I Get Books

4:55 pm EST August 19th, 2010 | Conservative | 29 Comments

Today I got a copy of Markos’ new book:


American Taliban: How War, Sex, Sin, and Power Bind Jihadists and the Radical Right by Markos Moulitsas Zúniga

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29 Responses to “I Get Books”

  1. Repack Rider says:
    August 19, 2010 at 5:10 pm

    Ironically the nutwingers attack Markos as some sort of extremist.

    He’s an incredibly clear thinker, and that’s the problem they have with him.

  2. Ol'Froth says:
    August 19, 2010 at 5:24 pm

    Will a review be forthcoming?

  3. Rheinhard says:
    August 19, 2010 at 6:27 pm

    Oliver, I think you’re going to need to bookmark this, because I think Dennis, SaveFarris, Frank et al. will pretty much all be writing comments here shortly that can be summarized thus:

    SHORTER JONAH GOLDBERG: Comparing conservatives to the Taliban is lame and nasty. Comparing liberals to Hitler is brilliant. Why? Because farrrrt. Whoa, he who smelt it dealt it!

  4. Oliver Willis says:
    August 19, 2010 at 7:16 pm

    LOL

  5. Dennis says:
    August 19, 2010 at 7:23 pm

    Prediction I won’t in good conscience take credit for when it comes true: The book won’t sell and you guys will say ‘So what, Brittany Spears outsells John Coltrane.’

  6. Parthenon says:
    August 19, 2010 at 7:26 pm

    ‘So what, Brittany Spears outsells John Coltrane.’

    Which is completely true, by the way. Do you think Britney Spears makes better music than ‘Trane? If not, you have to conclude that popularity is independent from quality. If so…

  7. Dennis says:
    August 19, 2010 at 7:52 pm

    The prediction for which I take no credit for comes true.

  8. Parthenon says:
    August 19, 2010 at 7:58 pm

    You kill me amigo, seriously. Keep enjoying your Britney Spears (slightly outdated – Lady Gaga now?), Twilight, Glenn Beck, Fox News, McDonalds, Survivor and Two and a Half Men. I won’t judge.

  9. Prodigal says:
    August 19, 2010 at 8:13 pm

    1. Dennis predicts that someone will point out that Dennis is being stupid.
    2. Someone points out that Dennis is being stupid.
    3. Profit!

  10. Repack Rider says:
    August 19, 2010 at 8:15 pm

    The prediction for which I take no credit for comes true.

    Now you’re stealing material from RACHEL MADDOW of all people. But let’s run with “your” idea.

    Does SpongeBob Squarepants have higher ratings than O’Reilly? He sure does.

    What does that say about Bill O’Reilly?

  11. Dennis says:
    August 19, 2010 at 8:17 pm

    Two and a Half Men isn’t half-bad, Parthy. If you can forget that Charlie Sheen is a far-Left, 9/11 truther loon and serial wife-beater.

    Tell you what, if Kos gets a review from anyone half-way serious that places this book in the same lofty category as Coltrane is regarded for jazz, I’ll buy ten books of his and send them to O. Dubya for distribution to anyone who asks him for them. And I’ll pay S&H, too.

  12. Dennis says:
    August 19, 2010 at 8:24 pm

    And for God’s sake, will someone here please go to the Amazon website and write a nice review of his book, even if it is fake. I feel bad he only has one so far. I need there to be a good ten or so reviews before I log on and give it a one-star rating, otherwise it will look too obvious I haven’t read it.

  13. Dennis says:
    August 19, 2010 at 8:28 pm

    Does SpongeBob Squarepants have higher ratings than O’Reilly? He sure does.

    What does that say about Bill O’Reilly?

    Uh, I guess it says Keith Olbermann must really, really, really suck, Repack.

    But as the resident Kos Kid here, I guess you already knew that, didn’t you?

  14. Wilbur says:
    August 19, 2010 at 8:38 pm

    Would some other wingnut please check in? I’m getting really really bored with Dennis.

  15. Repack Rider says:
    August 19, 2010 at 8:44 pm

    I guess it says Keith Olbermann must really, really, really suck, Repack.

    O’Reilly, the sexual predator and stalker?

