I hear that Rev. Jackson has received an invitation to visit Afghanistan. He has stated that he is willing to use his great moral authority to negotiate with the taliban, and possibly free some US citizens being held there. My question: should he take Rev. Sharpton with him-I mean, two are better than one (aren’t they)? Also, given Ren. Jackson’s recent experiences with his girlfriend (he’s in the healing phase of his affair), he should be the right man for the job.
What say you all?
Hell yeah we should send Jesse and Al over there. And while they are over there we should start bombing, that way we can kill three birds with one stone, or cruise missle, as the case may be.
I never understand this…
Rev. Jackson has exactly ZERO authority to negotiate for the United States. His going would only be a PR ploy on behalf of the Taliban and perhaps Rev. Jackson.
The really crappy thing is what would happen if the Taliban decided to nab Rev. Jackson. President Bush would have to either capitulate to some demands or (more likely) risk blowing Rev. Jackson up with American bombs and potentially alienating African Americans here in the US.
While my feeling is any American dumb enough to go to Afghanistan now deserves what he or she gets (not including our military) it sucks to think the Rev. Jackson could aggravate an already stressful situation here in the states.
Hell yeah we should send Jesse and Al over there. And while they are over there we should start bombing, that way we can kill three birds with one stone, or cruise missle, as the case may be.
A PR scam by Jessie. According to this article http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35554-2001Sep27.html
“An Afghan news agency has reported that Jackson initiated the offer.”
and
“I have not made a decision to go. I don’t want to go. I hope that it is unnecessary to go,”
and “Jackson said he was contacted by Taliban officials to talk about the status of suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden.”
I’m sure the Taliban wants to talk to him about the status of bin Laden. I bet they really want his help.
Just a way to get his name out there.
In the past, Rev. Jackson has been a lot of help getting people released from cerain situations. If he could go over there and return with the eight captured Christians, I say go for it. Other than that, I dont see why the Taliban would even want to talk to him.
If he could do good, I say let him go. Sure it would be good PR for him, after his affair, but it might also bring home thoes innocent Christians.
peace,
JB
Gotta love it when people wish death on public figures. So classy and restrained. :rolleyes:
:rolleyes:
Yes, what a scam to get our people out of harm’s way before we beat the hell out the enemy later.
Before you think I am a dove, I do think we should kill or capture the terrorists, but having some patience does help, remember that as time goes by the Taliban is losing support even in Afghanistan and more refugees are getting out. Eventually we know that whoever remains will most likely be the supporters of the regime.
Jesse going there is not to negotiate any escape for the Taliban regime, but the release of prisoners.
And even Jesse ignored and criticized Clinton about Kosovo and did go there anyway to get our prisoners out:
http://www.frontpagemag.com/cw/1999/cw05-07-99.htm
Funny aside thing: my spellchecker is trying to replace Taliban with Tailbone! Even computers do think the taliban are asses.
Well, I do think the Right Rev is a bit of a grandstander. And, of course, I personally think his credibility is pretty shot since that whole “Oopsie, I slipped and had an affair with an employee and now I have an illegitimate child that I’ve tried to cover up” thing – not that we have to rehash that.
But the thing I’m most curious about is – who called whom? Because the Taliban appear to be saying that JJ called them, while he’s pretty clearly saying that they called him. How would they know to get ahold of him? Why would they think he could do any good? OTOH, how would he get in touch with them?
My totally baseless suspicion is that JJ has concocted this thing, probably in the genuine belief that he can do some good. Whether he could . . . dunno, but I’m certainly wiilling to let him try, though I’m at a loss to imagine what he could accomplish.
Wow, I never knew this, but this CNN Article claims Jackson is some kind of hostage-negotiating whiz.
Word is that he did a HORRIBLE job in the Sierra Leone negotiations - I can’t find the Washington Post coverage because it’s so old but here’s a link to a [Fox interview. Given the brutality of that war, it’s doubtful anyone could have negotiated successfully, but Jackson’s relationship with Charles Taylor (president of Liberia, and one of the sponsors of the Sierra Leone War) resulted in the brutal rebel leader gaining control of Sierra Leone’s diamond mines. Since the war was largely over the diamond mines, Jackson helped this amputator of children’s limbs win.
