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November 29, 2003

The American Crusades

by Red Wolf

Ben Tanosborn has written a interesting article comparing Bush's attack on Iraq to Urban's call for arms against a bunch of pesky Turks who refused to bow and scrap before him. And we all know how well that turned out.

In 1095, Pope Urban II assembled a council of bishops and abbots, with a sprinkling of important knights, and gave at Clermont in Auvergne (France) the speech of his life. Vividly, he told the gathering how the Seljuk Turks had desecrated and polluted the altars of the Church, circumcised Christians and cut open their bellies... with an endless litany of loathsome practices. The inspiration for the crusades was at that moment born with the battle cry of Deus vult! (God wills it!)
Nine centuries later, President Bush II, without the eloquence of Urban, is also granted by Congress the power to conduct a "holy war", a war against Iraq , a rogue nation; a vertex in a triangle of evil; a menace to its neighbors and the US ; a country led by a ruler despised by his dad. The battle cry this time was Novem úndecim! (Nine eleven!) ...although many cynical critics prefer the battle cry of Oleum indigeat! (Oil requires it!)

As George Santayana said, Those that do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it. Welcome to the American Crusades.

The American Crusades: Preamble - Tanosborn Online, 16th November 2003 (via Southerly Buster).

Posted in Church and State at 01:07. Last modified on July 14 2009 at 16:44.
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Only one comment so far

user-pic 1: Posted by pericat
November 29, 2003 4:32 AM | Reply

President Bush II, without the eloquence of Urban

or even the eloquence of Daffy Duck.

Wax lyrical

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