Santorum compares jihadis to “Eye of Mordor”
posted at 12:32 pm on October 18, 2006 by Allahpundit
A desperate, eleventh-hour bid for the crucial geek and hippie vote:
Embattled U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum said America has avoided a second terrorist attack for five years because the “Eye of Mordor” has been drawn to Iraq instead.
Santorum used the analogy from one of his favorite books, J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1950s fantasy classic “Lord of the Rings,” to put an increasingly unpopular war in Iraq into terms any school kid could easily understand.
“As the hobbits are going up Mount Doom, the Eye of Mordor is being drawn somewhere else,” Santorum said, describing the tool the evil Lord Sauron used in search of the magical ring that would consolidate his power over Middle-earth.
“It’s being drawn to Iraq and it’s not being drawn to the U.S.,” Santorum continued. “You know what? I want to keep it on Iraq. I don’t want the Eye to come back here to the United States.”
Via E.M., who says “Not only is this insane, it doesn’t make sense.”
My pal Barnett thought Santorum rocked the casbah in his first debate with Casey. Hey Dean — guess what.
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I guess I must be in the geek crowd… (since I took a shower this morning, I don’t do illegal drugs, and I never wear tiedye or bukenstocks) makes sense to me… But it is a poor analogy since Jihadi’s can do more than look at one thing at a time…
E L Frederick on October 18, 2006 at 12:42 PM
At least Santorum is avoiding the sex scandal. Nobody who understands his “Lord of the Rings” references will ever have sex.
stonemeister on October 18, 2006 at 12:44 PM
This is what it takes for conservatives to admit that Santorum is an idiot?
GregH on October 18, 2006 at 12:48 PM
And because they’re hardly as powerful as Sauron.
But sorry to any Tolkien fans (and I’ll include myself as one), reciting Lord of the Rings does kinda make you a nerd/geek.
Esthier on October 18, 2006 at 12:48 PM
It’s a bad analogy. To say the “eye of jihad” is diverted to
Iraq is just too simplistic.If that was the case you wouldn’t have terrorist attacks in Indonesia,Britain,Spain,the threat of a massive attack on British airlines,alledgedly an attack planned for the US within the next week,etc…
Proud of it.
vcferlita on October 18, 2006 at 1:07 PM
It is a pretty poor analogy. It is way to simplistic. If the “eye of jihad” were only focused in Iraq we wouldn’t be having terrorists attacks in Indonesia, Britain, plots to strike British airliners and supposedly the US within the next week.
Proud of it.
vcferlita on October 18, 2006 at 1:13 PM
Good.
Esthier on October 18, 2006 at 1:30 PM
I have to disagree; to me, it is a good analogy. In the Muslim world right now, the jihadists are obsessed with Iraq, and they have poured into that country. Their chief focus right now is Iraq.
Santorum is a devout Catholic, not a geek. J.R.R. Tolkien was a devout, conservative Catholic as well. The Lord of the Rings has been known for a long time to be a Catholic allegory of the battle between good and evil. See http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/arts/al0127.html.
I’m surprised Muslims aren’t declaring jihad on Santorum, considering the allegorical implications.
januarius on October 18, 2006 at 1:40 PM
Here is the right link: http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/arts/al0127.html
januarius on October 18, 2006 at 1:45 PM
So to flesh out the analogy.
The mullahs are the Nazgul/ring-wraiths.
The terrorists would be orcs.
Liberal America is Isengard.
Liberals are urukai (or whatever).
I guess that leaves Howard Dean as Saruman. (heh, heh)
Yeah, I guess that fits. This ought to be good material for new Photoshop wallpaper.
Lone Star on October 18, 2006 at 1:57 PM
Now that’s funny!!!! And true.
honora on October 18, 2006 at 2:00 PM
Hehe, I’m a huge fan of the books and movies but all I can see in my head right now is different possibilities of what John Stewart might do with this story.
Benaiah on October 18, 2006 at 2:05 PM
Santorum couldn’t be wronger. Jihadis are like the Pakleds, you know. The islamotarded halfwits who kidnap and steel other people’s technology, and can’t make it go. Only with more hate and bombs. Like Pakleds, but with bombs…..and hate.
Jewel on October 18, 2006 at 2:35 PM
Lone Star: Good expansion!
I like Santorum’s comment. It validates the geek/nerd in me.
Muslihoon on October 18, 2006 at 3:00 PM
My wife and our three kids might argue :)
E L Frederick on October 18, 2006 at 3:04 PM
10 points for Stonemeister!
Lord of the Rings, personally, I don’t get it. Which means I DO get IT. If you DO get it, then you DON’T get IT. Get it? If you don’t get it, just refer to Stonemeister’s post.
Better anaolgy: Muslims are like the sand people in Star Wars. Muslim terrorists are like the Terminator: “They can’t be bargained with, they can’t be reasoned with, they don’t feel pity, or remorse, or fear, and they absolutely will not stop … EVER … until you are dead!”
Tony737 on October 18, 2006 at 3:51 PM
A liberal, socialist Red Eye.
Kokonut on October 18, 2006 at 4:24 PM
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v287/photomoore13s/TheEyeOfSauron_800.jpg
Kokonut on October 18, 2006 at 4:24 PM
Anybody remember an episode of Stargate SG1 when one of the base doctors tried to explain a communications technique to the Atlantis base? First he tried to use the 101 Dalmations
analogy but none of the military officers or other civilian doctors understood. When he used the ‘fire signaling chain’example from Return Of The King did the others immediately understand because everybody started grinning to each other.
allie on October 18, 2006 at 4:26 PM
I think Muslims are the hordes of Mordor.