    What it says is that FNC is on the “standard” cable package where I live, and Olbermann is on the “premium” package that fewer people have.

    I wonder if that affects anything.

    But hey, thanks for the Kos callout. The reason I signed up on day one (UID# 207) was that I had noticed that DK was more accurate than TV news or newspapers on every event in which accuracy could be determined, especially the well documented lies leading up to the invasion of Iraq.

    When DK busted Colin Powell for his plagiarism and lies practically before he finished his lying speech at the UN, I knew Markos was the guy to pay attention to.

  16. Pryme says:
    August 19, 2010 at 8:47 pm

    Prediction I won’t in good conscience take credit for when it comes true: The book won’t sell and you guys will say ‘So what, Brittany Spears outsells John Coltrane.’

    I don’t think kos is hurting for cash, so I doubt profit is the motive here.

    But I doubt you plan on buying the book, so why do you care?

  17. Dennis says:
    August 19, 2010 at 8:52 pm

    Well, Repack long before it was revealed he had been using bogus polling, and long before he said “Screw them” to mercenaries killed in Iraq, I knew Markos was the guy no one should be paying attention to. This book will likely only make that even more obvious.

  18. Dennis says:
    August 19, 2010 at 8:59 pm

    But I doubt you plan on buying the book, so why do you care?

    Pryme, that comment about the bogus Amazon reviews was for you and your Sadly No! clown buddies, when you all thought it was cute to trash John J. Miller’s book on Amazon.

  19. Indeed says:
    August 19, 2010 at 9:56 pm

    Speaking of American Taliban, there’s a great article in the latest Harper’s, Straight Man’s Burden: The American Roots of Uganda’s Anti-Gay Persecutions. It’s scary, creepy, maddening, and deeply sad–an outstanding magazine piece. It’s not for everyone, of course. Plenty more people watch Fox News’ nightly roundup of Other bashing, but I heard somewhere that there’s no accounting for taste.

  20. Zython says:
    August 19, 2010 at 9:58 pm

    Prediction I won’t in good conscience take credit for when it comes true: The book won’t sell and you guys will say ‘So what, Brittany Spears outsells John Coltrane.’

    So you’re admitting that you’re going to use a logical fallacy in the near future. *golfclap* Good show.

  21. Indeed says:
    August 19, 2010 at 10:26 pm

    From the Amazon reviews of John J. Miller’s masterpiece,

    This is a very serious, thoughtful vanity-published sub-airport book that has never been made in such detail or with such care.

    Yeah, that’s the stuff. I had not seen that. Good times. Of course, nothing will ever touch the reviews of the late, great Jon Swift (“I have not actually read this book but…”), but this ain’t bad.

  22. The Dark Avenger says:
    August 19, 2010 at 11:36 pm

    Dennis the (Psycho OCD Freak!) Menace mentioning the Sadly No! clowns is like Rasputin carrying on about the Pope being a sinner.

    Here’s some contributions from some Sadly, No! clowns, myself included.

  23. timmy says:
    August 19, 2010 at 11:45 pm

    The American Taliban, Wahhabists, the Red Guards, Hitler Youth… Dr. timmy zinks zey all have somesink in common.

    Psychologically speaking zat is. These organizations zeem to appeal to the conservatively traditionalistic thinker. Well behaved, they may be the ballast of their society which helps keep it stable. Gone wrong, they become group-thinking authoritarian-worshipping goose-stepping mindless machines. Think marching band in the alley from Animal House. To be fair Liberals at worst are like Deathmobile but I digress…

    To quote an ancient thinker: “Forgive them for they know not what they do”. Should we not be placing blame on their authority figures? Should somebody take the baton and lead the mindless marchers out of the alley and into the path of the Deathmobile? Again I digress…

    Perhaps ze book has answers.

  24. william says:
    August 20, 2010 at 2:04 pm

    “Would some other wingnut please check in?”

    Sure…On the eve of Republicans making a comeback, it looks like Kos has about had it with the filibuster:

    http://campaigns.dailykos.com/action/reformthesenate

    It’s pretty funny how fast the Democrats have changed their position on the filibuster from “venerated Senate tradition” to “filthy tool of evil Republicans”.

