In 1979, the IRA blew up the yacht of Lord Louis Mountbatten killing him and a number of other innocent people. He was the last Viceroy to India and an important historical figure in the end of the British Empire. He was highly romanticized and cast an internationalist figure but was a symbolic target as he really had nothing to do with the ongoing British conflict in Northern Ireland.
This was an act of pure evil blowing up an old man who was an important historical figure. It would be as if a terrorist group in the US blew up Ralph Nader or Sgt Shriver.
I only bring this up because Xenophobic Islamophobic bigoted New York Congressman Peter King, chairman of the Homeland Security committee in the House of Representatives, is starting hearings this week on Radical Islam in the US. King is also a big time hypocrite as he was a supporter of the IRA a group that regularly targeted civilians. He raised money for them, he supported them. It is no excuse to say there target weren’t Americans and that made it okay. Britain is our closest ally and that’s just nonsense.
Let’s be clear….Nothing of consequence will come of this. This will be a federally authorized attack on a religion and on a particular religious community not a review of a real threat.
King has a long history of racist and bigoted statements. He is the kind of desperate politician who seizes on a hot button issue in an effort to stave off his own being voted out of office as well as using a wedge issue to demagogue.
Joseph McCarthy has apparently seized control of King’s soul. Let’s hope a Joseph Welch (“At long last sir have you no decency?”) also appears during this disgusting media event.
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