Some thoughts on the War on Terror

[al Roumi]

Peace does not need to include Muslim enfranchisement.

We could follow in the footsteps of Birhain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia and just repress the Muslim minority (although they only do that to specific minority sects of Muslims). We could teach non Muslims to not say hello to Muslims as they do in reverse in Saudi Arabia. We could ban conversions and make heavy jail sentences to anyone who tries to convert others. We could purge communities of religions we don't like (Iran, Iraq of Christians).

Getting somewhat OT there but RE " Muslim enfranchisement", do you consider Saudi, Kuwait and Bahrain as paragons?? These countries spawn their own problems which spill over accross the world: hello Muslim Brotherhood, hello Al Qaida.

[rory_20_uk]

Yes, they spawn them (or indeed fund them) and they spill (or are sent) across the world... They create the problem, yet we need to bend over backwards to try to deal with this?

[al Roumi]

Yes, they spawn them (or indeed fund them) and they spill (or are sent) across the world... They create the problem, yet we need to bend over backwards to try to deal with this?

Well, putting aside the fact that UK or US citizens (not to mention French or German citizens) may create/perpetuate the problems themselves, the very point of the War on Terror was just that: to respond to attacks and deal with the problems created by previous US-(and other)-backed Saudi et al policies.

[rory_20_uk]

Well, putting aside the fact that UK or US citizens (not to mention French or German citizens) may create/perpetuate the problems themselves, the very point of the War on Terror was just that: to respond to attacks and deal with the problems created by previous US-(and other)-backed Saudi et al policies.

I think that it was to respond to attacks. I don't think that anywhere near enough thought went into dealing with the problems regardless of who caused them. Stringing oneself out over two countries might appear to ensure attacks aren't going to hit them Mainland, but the fallacy of this is pretty obvious - Afghan hill-men don't even blend into the deepest, darkest parts of the Southern USA. There are two clear different subsets of terrorists and a war of attrition against one isn't going to suddenly stop the other.

I don't think that the obsession with Palestine is the main causus belli either. I don't think that most of the protagonists really give a damn about Palestine (although Israel is a different matter). It's the Counter-Reformation all over again - it's against ways of life that differ from what groups think should be. and only their extermination is good enough.

[al Roumi]

I don't think that the obsession with Palestine is the main causus belli either. I don't think that most of the protagonists really give a damn about Palestine (although Israel is a different matter). It's the Counter-Reformation all over again - it's against ways of life that differ from what groups think should be. and only their extermination is good enough.

Their certainly is a school of thought that the Islamic world is currently going through something akin to Christendom's reformation, but I'm personaly wary of ascribing too much of a parrallel between Christian and Islamic culture in this way -not least becasue of the implied delay (a consideration which will no doubt draw scorn from our friendly pinko fascists ). However, I would dearly love to think it's only a matter of time before we all relax into the comfortable liberty of secular democracies -whether originaly Muslim or Christian.

Another theory is that there have been many cycles of growth, progress and decline during Islam's history -and that this might just be another transformative phase. not sure I like the look of what might come out of this if it means more fundamentalism though. Were things to turn out that way, I might find myself -in 20 or so years time, feeling abit like Eric Hobsbawm in the collapse of his ideology and hope therein. Obviously I'm unlikely to be able to ever draw any other parralels between myself and Hobsbawm but hey-ho.

[Strike For The South]

Because an Independent Tibet is a bastion of economic and political freedom

Other than the fact you can't find it on a map.

Americas handiling of terrorism has been misguided, ill concived, ill advised and peppered with to much of an us vs them mentality but to completly take violence off the table renders America useless

[Vladimir]

Tibet in the future:

http://www.gotfuturama.com/Informati...eutral_Planet/