T-Online: Bin Laden, Not so Bad After All... / T-Online: Bin Laden gar nicht so übel

(Deutsche Version am Ende des Beitrags)

Every time I think that I've experienced the height of intellectual bankruptcy from the German media, then along comes a new example that outshines all others.

T-Online, the largest internet portal in Germany (and in Europe), owned by telecom giant Deutsche Telekom, thinks that Bin Laden isn't all that bad.

Osama bin Laden presents himself as less warlike

...Bin Laden's latest message gives the impression that the bearded man with the soft voice is looking for a new image, away from the jihad rhetoric to a more factual political message ...

Not much is left of his usual flaming Islamist rhetoric. The usual tones of "battle against the infidels" are missing this time. Instead he speaks of the ambitions of the "Islamic nation" for "freedom" and "security" and disproves President Bush with political arguments...

Instead of martial armed polemics, Bin Laden uses irony to attest to the failures of George W. Bush. ...

The commentor (Clovis Maksud, from the Lebanese newspaper "An-Nahar") believes that after this message Arabs have to ask "whether there is really no other alternative to continuing to suffer under the ruling Arab regimes or to replacing them with terrorism". (emphasis added)

(Source: Cox & Forkum) (Click on pic to enlarge)

T-Online: The bearded man with the soft voice...

I think, that we simply have to invite such a comforting political figure to a German TV talk show. Everything qualifies him for this: the soft voice, the factual political message, the political arguments, the ability to use irony - and, most importantly, his contempt for George W. Bush. Furthermore, Bin Laden is to a certain extent a representative of a "third way", a real alternative to the "ruling Arab regimes" and to terrorism.

Finally, he can chat a little about his "alternatives", about the mass murder on September 11, 2001, for example...

He needn't fear any uncomfortable questions from T-Online.

(Hat tip Ted)

(Translation by Scott. Have a look at this posting in Scott's blog, that refers to Bin Laden's speech.)