The end is near (for Islamic extremism)

Johann Hari does some good for the name of journalism in this piece in the Independent. Brave and deep.

On September 18, 2001, I wrote that if I were president I would pursue the international criminals who had perpetrated the attacks in international criminal courts.  I said that I would use the extensive resources of our wonderful land to attempt to restore peace through humble negotiations.  I said then that this would snuff out the flame of extremism that was threatening to rise up and engulf our world in killing and destruction.

I was right.

It will get darker before the dawn, but the first rays of light are breaking.

And contrary to the sensational headline, Islamic extremism won't end completely.  The movement will lose its status as an acceptable form of Islam and fall out of the mainstream.  But dumb backwards hicks will continue to believe in it for many generations.  We can only hope that this generation will see the last public figures and major movements.

My old blog

I had started a blog years ago. Then I got busy. Computers crashed. Email accounts changed. Passwords lost. Now I can't back in to manage or update it. (sigh)

I did that blog anonymously because I didn't want to get questioned about it at work. I was really worried about having personal-life distractions there. Obviously I underestimated the positive value of the connectivity of the internet.

The blog is here: http://www.goodletters.blogspot.com/

There are a few articles on that blog that I think deserve attention here.

* Christians sin, and we should be less quick to condemn sinners--especially homosexuals.

* Stop and go read this book.

* My first stab at describing 'Democracy 2.0'. You will hear more about that later.

* Non-violence.

* My September 18, 2001 presidential address. This is the one-draft speech I wrote on the morning of September 18, 2001, as I debated what I wanted to hear from GWB in his first address after the attacks. I was not surprised by what he said that night, but I was disappointed. It's still rough--no editing whatsoever. But this is the clearest window into my soul you will ever find.

Several other posts are worth reading, but I'll let you go dig if you are interested.

I really like this quote. I forgot I had written it until I just re-read that blog. Under the heading of 'Forgiveness':

"I choose to no longer be bound by the mistakes of your past."