What people don't understand (if they only get their news from the American media) is that in Arabic, Bin Laden comes across as impassioned but very very logical and even poetic. Although we dismiss his sound bites as lunacy, we overlook the important underlying fact that these speeches are enormously influential, and even compelling. We should really try to understand why if we are going to make in progress.

I suggest anyone read "Messages to the World." It's the only book in English to contain the complete texts of his statements. (through 2004) After all, you should ask yourself: have I really ever heard or read a complete Bin Laden statement? If you haven't, then you are probably jumpin...

What people don't understand (if they only get their news from the American media) is that in Arabic, Bin Laden comes across as impassioned but very very logical and even poetic. Although we dismiss his sound bites as lunacy, we overlook the important underlying fact that these speeches are enormously influential, and even compelling. We should really try to understand why if we are going to make in progress.

I suggest anyone read "Messages to the World." It's the only book in English to contain the complete texts of his statements. (through 2004) After all, you should ask yourself: have I really ever heard or read a complete Bin Laden statement? If you haven't, then you are probably jumping to conclusions, and it would be very useful to know where those conclusions are coming from.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not buddies with Bin Laden. The man IS a bad guy, but... His speeches are only marginally more crazy than Bush standing up and ranting about "evil-doers" and an "Axis of Evil." (I swear, I laughed the first time I heard that one!)

We should remember this: in the eyes of many, WE (Americans) are the tyrants and terrorists. Consider this for a little bit, please. It is something we will have to change before we make any progress.

At Ratilfar:

That's the interesting thing about media distortion, and the rewarding thing about research. Although Bin Laden certainly has made plenty of murderous speeches, this isn't one of them. In fact, there are no calls for attacks or threats made in this video. (This is a startling shift in rhetoric suggesting greater confidence and security, if you ask me.)

It is interesting to compare this ABC report with the more level-headed BBC take on the tape, which is clipped here.

On the whole, this speech is a condemnation of American policy, and a criticism of the faults he sees in the American political system, as well as our na...

At Ratilfar:

That's the interesting thing about media distortion, and the rewarding thing about research. Although Bin Laden certainly has made plenty of murderous speeches, this isn't one of them. In fact, there are no calls for attacks or threats made in this video. (This is a startling shift in rhetoric suggesting greater confidence and security, if you ask me.)

It is interesting to compare this ABC report with the more level-headed BBC take on the tape, which is clipped here.

On the whole, this speech is a condemnation of American policy, and a criticism of the faults he sees in the American political system, as well as our national psyche. Although Americans clearly don't appreciate being criticized, one should be cautious of blowing things out of proportion, and wonder what motivation might be behind this distortion.

I take the contrary view to NonStatQuo (not to imply that I am the status quo, though)...

I think that Bin Laden's message, like Bush's, is fundamentally flawed, and that if presented in the marketplace of ideas for full intellectual scrutiny, it would not hold up. However, he should be refuted on the basis of why he is wrong, not on the basis of why we are right, or the way we want to demonize him.

Currently the American response to Bin Laden, and many of the discontents of the Arab world, not to mention around the world, is a straw man. We have altered or distorted their arguments to make them appear totally absurd, rather than refuting their substance.

Thus, I believe that the more w...

I take the contrary view to NonStatQuo (not to imply that I am the status quo, though)...

I think that Bin Laden's message, like Bush's, is fundamentally flawed, and that if presented in the marketplace of ideas for full intellectual scrutiny, it would not hold up. However, he should be refuted on the basis of why he is wrong, not on the basis of why we are right, or the way we want to demonize him.

Currently the American response to Bin Laden, and many of the discontents of the Arab world, not to mention around the world, is a straw man. We have altered or distorted their arguments to make them appear totally absurd, rather than refuting their substance.

Thus, I believe that the more we see and understand Bin Laden, the less appeal he will have. If we try to hide him and his criticisms away, rather than answering to them, then that will only lend him a false sense of validity as the rebel purveyor of the truths that government doesn't want you to hear.

However, it is worth mentioning that this only applies to constructive and critical presentations. The news often presents him non-critically, and non-constructively, with the purpose of manufacturing a bogeyman to justify jingoism, racism, and intolerance of Islam.