This morning’s key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com:

U.S. military forces converge on Libya for terrorist hunt

The Tuesday attack on the U.S. Consultate in Benghazi, Libya, thatended up killing four employees, including U.S. Ambassador ChrisStevens, was not a spontaneous mob attack triggered by a fil aboutMohammed. U.S. officials believe that al-Qaeda linked militants usedthe film as a cover to launch a military attack on the Consulate, totake revenge on Americans. The four Americans died in a coordinatedassault by gunmen firing assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenadesand carrying the black flag of an Islamic extremist group. 

The Obama administration has ordered to additional warships into theMediterranean, near the Libyan coast. An elite anti-terrorist unit of40 Marines will be flown in to beef up security in the Americanembassy in Tripoli (not Benghazi). FBI agents, along with a team toprotect them, will be sent to the Benghazi embassy to sift through thewreckage for evidence.

American officials won’t discuss the nature of any planned militaryactivity, but it’s assumed that the plan is to identify theperpetrators and, at the very least, bring them to justice. CBS News and McClatchy

Anti-Islam film that triggered riots was a scam

The film “Innocence of Muslims,” that supposedly triggered the riotsin Cairo and Benghazi, was apparently a scam. The movie was filmed infront of a green screen, with background scenery filled in later. Theactors who took part in the movie were told that it was a war dramacalled “Desert Warrior,” that had nothing to do with Mohammed orIslam. After they were done, an editing team dubbed in differentwords at specific points, to change the whole meaning of the movie.It’s still not known who caused the movie to be made, but one person,55 year old Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, has come forward. He isapparently an Egyptian expatriate Coptic Christian. The supposedfilmmaker, Sam Bacile, cannot be found, and it’s thought that Bacileis really Nakoula, based on Nakoula’s middle name, “Basseley.”AP and LA Times

Attack on U.S. embassies spurs renewed American nationalism

Nationalism is increasing in countries around the world, as happens inevery generational Crisis era. We’ve particularly discussed thisnationalism many times with respect to China, Japan and thePhilippines. Some people say that nationalism is a good thing, somesay it’s a bad thing. I do not assign a moral value to it, any morethan I assign a moral value to a rain storm or a sunny day. I’msimply reporting the increases in nationalism and xenophobia as aweatherman reports the weather. It’s what it is. 

Having said that, American nationalism took a big spurt on Wednesday.On the political stage, President Obama began by expressing regret.Mitt Romney responded with a nationalistic speech, saying that harsheraction was necessary, and the President shouldn’t be apologizing.Then President Obama realized that he’d lose votes if he didn’t becomemore nationalistic, and his next statement reflected that. Right now,there appears to be something of a ping pong match going on, with eachside trying to out-nationalize the other.

A rainstorm can lead to good farm crop that feeds thousands of people,at least temporarily, or it can lead to a flood that drowns thousandsof people. Nationalism can lead to a resolution of a dispute, atleast temporarily, or it can lead to full-scale all out war. We’llhave to wait and see how increased nationalism turns out this time.

Diplomat killed in Libya told fellow gamers: ‘Hope I don’t die tonight’

One of the four Americans killed in Libya on Tuesday was an onlinegamer, using the handle “Vile Rat” in the game “EVE Online.” He wasan avid participant of EVE, having served in the game’s virtualgovernment as a cunning and influential intergalactic diplomat in asprawling virtual galaxy. On Tuesday night, he wrote to his fellowgamers, “Assuming we don’t die tonight. We saw one of our ‘police’that guard the compound taking pictures.” He was dead a few hourslater. Wired and AP

Nationalism in China and Japan heating up in East China Sea

Just as an increasingly nationalistic America is sending warships toLibya, an increasingly nationalistic China is sending warships toLibya.

The levels of nationalistic fury in China and Japan are continuing togrow over the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea.Japan’s national government has purchased the islands from theirprivate owners, effectively “nationalizing” them. In response,China’s armed forces are sending two warships to the region, nominallyto provide weather reports. According to a Chinese statement, theChinese government will take all measures to safeguard nationalterritorial sovereignty. “Long gone are the days when the Chineseterritory could be grabbed only by an unequal treaty.” The Asahi Shimbun (Tokyo) and Xinhua

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