The Drew Carey Show begins with a song and dance called ‘Cleveland Rocks!’, the joke being, of course, that Cleveland is pretty far down on the list of best cities in which to party. It sounds like a slogan concocted by the Cleveland department of tourism on the theory that if you repeat it enough, someone’s going to fall for it.
Last week, a judge upheld the NYC subway’s questionably random bag searches, deferring in part to the judgment of former U.S. antiterrorism adviser Richard Clarke. It may be the first time that anyone in the government has taken Cassandra Clarke’s warnings seriously (if you ignore ‘Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S.,’ you’ll pretty much ignore anything).
It may also be the least effective. Look who’s one of the latest suicide bombers in Iraq:
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Muriel Degauque, |
Muriel Degauque, believed to be the first European Muslim woman to stage a suicide attack, started out life as a good Roman Catholic girl in this coal mining corner of Belgium… Ms. Degauque, 38, detonated her explosive vest amid an American military patrol in the town of Baquba on Nov. 9, wounding one American soldier…
… European women who marry Muslim men are now the largest source of religious conversions in Europe… European terrorist networks were trying to recruit Caucasian women to handle terrorist logistics because they would be less likely to raise suspicion. [Link]
On 7/7, Al Qaeda switched from using Arabs to using Pakistanis and a Caribbean. Not two weeks later, they switched to using Africans… A race-based approach fails completely. It’s suicidal to rely on it. [Link]
I have to say, with some sort of strange perverse regret, that I’ve never been searched on the subway.
I’ve walked right by bag-searching cops with that ‘are you gonna? I effn dare you!’ smirk (sort of like the one you give the cabbie who steps on the gas when you’re right in the middle on the pedestrian crossing..just me?) but…nada.
er, now that I think about it, staring down a cop would be the last thing I’d do if I were carrying a bomb..so..um..nevermind.
Anyway, back to topic. I wonder what the fallout from this tidbit will be. Reactionary conservatism, is my guess. Anything to stop little Babette from blowing herself up.
that title ain’t brutal at ALL. 😉
(which is not to say that i didn’t appreciate it)
It was only a matter of time before this happened and sadly I believe it is only the first – it will probably happen again in the future, white converts blowing themselves us for this cause.
Which just goes to prove that not only is race profiling for suicide bombers dubious morally – it is also a STRATEGIC NEGLIGENCE against the suicide bombers – as if they are so stupid not to factor the profiling equation into their evil schemes.
Any postings on the Indian road system in the New York Times?
Searching people, random or profiled is always going to raise people’s (brown, black or white) hackles. Is a case (for the authorities) of damned if you do and damned if you don’t. Consider the case of this woman in Miami (she is white):
FIRST-EVER US ‘ID’ ARREST?
Oops… wrong state. Make Miami Colorado in the previous post. Brain hiccup.
Can white people really tell the difference between Arabs and Pakistanis? I doubt it.
Anyway, the ‘Cleveland Rocks’ song is not meant to be ironic. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is in Cleveland because of it has been coined as the ‘birthplace of Rock and Roll’. Also it really is a good place to party.
Just thought that should be cleared up 🙂
Anybody who says Cleveland doesn’t rock hasn’t spent some time there.
Can white people really tell the difference between Arabs and Pakistanis? I doubt it.
this one can.
love the title of the post.
also, i know it’s not friday, but i’m a huge fan of the friday55. maybe i’ll even try my hand some day…
“Can white people really tell the difference between Arabs and Pakistanis? I doubt it.”
Considering that Pakistanis have spent most of their independent history inventing an Arab ancestry, they should be happy to be mistaken for Arab. Certainly, it is preferable to being asked if they are from India or Sri Lanka?
Speaking from personal experience, most of the wrong guesses about my ethnicity have been from black people, followed closely by other Indians. It’s awfully presumptuous of you to judge the lack of ethnic exposure of white people, considering the rather insular nature of most ethnicities.
Yeah, that title is harsh. I can’t believe I missed it. Not, as ANNA said, that it isn’t appreciated.
Quick, maybe stupid, question: if male suicide bombers are promised forty virgins, what do female suicide bombers get?
Somehow, the image of forty virginal guys seems more scary than sexy.
That is the funniest thing I have read in a long time
“Considering that Pakistanis have spent most of their independent history inventing an Arab ancestry, they should be happy to be mistaken for Arab.”