  25. Prodigal says:
    August 20, 2010 at 4:12 pm

    So, william, were you in favor of the filibuster when Democrats used it, or are you being guilty of the exact same hypocrisy you’re accusing others of? Inquiring minds want to know.

  26. Ol'Froth says:
    August 20, 2010 at 4:48 pm

    I’d rather keep the filibuster, but get rid of the silly cloture vote. Filibuster? MAKE THEM DO IT!!! Get out the cots, make those filibustering clowns read the phone book, its all on C-Span now, the public will quickly figure out who the obstructionists are if we had real filibusters, rather than the fake one that exists today.

  27. Jody says:
    August 20, 2010 at 5:54 pm

    I’m with Ol’Froth on this one. The minority does need some way for its influence to be felt, but with the current setup the minority absolutely run things. When dealing with a block of authoritarians that can only mean disaster.

  28. Wilbur says:
    August 22, 2010 at 12:04 am

    Thanks, william, but I should have said “can some other wingnut check in without the sort of transparent, self-serving hypocrisy that we get by the boatload from Dennis“

  29. Indeed says:
    August 22, 2010 at 6:33 am

    American Taliban

    tbogg today:

    Per Steve at NMMNB, some soldiers balked when ordered to go see “christian rock” band BarlowGirl and so instead they were grounded and they had to stay inside and clean their rooms and it was totally not fair:

    Dozens of soldiers who refused to attend a Christian band’s concert at Fort Eustis said they were banished to their barracks and told to clean them up, and the Pentagon said Friday that it was investigating the accusation. Pvt. Anthony Smith said he and other soldiers felt pressured to attend the May concert by the Christian rock group BarlowGirl as part of the “Commanding General’s Spiritual Fitness Concerts.” Private Smith said 80 men decided not to attend. “Instead of being released to our personal time,” he said, “we were locked down. It seemed very much like a punishment.”

    But not more punishing than listening to three wholsesome young ladies sing songs of longing and lust directed to a vague unspecific “you”, but not you “you”. Nope, they’re talkin’ about Jesus, the bad boy who never calls (see video below). But you have to ask yourself what kind of strapping young American warrior would not want to see an act aimed at people who find Avril Lavigne too “edgy” or more accurately a “ball-busting whore-skank”?

    The kind of guys who will not protect you from Muslims, that’s who.

    So thank Jeebus these guys are being called out in front of the whole platoon, because the next thing you know military discipline will break down and some of them will totally start bagging on the Thursday Night Team Edward Twilight Book Club and then the mean notes will start mysteriously appearing in lockers. Next thing you know there is a barracks burn book, and finally… fragging.

    Jeff Sharlet last year:

    The rest of that Easter [2004] was spent under siege. Insurgents held off Bravo Company, which was called in to rescue the men in the compound. Ammunition ran low. A helicopter tried to drop more but missed. As dusk fell, the men prepared four Bradley Fighting Vehicles for a “run and gun” to draw fire away from the compound. Humphrey headed down from the roof to get a briefing. He found his lieutenant, John D. DeGiulio, with a couple of sergeants. They were snickering like schoolboys. They had commissioned the Special Forces interpreter, an Iraqi from Texas, to paint a legend across their Bradley’s armor, in giant red Arabic script.

    “What’s it mean?” asked Humphrey.

    “Jesus killed Mohammed,” one of the men told him. The soldiers guffawed. JESUS KILLED MOHAMMED was about to cruise into the Iraqi night.

    The Bradley, a tracked “tank killer” armed with a cannon and missiles—to most eyes, indistinguishable from a tank itself—rolled out. The Iraqi interpreter took to the roof, bullhorn in hand. The sun was setting. Humphrey heard the keen of the call to prayer, then the crackle of the bullhorn with the interpreter answering—in Arabic, then in English for the troops, insulting the prophet. Humphrey’s men loved it. “They were young guys, you know?” says Humphrey. “They were scared.” A Special Forces officer stood next to the interpreter—“a big, tall, blond, grinning type,” says Humphrey.

    “Jesus kill Mohammed!” chanted the interpreter. “Jesus kill Mohammed!”

    They hate us for our Freedoms.