My most sincere congratulations to President-elect Obama who, if he does nothing else, has at least put to rest the notion that Americans are so racist that they could never elect someone of African descent as President. Those in Europe currently gloating over Obama's victory would do better to do a little soul-searching regarding their own abysmal treatment of ethnic, religious and racial minorities over the last two thousand years.
Meanwhile here at home, Chicago can be assumed to be a high-priority target in the eyes of al-Qaida, as the hometown of the incoming President in addition to its many other features: a center of US economic activity, a large population center featuring a substantial number of Jews, a city readily accessible by land, sea and air, and a city with a large Muslim population within which to hide.
As regards the President-elect himself, he is - in addition to being a lighting rod for the hatred of the American far right - likely to be a target for al-Qaida and their supporters, and not just because he is President. Best case is that he still is a Muslim, and thus in the eyes of Islamic extremists an apostate, a Muslim who has betrayed the Ummah to advanced his own interests and those of the United States. At worst, Obama has actually embraced Christianity, the religion of the dreaded Crusaders. And regardless of anything he may say or do vis-à-vis the Arab/Israeli conflict, he will always be portrayed as a servant of the Jews, with the choice of Rahm Emanuel as Chief of Staff serving as proof positive.
The good news is that al-Qaida appears incapable of actually striking the mainland of the United States, regardless of how evil we or our leaders may be in their eyes. The smart money is betting on the neo-nazis to do something before Osama's Boyz can get their act together (with a crew of amphetamine-driven heavily-armed nazis busted in Denver just before the Democratic convention, and the more recent arrest of two more in Tennessee, I'd say the war has already begun).
Posted on 07 November 2008 @ 13:12© 2003-2011 society for internet research