I think, it is the muslims in India who are mostly proud about their arab heritage (though genetically I think the arab lineage is almost non-existent among indian muslims), while most pakistanis I know do not care two hoots about Arabs. That is just my perception.
“I think, it is the muslims in India who are mostly proud about their arab heritage (though genetically I think the arab lineage is almost non-existent among indian muslims), while most pakistanis I know do not care two hoots about Arabs. That is just my perception.”
In “Beyond Belief”, Naipaul interviews a number of people while travelling through Pakistan. He quoted a number of people on this desire to Arabize Pakistani ancestry. Better to think our ancestors came in with an invading and conquering force than to think your Hindu ancestors possibly converted by force.
I agree with KXB. Pakistanis are way more obsessed (or were in the pre 9-11 world) with becoming Arabs. Hell, their history starts from 7th century Arabia, the way they teach it in the classrooms.
KXB, Some of my best friends are white!
Seriously, you’re right, I was being presumptious, but it is generally white people who scream the loudest for racial profiling. I admit to being crass and I had a certain type of white person in mind when making this statement.
Also my statement was not trying to indicate that white people were insular, just that they tend to lump different ethnicities into one ‘brand’. While other minorities may make assumptions about the ethnicity of other minorities, they at least recognize there are differences.
I have found that some of the most zealous and fanatical extremists I have met or debated with are white or black converts to Islam – they go for the full wahaabi code – all that rhetoric of jihad – complete freakin’ lunatics and hate filled psychos. I predict the next wave of British suicide bombers will be from this group of white converts.
Then I will make sure I write to every newspaper and message board and radio phone in show and demand (ironically) that all white people are randomly searched as suspected terrorist suspects.
“In “Beyond Belief”, Naipaul interviews a number of people while travelling through Pakistan. He quoted a number of people on this desire to Arabize Pakistani ancestry. Better to think our ancestors came in with an invading and conquering force than to think your Hindu ancestors possibly converted by force.”
Do not know the motives of Naipaul. As Najeeb said Pakistanis never gave two hoots about Arabs, I agree with him. Whatever you are seeing in Pakistan now is post-partition and post Red Army invasion phenomena. Most of the stuff that is being taught in Pakistan now is created by educated muslims elite ( Syeds, Usmanis, Hashmis, Siddiquis and what not) who migrated from India, which is somewhat biased and induced false differentiation between people for a purpose.
There is huge difference between mediterranean cacausian (Middle-East population) and NordIndid/Inidid Cacausian (Northren Indian population/Pakistani). An expert eye can tell the difference from a mile away who is Pakistani and who is Arab, just for the record.
Peace!
Cleveland Rocks. Alan Freed Cleveland’s own DJ coined the term Rock n’ Roll. Even if all Cleveland has to show is a building shaped like a hen coop that rock stars think isn’t worth visiting for their induction; Cleveland Rocks. The song is by Ian Hunter of the early punk wave from across the pond. Remember that Cleveland Rocks
Taken from a Pakistani newspaper article
sigh. unless your name is razib, please don’t comment such things. when you do, you confuse people like me by making us wonder what the hell south indians are since we apparently are not “Inidid Cacausians (sic)”. that is all.
Just a delicious piece of chocolate fudge naughtiness on your case, Anna 😉
* Waits for Anna to plot revenge for cheeky comment, as she and DD huddle together and — cackling like the witches in Macbeth — plan their strategy to sneak across the Atlantic and beat up Jai for his fake-caddishness *
Whoops, that should have said “in your case”.
The original version sounded even more dubious, and actually a little gay 😉
oh, darling jai…i don’t object to chocolate fudge on my case at ALL. whatever you think yummiest. 😉
You’re in quite a saucy mood aren’t you Anna, even for you 😉
Thank you for that mouth-watering image…..
I am feeling very sorry about killing innocent people why because in 1920 to 1925 Britishers have planted
Wahabi muslim in Arab Now those people called Talibaan, Al Qaida and Saudis royals Never too late We all Sunny or Shia Muslims, Christians, Jews or others should be United to Stop Wahabi Ism Evil comes from Saudis Royals and Britishers in 1920 Please Public My Voice to every where and Hopefully one day will see peace full world after Destroyed Wahabi Ism Islam not Really Muslim I should say Saturns Partners