be bigoted–against groups because of the wrongdoing of some of their members. It’s the foundation of race wars, religious wars, and world wars.

We are now confronted by a crisis in which some on both sides would like this to be branded a war between (all) Muslims and (all) Americans. If we buy that bullshit we condemn ourselves and millions of children to a hell on earth.

Lynn Bukowki:

Well said, Rob. This made me sit back in my chair with my anger. This IS how wars start. A bunch of us on pedestals with “righteous” anger… I’ve separated the idiots from the people in my heart and mind, but this is the … Straight Up truth. Are you posting this on your blog? I can’t share from here… but I know I am not the only person who needs to read these words.

Rob DuBois:

I am now. Thanks, Lynn.

Try to understand the greater picture if you want to change it

Let us understand the bigger picture with THIS: Arab World: Outrage Over Killing of US Ambassador in Benghazi « Global Voices:

http://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/09/12/arab-world-outrage-over-killing-of-us-ambassador-in-benghazi-attack/

One excerpt: “@alazzane: The murder of the US Ambassador is not a victory for the Prophet you fools! It instills the wrong stereotype that the producers of the film are promoting.”

Latest Rob DuBois article in national press: “Think Like a Terrorist”

Very happy to share the August edition of the HALO Corporation’s “Harbinger” magazine with you all. (Please pass this link along to anyone you think might be interested in adversarial emulation or evolving security approaches.)

In preparation for our big HALO Counter-Terrorism Summit in San Diego this October, HALO is running the following article I adapted from my “Think Like the Adversary” workshop. I’m really looking forward to talking with Michael Hayden and the other VIPs who will be presenting. I’ll also be running at least one “Turbo Talk” during the summit, focused on—what else?—cultural competency and conflict prevention.

Enjoy!

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How effective could national and international security forces become, if they had an insider’s playbook for every threat group? What if it were possible for us to develop an accurate version of that hidden agenda, then build our own protective measures directly against the enemy’s intent?

The “red team” concept has become well known among security practitioners in recent years. It is also all too frequently misunderstood. Red-teaming is not one specific activity along the lines of facility break-in, simulated cyber-attack, or assuming the red side of a blue-on-red wargame. In the broader sense, it is more of a mindset, and it is a mindset that might be exercised in any one of these examples or in combination. In a nutshell, red-teaming means getting into the mind of an adversary.

I have conducted vulnerability assessments worldwide, on several such teams. This article, adapted from my interactive “Think Like the Adversary” workshop, will share some insights on adopting an enemy’s perspective.

Real-World Successes

Nobody can validate the success of our terrorist emulation as well as the terrorist himself. In a number of attack scenarios my teams have developed throughout Iraq, Afghanistan and here at home in the United States, real-world terrorist or insurgent groups have subsequently tried to carry out nearly identical plots within months after our visit. Such attempts prove conclusively that our team has “looked through his eyes.” Because every report is classified, our findings were never available to outsiders; that such an unrelated entity can reach the same conclusions demonstrates the red team’s near-insider understanding of that threat.

Read more: http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/0be7a96d#/0be7a96d/44

Press conference with Afghanistan commander reveals core value of Powerful Peace

There is no better validation for the principles of “balanced peacemaking” than the freshest on-the-ground truth (which will seem, in his own words, “counterintuitive”) from one of the top U.S. commanders in Afghanistan.

Below is an interesting September 5th press exchange with presenter Lt. Gen. James L. Terry, Commander, ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) Joint Command (IJC). He’s addressing a slew of questions from the floor about “Green on Blue” attacks, in which a number of Afghan Local Police (ALP) members have turned their weapons on Coalition partners. It is justifiably shocking for us in the United States, Europe or Australia to see our soldiers cut down by a trusted trainee or squad partner…yet knee-jerk reaction in assuming this problem has a simplistic solution is counterproductive to our own best interests. There have been a handful of such attacks in recent months, yet there are now one-third of a million Afghan National Security Force members. If this were merely a problem of bloodthirsty Afghan nature, we wouldn’t have any Coalition Force personnel still standing.