PRCalDude on October 18, 2006 at 6:44 PM
Perhaps if he had compared the Jihaidists to the “Nine.”
zerodamage on October 18, 2006 at 7:25 PM
Remember The Jetsons?
Remember the name of their dog?
-Astro.
Remember the name of their robot?
-Rosie.
Remember the name of the muslim guy?
-There was no muslim guy.
Isn’t the future WONDERFUL!
Tony737 on October 18, 2006 at 7:51 PM
Tony737: LOL! Thanks.
Muslihoon on October 18, 2006 at 9:08 PM
Tony737-
In line with Muslihoon: The zero-gee version of ROTFLMOA!
Thanks for reducing this metaphorical morass to something clear and cogent!
(Don’t recall anyone with a burqa/veil on in any old Star Treks, either. Or prayer rugs in the shuttle bay, come to think of it. Maybe there is hope yet.)
profitsbeard on October 18, 2006 at 9:31 PM
The beacons are lit!
Will it out me as the Queen of all Geekdom to admit that just this week, I watched the trilogy with the director’s commentary on? Will it further amaze you with my uberness of geekiness to know that I watched The Fellowship yesterday and the Two Towers today (extended edition)? The Return will be tomorrow. I can’t help it, it is like crack.
Stormy70 on October 18, 2006 at 10:14 PM
Profit, funny you should mention Star Trek, on another thread I said … Ya know why there are no muslims on Star Trek? Because it takes place in the future! Hahahaaaaaa
Tony737 on October 18, 2006 at 10:19 PM
Because they beamed them out the first time they caused trouble.
entagor on October 18, 2006 at 10:58 PM
You completely outed yourself :)
And yes, I remember that, and it was flippin hilarious. But people ragging the Lord of the Rings, get some perspective. It’s not like it’s Harry Potter.
Frak me.
Axe on October 18, 2006 at 11:30 PM
“[T]he “Eye of Mordor” has been drawn to Iraq instead.”
As a metaphor, it is 100% dead on.
Bin Laden says so. Zawahiri says so. Who are we to argue the point with them?
Iraq is Al Qaeda flypaper, and it was designed to be such.
From an article written by Lt. Col Austin Bay (USAR, Ret), author, and blogger, who was on the Tommy Frank’s staff and helped plan OIF, that I’ve excerpted before:
We wanted Al Qaeda to fight us in Iraq and the middle east. We offered battle and gave them little choice about it as a democratic, friendly Iraq would eliminate their Caliphate before they even finished building it. So, they accepted. And IF there is a quagmire in Iraq, it’s Al Qaeda’s quagmire.
Why?
Because Al Qaeda cannot dislodge America from Iraq (or Afghanistan). They simply cannot do it by military force. Their only chance is for the 5th Column media to sabotage the war and for the Democrats to fold and cut and run if they take over Congress.
As long as America is in Iraq, and Iraq retains a democratic form of government, the Islamofascists cannot achieve their goals.
The declassified NIE says that if America wins in Iraq, the Jihadist movement is on the ropes. And isn’t that the point for fighting a war on global terrorism?
georgej on October 19, 2006 at 1:22 AM
You all know I’m a geek, so I’m not going to even try denying it.
The general idea of the metaphor (the flypaper strategy) is fairly accurate. It may not have been what was intended by our occupation of Iraq, but it is what has resulted. These are the issues I have with it:
- Islamic terrorists present a significantly wimpier threat than does Mordor.
- Islamic terrorists can focus on more than one target at a time, while the Eye of Sauron is hyper-focused.
- America’s survival isn’t as doubtful as was Frodo’s mission.
- Iraq isn’t a distraction that enables the destruction of Islamic terrorism… it’s just a distraction that saves civilian lives.
Mark Jaquith on October 19, 2006 at 2:58 AM
‘- America’s survival isn’t as doubtful as was Frodo’s mission.’
I must disagree with that. If you’d said America’s destruction at the hands of jihadis is less likely than. . .then I would agree wholeheartedly. I rather doubt this country can survive fifteen more years on its present course. The most infuriating thing of all is that it all seems so obvious and yet, nobody seems to give a damn.
Wolfman on October 19, 2006 at 4:39 AM
As an aside, Wolfman’s feelings on “the direction the country is heading” illustrates the problematic way that particular poll question is interpreted. For example, I would answer ‘no’ to that question just like Wolfman, and then vote to reelect George Bush (not Kerry) (and not speaking for Wolf). But that poll stat is always used to beat up the incumbent. It always surprises me that anyone would answer Yes.
/hijack
Axe on October 19, 2006 at 6:39 AM
It is agreed that we have established ourselves as geeks of various levels. A supergeek will be able to make comparisons using The Matrix trilogy ;)
allie on October 19, 2006 at 9:52 AM
This is what it takes for conservatives to admit that Santorum is an idiot?
GregH on October 18, 2006 at 12:48 PM
gregh, have you ever read LOTR or, did you just look at the movies? Just Curious.
tormod on October 19, 2006 at 10:27 AM
Hey!
I understood it completely, AND I thought it made sense, AND I have two kids! That weren’t adopted or stolen or bought. I made ‘em myself! (Ok, me and the wife together, but you get the idea.) So some of us geeks are getting plenty, thank you very much.
wearyman on October 19, 2006 at 11:21 AM
I’ve read the trilogy a handful of times (the first time when I received the books for my 12th birthday), as well as the prequel, The Hobbit. I also have a rule that my kids are required to read the books before they are allowed to watch the movies. As my eldest is still too young for either, I should have some time before playing the heavy…
GregH on October 19, 2006 at 1:53 PM