666 The Headless Cells

666 The Headless Cells

This was back in the 1940s at a meeting of Cub Scouts at the cubmaster's house. There we were in the basement working on our Pinewood Derby cars when guys in suits come down the stairs and take the cubmaster off in chains. Later, we found he was a member of what was then called a Communist cell.

The commies of the 40s were a loose bunch united by ideas but with no formal organization, no formal leadership and minimal if any communication among members. Independent financing, and plenty of it. Object: overthrowing the United States.

Does that sound familiar? Here's another outfit that works about the same way: Al Qaeda. Loose cells scattered here and there, with little or no formal organization and minimal communication among members, other than what's been called "internet chatter." Independent financing and plenty of it. Object: Overthrowing the United States.

There is a boss of all bosses, of course, and we all know who he is. Of course, he's not out there holding pep rallies. But the key to this outfit's awful successes is that headless cell thing.

If the Communist Party of the USA and Al Qaeda aren't enough evidence that this kind of organization can work, here's the latest addition, the Tea Party movement. No formal leadership. Loose cells scattered here and there, with little or no formal organization and minimal communication among members, other than what's been called "internet chatter" and talk radio. Independent financing and plenty of it. Object: Overthrowing the United States.

About the money: we know where the Communists got their bucks: from the Soviets. We know where Al Qaeda gets its bucks, the Saudi Bin Laden oil fortune. And we kind of know where the tea partiers get theirs, just not the specifics, yet. We may have our suspicions, but no proof. Yet.

You want to get rid of the commies, the terrorists, the tea party and for that matter the drug cartels, organized crime or anything else? Find and then find a way to cut off the money. Not through "sanctions" or somesuch. Just go in there and freeze it, unless you can figure out a better way to get your hands on it... or their hands off it.

--Shrapnel:

--Sarah Palin took the hundred grand from the tea partiers. Then she told them that they're not a political party and better associate with one or the other of the "real" ones. Translation: don't run your own candidates.

--Which is stronger, the newsman's instinct or the parent's. You never know the answer to a question like that until something provokes it. The first two calls on the Austin TX plane crash were to the two Richards kids who live there, and who were not near enough to the incident to be involved in it.

--The Olympics, Tiger Woods' latest public statement, American Idol, Kevin Eubanks? Who cares. No, that's not right -- it ought to be "who SHOULD care?"




I'm Wes Richards. My opinions are my own but you're welcome to them.®
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