Today's American Taliban

Let me just say up front that I don't care about the "monument".

Channel 11 - Atlanta

Justin King - Beau Of the Fifth Column

The part that bugs me is the tendency for cynically manipulative politicians and media attention whores to glom onto some oddball conspiracy fantasy - laced with phony religious fervor - to amp up the mob so they go around blowing shit up.

How is this any different?

And before you get all False Equivalency on me, there's a huge difference between taking down phony symbols - works that (eg) symbolize racial oppression while dressed up to look like "a proud, honorable heritage" - and the zealotry-driven wanton destruction of artifacts that depict real history.

The decision to remove a statue of Robert E Lee may have some very nuanced implications involving the representation of history - which has to include the history of how History is annotated and taught, so I have reservations, but I think I have to come down on the side of not lionizing someone who fought against everything this country is supposed to stand for.

Blowing up 1500-year-old statues of Buddha was just a shitty thing to do. And knowing what we know about authoritarian assholes like the Taliban, there's a far probability that it was done as a gesture to curry favor with the boss - "Look how well I've proved my loyalty" - as well as an exercise in power and domination of the people in the Bamiyan Valley.

So blowing up the Georgia Guide Stones was (IMHO) a grandstanding thing. Somebody just wanted to show how dedicated they are to "the cause" - whatever the fuck that is.

Axios:

Investigation underway after Georgia Guidestones bombed

The GBI is searching for a suspect and Georgia is down one roadside oddity after someone bombed the Georgia Guidestones — sometimes known as "American Stonehenge" — early Wednesday morning.

Why it matters:

The Guidestones were built in Elberton in 1980, and have since become the subject of a range of conspiracy theories.

Former Republican gubernatorial candidate Kandiss Taylor called the stones "Satanic evil" and pledged to issue an executive order to destroy them if elected.She praised the news of the blast on social media.

What's happening:

• One of the structure's "wings" appeared destroyed by the blast and the capstone piece was damaged, Christopher Kubas, executive vice president of the Elberton Granite Association, which manages the monument, told reporters Wednesday.The remaining panels were demolished by authorities for safety reasons.
• The GBI released surveillance video of the blast, showing a silver car speeding away.

Catch up quick:

Carved into the stones are a series of messages, known as "guides for humanity," in eight languages. An unknown man with the pseudonym R.C. Christian commissioned them.Kubas said they're a feat of granite engineering.

Threat level:

The Guidestones have been previously vandalized, Kubas said, which prompted the security camera installation.He estimates the stones have drawn in more than 20,000 visitors annually from around the globe.