The Maoists are coming! AIEEE!!

A couple of posts down, I talked about the case of the Dartmouth student who received federal attention because he requested a copy of Chairman Mao's little red book via interlibrary loan. A reader told me that the report had yet to be substantiated. Well, now it has been. As I suspected might be the case, the poor guy was taking a class in totalitarianism, and had been directed by his professor to seek out primary sources.

What the hell was on the minds of those Homeland Security types? Do they really think that anyone in this country who takes Mao's ravings seriously could pose an actual threat?

The only American Maoists I ever met were assholes allied to the Revolutionary Communist Party, which was a cult of personality run by a ludicrous figure named Bob Avakian. I ran into a couple of those guys back in my college days -- more years ago than I will here divulge. Everyone on campus thought they were hilarious. Believe me, if those clueless turkeys are the enemy, we haven't got a thing to worry about.

I know that right-wing nutjobs constantly try to connect the jihadist movement with communism. That's because right-wing nutjobs are incapable of learning the basic facts of history. One of those facts is this: The Salafist movement (Al Qaeda is an outgrowth of Salafism) is closely allied to the Muslim Brotherhood, which had stood against Nasserism, which was the last major Arab political movement to display any sympathy for any variety of socialism. There was a strong socialist movement in Iran in the 1970s, but it was wiped out by Khomeini.

(Incidentally, there are some aficionados of parapolitics who argue that the CIA, having noted the Shah's instability, helped to establish Khomeini as an alternative, beause a religious leader was considered preferable to anyone on the left. I don't know if that allegation is true, but I wouldn't be surprised if it were.)

Forgive my discursiveness. The point is, we now know that the Pentagon is spying on anti-War protestors. That means you and me. We know that "Uncle" can now track your movements if you carry a cel phone. No warrant necessary.

Meanwhile, our prez is good friends with Saudi royalty, while Saudi citizens (and those who merely claim to be such) are pouring into this nation, legally and illegally. The administration refuses to beef up security at our ports, and the Bushfolk want to allow sharp implements back on airplanes.

Obviously, this administration does not consider jihadists to be the enemy. After all, a new terror incident would rescue W's poll numbers.

No, the real enemy is anyone who opposes King George.