The Death of a Thousand Cuts

Al Quada has issued a warning that the USA will die the 'death of a thousand cuts'. This term refers to the vicious punishment accorded Chinese traitors, mass murder or mother-father killers. Slow slicing or 凌迟 also known as the lingering death consisted of securing the punishee to a wooden frame after which the executioners lop off his flesh. Lingchi was always fatal. Most of the condemned died quickly, however a scribe in the Yuan Dynasty recorded one victim having survived several thousand cuts before succumbing to his wounds. Westerners considered the practice diabolical without any reflection of their history of torture ie hanging, drawing, and quartering.

Al Quada's reference to the Chinese legend comes at a time when the US Army is deploying heavy tanks in Afghanistan. An Abrams Tank costs about $6 million dollars, while an IED or 'improvised explosive device' comes to about $# is scrap metal and explosives.

During the Cold War the USA forced the Soviets to spend billions on upgrading their defense system. This war of financial attrition bankrupted the USSR, as they chased a way to make $4000 hammers and $40,000 toilet seats as well as heavy weapon systems.

Al Quada is copying our success and the Pentagon has fallen for the trap.

Expect more cuts from public services as the war without end heads into its 10th year.

Strangely I never found one of those $4000 hammers in an Army Surplus store.

I'm beginning to doubt that they ever existed other than in the budget.