Note especially the passages I’ve bolded and italicized near the end. The general is saying we need to have much better cultural competence, which is part of the bedrock of everything you have read—and will read—in Powerful Peace.

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Q: General, it’s Mike Evans from the Times.

Can I ask you, sorry, about the insider threat again? Since about 75 percent of the cases of green-on-blue appear to be non-insurgent-related, are you not more concerned about there being a build-up of cultural differences, cultural resentment between particularly the Americans as they are getting more of the victims and more of the cases than anyone else, and their Afghan partners? Isn’t that something which should be of greater concern?

And you mentioned also one aspect that where Afghan soldiers go on leave. I wondered if this is a particular problem where it becomes known to the Taliban that a local guy has joined up, he’s come back for a bit of home leave, is that a very vulnerable time when these guys might be either radicalized or intimidated?

LT. GEN. TERRY: Yeah, I would just say that we offered to the Afghans they ought to take a look at the leave period. I offered that one — that one to them personally based on my experience in the United States Army.

I find that my soldiers are most vulnerable as they — as they go out on leave as they expose themselves outside of the structure of the Army. And so I asked the Afghans, the national security forces to take a look at that.

We are – back to the cultural sensitivity piece of this – I would just say there are a number of factors that go into the remaining percent out there. We believe that 25, 26 percent of that — that other percentage out there personal related. Some of that can be defused with a greater understanding of cultural sensitivities.

I would just say that what we all recognize is that this is a society that’s really been traumatized by 30-plus years of war. It also has a gun culture out there. And we also understand that a lot of grievances and dispute resolutions are done, frankly, at the barrel of a gun out there.

So as we look toward cultural sensitivity, especially with things like Pashtunwali and greater understanding of the culture and of the religion, I think we also have to understand what this country and what this population has gone through over time.

So specifically we do export that back into the training base, not just on the U.S. side, but across all the troop-contributing nations out there. I fundamentally believe that this is, based on my experience of three tours over here, is that the closer you are in a — in terms of a relationship and friendship with the Afghan partners, probably the safer you are. And that’s counterintuitive. But a lot of that is really built around the Afghan out there, and specifically the Pashtuns and Pashtunwali.

And what we are moving toward and continue to train toward is that you’ve got to understand the sensitivities out there, and as you come into the theater, if you haven’t been here before, that you understand how to build those relationships with your Afghan partners out there.

Thanks. That’s a great question.

Source: http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2012/09/mil-120905-dod02.htm

Remembering 9/11 and the birth of Powerful Peace

Praying for comfort to the suffering, justice to the guilty, and wisdom to us all.

“Powerful Peace; A Navy SEAL’s Lessons on Peace from a Lifetime at War” opens with my SEAL platoon’s experience of the despicable mass murders of 9/11/01…eleven years ago to the hour. This week I discussed that tortured birth of the message in private sessions with DC policy advisors and staffers from the U.S. House and Senate.

The highlight of the week’s campaign to share the concepts was a public event hosted by Grover Norquist and Michael Ostrolenk. Video will be available soon. Here is the audio recording: http://www.ostrolenkradio.com/2012/09/powerful-peace-live-from-dc/

#ASOPP 62: Rob gets pissed

Friends, please let me apologize in advance. Some of you will unfollow me on Twitter and our Facebook page and here at the blog after this one. Some of those who unfollow will be “birthers,” and some will be opponents of the “birther” mindset, and some will be liberals, and some will be conservatives, and some will simply be those who are offended by the word “bullshit.” (Of course, that last group won’t see the rest of this post; they just unfollowed.)

Anyway, I’m going to share something from a Facebook exchange I just had with some friends of a friend on the subject of the SEALs with the “OPSEC” initiative, and what is being called a Swiftboating of President Obama.

