Amazon Ranking Issue

Submitted by JK (United Kingdom), Jan 24, 2006 at 12:27

"Rogue State ascended from 205,763 to 26 on Amazon.com's ranking of most-ordered books."

Daniel Pipes does not address this rapid rise on the selling list.

Why is it so popular ? The answer of course is that Americans are eager for information on why this man, Osama Bin Laden, has such a purported hatred for the US and why he masterminded the atrocities on September 11. Americans are no longer satisfied with the insulting, vacuous ramblings by Bush and his childish "they hate our freedoms" rationale for the actions of terrorists. Instead, they realise that yes, America is responsible for some dreadful actions in recent history and perhaps, just perhaps, Bin Laden has a justified grievance against the US (although his method of airing that grievance is not justifiable.)

This however, is not what the likes of Bush and his supporters want people to know. They don't want the official story questioned. Anyone who does is unpatriotic and, as in the last paragraph in the piece, is tainted as an ally of Osama Bin Laden and his twisted philosophy, thereby rendering anything they have to say irrelevant.

The fact that Bin Laden, terrorist that he is, makes a valid point which is shared by a lot of people in America is of no consequence. The message must not be heard and if we can discredit the messenger to achieve that, then so be it. Thankfully, as the Amazon sales are showing, Americans are beginning to see through this sham.

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