"The Snake:" Blaming our Leaders vs. the Terrorists

[Hissyspit]

The snake bares its teeth. I tell you not to try to touch the snake. Over and over again, I yell at you don't touch the snake. You insist on trying to touch the snake. "Don't touch the snake! It will kill you!" You reach out and grab the snake. It bites you.

You scream: "It's the snake's fault!"
"How can you blame me?! Put the blame where it belongs! On the snake!"

Or worse: The snake is clearly going to bite you. It's coming right at you. You are aware of this and everyone, including me, has been telling you it's coming for you. In response you go for another snake, a non-poisonous one that has been getting on your nerves, bit your father not long ago, and you really hate that snake.

So as the deadly snake comes for you, you go after the irritating non-poisonous snake. The deadly one bites you.

"Put the blame where it belongs! The snake bit me! How can you blame me??! You blame me first!"

My most sincere condolences to my British friends. I love London and loved being there, and I believe most of them understand these analogies, but clearly many Americans do not. Clearly the terrorists are snakes. Snakes can be battled and controlled and dealt with, but INTELLIGENTLY, not with alterior motives. I am horrified by these events, but not SURPRISED, anymore than I was surprised by the 9/11 attacks. I will call my British ex-girlfriend in a minute after she gets home from her teaching job and speak with her. She was the first person I called after the 9/11 attacks (I probably won't be able to get through to her today) and we both stood at the World Trade Center plaza on August 11 of 2001. She, a British citizen, is the person I spoke to then, as we looked at the memorial for the original WTC bombing, saying "I don't understand why people don't realize they will try it again. They won't use truck bombs, because they didn't work the first time." Then I went 'over there' to visit her and we spent time in the streets of London and the London Underground. I don't relate the innocent victims in the Tube stations and the bus with the ones playing with the snake, of course. I relate the LEADERS, the ones who claim to know better. Who SHOULD know better, or resign.

"Fight them over there, so we don't have to fight them here." Indeed. I think the British will blame the terrorists AND blame us for saying stupid things like that.

[napi21]

1. Good job!

I understood it instantly. The problem is, I'd bet most people whould listen to your story and just say "HUH?".

[beam me up scottie]

2. I think

they'd say that our leader is really pretending to be a snake and had the whole bite incident planned all along and we're fools not to see it...

[Hissyspit]

4. That's an interesting extension of the analogy. n/t

[beam me up scottie]

5. I'm just a mirror!

Excellent analogy.

What a shock that the snake made good its promise to strike. :eyes:

[Hissyspit]

6. Analogies break down ultimately.

And I was typing really fast because I have to go teach class, but I needed to express myself and that's the best I could come up with.

[beam me up scottie]

8. Nominated.

:applause:

[Hissyspit]

3. Thank you.

[Deja Q]

7. Kicked and nominated.

:yourock:

[whatever4]

9. They see the solution as killing all snakes

That's what they say. END terrorism. Sure. When it's finally gone, we'll strike that word from the dictionary, and then it will be well and truly gone. Then the war will be over. Then our troops can come home. Right. Reich.

[kentuck]

10. you knew I was a snake, said the snake...

whose fault?

[CWebster]

11. Events do not occur in a void. nt

[Hissyspit]

12. I added some more to this, so am self-kicking.

[YOY]

13. substitute "touch" for

"whack with a stick" and it would be more on the money.

Nice comparison though.

[Hissyspit]

14. Yes, good point.

[PittLib]

15. This must be the "understanding" and "therapy" ...

Rove is speaking of. Why search for the origin of hatred, when you're a superpower and your actions and policies are inconsequential? We all know that they hate our freedom ... why can't you accept that?

Just in case ... :sarcasm:

[Hissyspit]

16. By the way, I did mean "ulterior" and not "alterior"

:P editing period is over

[eleny]

17. Oh, don't worry about that

This is a terrible day and we know what you meant. The important thing is that you shared very important thoughts and articulated them so well.