Is Osama bin Laden Abandoning Head Chopping For Tax Cutting ?

Okay, it’s late in the day on Friday, so this post is very tounge-in-cheek.

But, I can’t help being amused by some of the latest ramblings from Osama bin Laden:

He says to the American people, “you made one of your greatest mistakes, in that you neither brought to account nor punished those who waged this war, not even the most violent of its murderers, [former Defense Secretary Donald] Rumsfeld…”

“You permitted Bush to complete his first term, and stranger still, chose him for a second term, which gave him a clear mandate from you — with your full knowledge and consent — to continue to murder our people in Iraq and Afghanistan. Then you claim to be innocent! The innocence of yours is like my innocence of the blood of your sons on the 11th — were I to claim such a thing.”

This guy’s got to have a media adviser. The first thing you do is mention George W. Bush, whose approval ratings are in the toilet.

Then, you bring up the Neo-Cons:

Bin Laden says President Bush’s words echo “neoconservatives like Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Richard Perle.”

And, since Americans hate all their politicians right now, the Democrats:

[Y]ou elected the Democratic Party for this purpose, but the Democrats haven’t made a move worth mentioning. On the contrary, they continue to agree to the spending of tens of billions to continue the killing and war there.”

And, to show you care, the economic plight of Americans:

He also speaks to recent issues grabbing headlines in the United States, referring to “the reeling of many of you under the burden of interest-related debts, insane taxes and real estate mortgages; global warming and its woes…”

Hmm, sounds just like the platitudes you hear in the standard political stump speech.

But this quote has to qualify as the single funniest thing I’ve heard all day:

“To conclude,” bin Laden says, “I invite you to embrace Islam.” He goes on to say: “There are no taxes in Islam, but rather there is a limited Zakaat [alms] totaling 2.5 percent.”

Which just makes you wonder. Has Osama bin Laden been reading Hayek ?