October Surprise

I’d like to start this entry out with a little note of interest, well at least of interest to me.  I write to two blog right now with any regularity, this one and another of apparently much less controversy and concern to some.  I make that statement because of an interesting stat that has emerged from my blog statistic logs.  I use Facebook as a method to communicate new blog entries to those of my friends there that might be interested.  Whenever I post on Facebook that a new article is available on one of my blogs, I can see an almost immediate corresponding Facebook hit in my blog logs.  Okay, that does make sense, in this area of almost rampant IP (intellectual properties) violations which occur via the web, it seems appropriate that Facebook would want to check to make sure that these violation are not happening or being supported via its services.  However, over the last few months, Facebook has a “bot” trolling this blog on a regular (every couple of days) basis, regardless of when there was a last post, or a link posted to my Facebook profile.  Since I have had some experience with Facebook’s policies and method for shutting down content which they or a few of their users consider “unfriendly”, I am left to wonder if they or some users are seeking something that posted to this blog which they use to shut down my account on their site.  Time will tell, but, if I disappear from Facebook, you’ll be able to figure why.  ;)  Dear Facebook, hope you don’t find this too offensive.

Now on to the October Surprise…

While you can find prior examples, the term October Surprise began its political life during the 1972 Presidential election between Richard Nixon(R i) and George McGovern (D) as a result of the announcement from President Nixon’s administration of a possible end to hostilities in Vietnam in October 1972.  Since that time, there have been several events occurring in the last couple of months of the Presidential election cycle which held stay on the election.  I do not subscribe to the idea that there are many conspiracy theories that hold any real validity.  First, a secret know by more than one person is not a secret.  Second, the number of people required to pull off most covert agendas is so large, that keeping it quiet is almost impossible.  Individuals can and do successfully take covert actions singularly, but, a conspiracy by definition is a covert agenda conducted by a group of people.  And third and finally, it has been my experience that most people who have secrets want to share it with someone close, or at very least divulge that they possess a secret because of the imagined power and prestige that can come from knowing a secret, and sometimes it is simply a crisis of conscience that will cause someone to reveal his or her secrets.   I think history has demonstration quite well that in the realm of covert actions, if there was a conspiracy effort it will eventually be exposed.

So do we have an October surprise happening in this election cycle, or more accurately a September surprise?  Let’s look at what is happening around the world right now, with the recent outbreak of violent protest from the Muslim community over a film not just providing visual representations of the Prophet Mohammed (against the precept of Islamic doctrine), but doing so in a rather negative manner.  While I say Muslim community, one should not assume that I think it is the entire Muslim community involved, but rather that small radical or extremist element of that community.  This protest was ignited by video, produced here in the United States by a Coptic Christian Egyptian-American, called the “Innocence of Muslims.”  Not wanting to pass judgment based solely on the opinions of others, I watched the trailer for this video, and would not even be interested in seeing a full length feature.  As an Agnostic, who has studied the theologies of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and a few others, I find the video – contrary to the opinions of several friends – to be extremely odious, and I understand how and why Muslims would find this production offensive as well.  Especially with the knowledge that the English language version post to YouTube in July was translated into Arabic and reposted to YouTube just a few weeks ago.  I neither condone nor support the violent protest that has occurred as a result, but, I do understand it.  I don’t think it unreasonable to assume that Mr. Bacile – one of 15 aliases for on Mr. Nakoula Basseley Nakoula – had any intend other than to deliberately inflame the Muslim community.  I support my assessment by the reaction of some Muslims to the printing of cartoons in Danish publications in the recent past.  I also think that Mr. Bacile is very aware of the strained relationship between the America and the Muslim community outside of the U.S., as one would have to have lived under a rock for the last decade not to know.

As these protests began to gain strength, the extremist element of the Muslim faith seized on the opportunity to exploit the situation with an attack on the Libyan consulate in Benghazi, which sadly resulting in the death of 4 Americans.  Then we have a GOP establish here in this country that see their opportunity to exploit.  Knowing that American over the last 30 years have generally held the misconception that the GOP was the stronger party when it comes to foreign policy and national defense, and that calling out Muslim terrorists as the main threat to our freedoms has been a mantra of the far right for more than a decade.  So it should be no surprise that the GOP, which really should be renamed the TPP, would jump on the issue to claim that this attack on the Libyan consulate is one more failing of President they want so desperately to replace in a few short weeks.  Bingo… You have an October/September surprise.  And it will probably extend into October, as we have others throwing additional fuel on the fire.

So is this surprise a conspiracy?  Not likely, other than being a conspiracy of coincidence or convenience.  Will it have the desired impact on our election?  Again, not likely, I think the die has been cast.  But, it will be interesting to see how the TPP tries to extend or expand these protested in their attempt to wrest control of the country from the current administration, as they have IMO reached a point of desperation, and may be on the verge of complete collapse.  My real fear is that we have extremists on both sides intend on starting a religious civil war.  That event would be a real tragedy.

 

Your comments or questions are always welcome, and I have added an email address for those not wishing to comment openly in this forum.  Emails can be sent to recoveringcathcon@gmail.com. However, please know that if this account is used to flood me with trash and hate mail, I will shut it down.