NYT reaches (again)
Erica Goode, writing in Saturday’s New York Times, takes the prize for most nonsensical analysis of the Ft. Hood shootings.
“Every man has his breaking point,” said military doctors in World War II, believing that more than 90 days of continuous combat could turn any soldier into a psychiatric casualty.
For Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the Army psychiatrist who military officials said gunned down dozens of soldiers at Fort Hood, Tex., on Thursday, that point may have come even before he experienced the reality of war; he was bound for a combat zone but had not yet embarked.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it’s Preemptive PTSD. How else to explain such an act?
Add CNN and Canada’s National Post to the outlets who’ve jumped on this meme.
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2009/11/024911.php
Anything but the obvious.
What is equally amazing is the focus on this explanation at the expense of a more likely explanation. Consider this Daily Telegraph story (of all things) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/6521758/Fort-Hood-shooting-Texas-army-killer-linked-to-September-11-terrorists.html
It details how Hasan worshipped at the same mosque as two of the 9/11 attackers, the mosque’s cleric was a radical al Qaeda supporter. Add to that what NPR has been reporting about Hasan’s frequent statements in support of muslim’s who should rise up against the invader (Americans), that the Koran instructs that non-believers should be beheaded… draw a best fit line through those data-points and the pre-post traumatic stress disorder data points and see which conclusion is more believable…at least to rational thinkers.
Lone Wolf or part of an organized movement, his motivation for killing was Islam. I am sorry, the evidence for that is becoming overwhelming. Call it for what it is.
Major Nidal Hasan was a hero and he did the right thing. At least according to his Islamic cleric.
Joe – what evidence? According to the last report from investigators, they haven’t even been able to confirm that he even uttered “Allahu Akbar” as was initially reported. In addition, forensic teams going though his electronic trail have found nothing to date linking him to any terrorist/militant jihadist group, except a potential link to Dar al Hijrah Islamic Center in Falls Church, Va. where, eight years ago, there was apparently a militant Imam teaching. His mother’s funderal was there.
And as far as preemptive PTSD – it happens. Some people DO break prior to being sent anywhere hostile. He flipped early, but its not unheard of. Hell, the Russians had such a problem with getting troops into combat in WWII that they staged political officers behind them to shoot anyone trying to retreat. And, statistically, its only something like a third of troops in combat who even fire their weapons at the enemy. Now, was he really ever going to be in danger? Who knows. But it is more likely based upon the information RIGHT NOW that this was the act of a man who had fallen apart, rather than the cold calculated act of “Jihad” that some are claiming.
Maybe once he starts talking we’ll figure out that he really WAS on a religious crusade. But for right now, there simply isn’t enough evidence to say that “his motivation for killing was Islam.” I’m not saying that it wasn’t – but this is STILL the United States of America, where guilt is a matter left for after the collection of evidence, not before.
Fireduck:
“What evidence”? Right, because the circumstantial evidence that he was motivated by religious zeal just pales in comparison to the ACTUAL EVIDENCE that he was suffering from PRE-Post-Traumatic Stress.
What. Ever.
Maybe he was spanked as a child. That is probably what caused him to do this.
Chris-2-4: nice deflection.
Oh, wait. I misunderstood you. You really are just making the argument that lack of evidence will not serve to sway you because you are basing your assumptions upon – wait for it – you “knowing” its true.
[sigh]
I’m not sure why and where a lack of evidence became evidence of a lack, but there it is. When I ask “what evidence,” its part of a dialogue, not a diatribe. I have no doubts that there are others who have more, and more recent, information than I do and if someone has a RATIONAL reason for making that statement, I’m interested to hear the evidence.
Perhaps there is more evidence. But I no more admit without such evidence that someone is motivated by religion to enact such a heinous crime than I buy that the killings at Jonestown were a mercy performed at the behest of God. Or that cult leaders who prey upon small girls are doing “God’s work.”
Perhaps the man was just, purely and simply, suicidal. Lord knows I’ve seen enough suicides to know that sometimes there IS no reason (read: rational) for why people do what they do. There are any number of cases of people committing suicide by taking out other people in the process and figuring that they’ll rely upon someone else to kill them – for killing other people.
And, maybe he WAS killing in the name of his personal faith. Who knows? Him and God, and neither are speaking about this right now. So unless you’re psychic……well, to quote my father: “what are the facts, and to how many decimal places?”
Who’s deflecting? Your first comment claims an alleged lack of evidence for the “jihad” motivation in favor of a Pre-P.T.S.D. motivation. I’m not putting words in your mouth here. You said: “But it is more likely based upon the information RIGHT NOW that this was the act of a man who had fallen apart, rather than the cold calculated act of “Jihad” that some are claiming.”
That’s simply not true. There is much circumstantial evidence (admittedly not yet enough for a definitive judgement) to suggest it was primarily motivated by religious zeal. On the contrary, there is really no evidence (and certainly not a preponderance) to support this fanciful story of him having SNAPPED in some Pre P.T.S.D psychotic break. The entire premise is a deflection from what is known “right now”.