I'm Not Being Flippant, But...

“The result,” Ackerman writes, “was a vague definition of an enemy that consisted of thousands of Muslims, perhaps millions, but not all Muslims — though definitely, exclusively, Muslims.” https://t.co/tQOlQTXVS4

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) August 10, 2021

It took 20 years to figure that out?

Or did it take 20 years to have the courage to point out the obvious, now that we're no longer afraid of "Muslims"?  Honestly.  I saw an "X-Files" episode from 2016 (the season they tried to revive it, and failed), centering on two Muslims engaged in a suicide bombing in "southwest Texas."  It was only 5 years old, but so dated as to be almost cringe-worthy.

So now a book comes along to point out what we all realized at least 5 years ago, and would prefer to pretend never happened, because we know all that already?

Timing is everything.

In other news:

Cuomo announces he is resigning as governor of New York pic.twitter.com/QtAjBrWLpI

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 10, 2021

Is that what he did? I was listening to his press conference live, and it was so tendentious and unapologetic and self-justifying that when I lost the signal I just switched to something else. (I was outside doing some home improvement project that should have taken 30 minutes. It took 3 hours. Typical.) All of that self-serving "I'm just an old man who's misunderstood and I never meant anything by it why won't anybody pity me?" was so he could resign?

He'd have been better off to just walk up to the microphone and announce: "I do not challenge the findings of the investigation, and I take full responsibility for my actions.  My resignation as Governor of New York is effective immediately, and I am returning to private life.  Goodbye."

And then walked away to do just that.  At least it would have left a better taste in everybody's mouth.  Not that 3/4's of the country cares, or even knows who he is.  Anymore than they've given much thought to "scary Muslims" in the last 6 years.

U.S. Sens. Jon Cornyn, Ted Cruz vote against infrastructure bill that could give Texas more than $30 billion https://t.co/uWUoPmXSdt

— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) August 10, 2021

This will not stop them from taking credit for the money when it gets here. Unlike who we're afraid of at the moment, some things will never change.