More info: http://www.africanewscast.com/index/Sierra%20Leone’s%20diamond%20war%20by%20Charles%20Taylor.htm](http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,21676,00.html)
YEAH, jibbity jibbity ratta-tat-tat and so on…
Heck, I don’t think Jesse Jackson should represent anything. Other than himself. Which is what he seems to be best at.
Am I missing something here?
http://news6.thdo.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_897000/897014.stm
If Jesse Jackson did help Taylor gain power then US ambassador did had more to say in the matter:
http://www.africanewscast.com/index/Sierra%20Leone’s%20diamond%20war%20by%20Charles%20Taylor.htm
In other words, Jesse NEGOCIATED with monsters to get the people free, negociation to free prisioners does not mean that he was negociating to help the evil guy aquire power. (they already had the power so I am really missing what The Post and Fox news are saying here) The whole article ends actually in an indictment of the Debeers diamond company (follow the money to find the real movers). Not an indictment on Jesse Jackson.
Finally, can an envoy really change or manipulate who gets to be the ruler of a nation? Obiously those Liberian and Sierra Leone thugs were conquering those nations before Jackson got there.
The Taliban respects nothing and no one it seems. So what is the point of sending anyone over there? One of the reasons they are so hateful could be because they don’t have open discussions with other parts of the world they have strong feelings over. I would prefer open communications because it might help some. I don’t know what Jesse and Al can do. I know Louis Farrakhan can’t make the trip and he despises cowardly acts, and he doesnt like terrorism and distorted Islam.
Imam W.D. Muhummad is against this also and I haven’t heard from him.
I have an idea that might work with defeating the terrorists, but I don’t know what number to call. Does anyone know???
That is so unbelievably offensive.
Are we in GD or the Pit? Mods?
Squeegee–I agree with you completely. I thought that this board was for intellectual discourse…if that comment was made about any other political leader, I think people would be mortified.
On another note…I think that Jesse is a logical choice here. It seems that much of the rest of the world considers Jesse Jackson sort of an “unofficial” leader of the opposition in this country. And this is sort of true…no one else in America really hold the stature of Jackson–especially in regards to minorities and the economic underclass. Agree or disagree with his politics (or his personal life–completely irrelevant here, I don’t understand why people are even bringing it up)…Jackson has consistantly stood up for those without a voice. He is intelligent, well-spoken and respected. If a nation didn’t feel comfortable dealing with our “official” administration, I can easily see him being a logical alternative.
You got a cite for that sweeping generalization. No one is Asia even knows who Jesse Jackson is, much less thinks he’s an “unofficial” opposition leader. If you didn’t know, Asia is full of Muslims (Indonesia, Malaysia, and to a lesser extent Philippines and China).
Not only no but HELL NO! :mad: AFAIK, The Taliban didn’t even contact Jackson. He made the decision himself to go over there. He has no business sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong. This is all a publicity stunt and he’s doing it to get his name in the papers and on the news. Why is it he waited until two weeks after the attacks before surfacing anyway? If this wasn’t just a publicity stunt he would’ve been seen before now. He hasn’t been in the media much since his affair/love child came into light. Why now? I don’t think America needs him over there to negotiate anything… regardless of what he may have done in the past.
[sub]can you tell that I don’t like him?[/sub]
…comes from his sin (the love child). Basically, no man can know salvation fully, until he has sinned. This has Jesse done, and he is now redeeming himself. Surely the healing that he is experienceing will show the Taliban that he means what he says! I think the good reverend will have a lot to talk about , with the Taliban!
Some of the comments in this thread are just vicious. Just how is Jackson’s kid-out-of-wedlock relevant in any way?
Heck, I have no love for Jesse. I think he’s been an unbelievable opportunist in the past, and has supported very questionable causes (remember the expelled students, er, hoodlums? Grrr.)
OTOH when JJ offered to go to Kosovo to negotiate for the release of prisoners, my initial reaction was, “Oh, sure. That’ll work. Not.” And to my (and probably everyone’s) amazement, it did work.
If Jackson can secure the release of the foreign-aid workers being held by the Taliban, then power to him. I just hope he doesn’t get killed or kidnapped in the process.