Don Carlo, Evangelicals and Pest Control
Last weekend my wife and I had the opportunity to see the New York Metropolitan Opera’s performance of Don Carlo, a riveting display of power, government and it’s marriage to the Catholic Church during the period we know as the Spanish inquisition. While my first impression was to lament at how far we have slipped as a nation towards the goal of a church run state, my second thought was to realize ho w much the inquisition mirrored modern day Iraq and Iran. Still, the neo-evangelical base calls for administrative prayer in public schools, “intelligent design” in our science classrooms, and religious standards with regards to sexuality, mixed race couples, and what and what does not constitute a marriage. So while there are many who would have America represented as a “Christian” nation, the reality is that this association would limit our abilities around the globe. From a tactical position, and as a matter of state, it is imperative that the United States maintain a religiously neutral position, being a home to all who believe, and a kin to none.
It’s these same faithful who demand living proof. Truth be known that an effective war on terror is one that is fought as though we were the Mafia. Silent, discrete, and deadly. We could arm small brigades of Special Forces who would be trained to kill, and do so without headlines, media attention, Wiki-Leaks or worldwide speculation. The problem is that this is not a fight the American public can visualize. We are accustomed to watching CNN, Fox and MSNBC in high definition, and coming to a Best Buy near you, 3D. God knows what real war coverage sounds like through a kick-ass home theater system. For some reason though, we the faithful believe if we can’t see it, it doesn’t exist.
Let me make my argument a bit simpler. I grew up in Florida and we had our share of cockroaches. It seemed like a war, especially in the summer time when these things were everywhere. I learned though from a knowledgeable exterminator that the most effective tool was the edible poison and not the sprays, bombs, adhesive tapes or roach motels that were so popular. The most effective way to kill a roach is to kill its whole colony. The “Trojan horse” method he called it. Place some edible poison in places like switch plates, drain crevices, and electrical receptacles, they eat it, take it back to their buddies and hundreds die at a time. You could repel the little beasts for years. I had to ask though, “why doesn’t everyone do this?” His answer was simple. Because people want to see that they are killing something. It gives them a false sense of control. They feel comfortable seeing a few dozen of the little bastards with their legs in the air and ignore the thousand or so that may be living in their homes foundation or in the walls.
The same could be said for the war against our countries terrorists. We tolerate war, and in some cases encourage it, because the vivid results make us feel as though we are in control again.
T. Rafael Cimino
It’s these same faithful who demand living proof. Truth be known that an effective war on terror is one that is fought as though we were the Mafia. Silent, discrete, and deadly. We could arm small brigades of Special Forces who would be trained to kill, and do so without headlines, media attention, Wiki-Leaks or worldwide speculation. The problem is that this is not a fight the American public can visualize. We are accustomed to watching CNN, Fox and MSNBC in high definition, and coming to a Best Buy near you, 3D. God knows what real war coverage sounds like through a kick-ass home theater system. For some reason though, we the faithful believe if we can’t see it, it doesn’t exist.
Let me make my argument a bit simpler. I grew up in Florida and we had our share of cockroaches. It seemed like a war, especially in the summer time when these things were everywhere. I learned though from a knowledgeable exterminator that the most effective tool was the edible poison and not the sprays, bombs, adhesive tapes or roach motels that were so popular. The most effective way to kill a roach is to kill its whole colony. The “Trojan horse” method he called it. Place some edible poison in places like switch plates, drain crevices, and electrical receptacles, they eat it, take it back to their buddies and hundreds die at a time. You could repel the little beasts for years. I had to ask though, “why doesn’t everyone do this?” His answer was simple. Because people want to see that they are killing something. It gives them a false sense of control. They feel comfortable seeing a few dozen of the little bastards with their legs in the air and ignore the thousand or so that may be living in their homes foundation or in the walls.
The same could be said for the war against our countries terrorists. We tolerate war, and in some cases encourage it, because the vivid results make us feel as though we are in control again.
T. Rafael Cimino
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