I don’t have a dog in that fight. As always, I’ve answered all questions on the subject directly and honestly as they come up. Those answers include that I’m friends with some of the guys conducting “OPSEC,” and I respect their right to express strong opinions about the security of our Brothers if they truly hold them. Like some other SEAL friends, I don’t personally hold those strong concerns expressed by the OPSEC team.

I’ve also said that I consider any name-calling to be a discussion killer, and that personal attacks have no place in a responsible debate. Some of the guys have chosen to go down that route, and I don’t appreciate it. It indicates a lack of a reasonable argument, and it does nothing good to move all of us closer to a solution.

So friends of my friend in Facebook are anti-birther/anti-OPSEC, and I respect that, too…but when pure speculation devolves into statements of fact and vilification, I’m going to call it out. When smug academics direct jabs at my “apparent ignorance,” I call them out, too.

Long story short, my temper is running short…at the dangerous blindness of anyone out there, at the extremes, who prefer like children to splash in the shallow end of our issues and call people names. We are accelerating, people. We are running faster, and without direction, and we are in danger of running off a cliff.

And Every. Single. Time. That you call someone on the other side an idiot, or a retard, or a traitor, or you-fill-in-the-blank, you are guaranteeing that person will not work with you to deal with the real issue! Is that what we want? I’ll admit this scares me a little. Far too many are fighting about where we should put the deck chairs on the Titanic.

So here’s my recent Facebook comment that inspired this post (for those of you who choose to unfollow as a result of this, I want to thank you for our time together):
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But, –NAME1–, let me ask you something. [And let me caveat before asking: I feel absurd in the position of "birther apologist," because I don't personally buy into the story and believe it's a destructive distraction in any case!]

The question: Who exactly is the person that started the lie you “know” exists? Do you have a precise name and date? If so, share that and we’ll be done with the whole thing once and for all!

If not, however, it would be more constructive to say you “strongly suspect…” or something along those lines.

I was uncharacteristically sarcastic with –NAME2–, above, because I’m exasperated beyond tolerance at the blanket condemnations and accusations from both sides of this “debate.” I, for one, am genuinely concerned about the well being of my nation and I, for one, am demanding we all Man (and Woman-) Up to stop this idiotic name-calling and half-truthing.

We can focus on dominating the other side—my young children can mentor us in that, if anyone’s interested—or we can stop the bullshit and start working together for the good of the country. The stakes are rising fast!

If you want to succeed in having a nation in which only one half can “win” and succeed, this tit-for-tat is exactly the correct course. For myself, I will declare now and forever that this disparaging of “the other side” is nothing more than a celebration of bigotry under a different hat.

#ASOPP 61: Warning: image from Syria will be upsetting to some viewers

It’s hard to come out of a period in which we locked arms to do great things for starving children in West Africa and re-enter the world of terrorism and outrageous government abuses, but in Powerful Peace we stare square at every facet of the human experience, nice or not.

Truthfulness and transparency have brought low vicious national leaders around the Arab Spring movement and, in my opinion, are on the right track…on balance. Yes, I know Islamists have taken control of Egypt and that other Spring nations are going through transformation pains; but better an honest relationship with leaders we don’t fully condone, than hypocritically condoning a reviled regime’s abuse of its own people while we look away for political expediency. This will demonstrate a willingness to be objective in confronting all the facts, and the long-term benefits of trust in negotiation outweigh short-term gains and manipulation.

In some geopolitical situations, hostility and distrust against the United States have been based on a perceived duplicity that we would support tyrants while declaring them champions of democracy. Notice that I said “perceived.” Perceptions are not always accurate…but they are always believed to be.

And speaking of brutal oppression, I would like to re-introduce you to one of today’s chief domestic terrorists, a man with immense resources to conduct artillery and sophisticated air strikes against civilian neighborhoods, while opposition forces struggle on elsewhere with AK-47s.

In this spirit of truthfulness and transparency: Bashar al-Assad is a mass murderer who has now killed thousands of his own citizens, and displaced many times more. Here is just the latest evidence nail in his well-earned, inevitable coffin:

https://mobile.twitter.com/RazanSpeaks/status/239347978639400961