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Subject: 
Re: Danish cartoons outrage some Moslem groups and nations
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.off-topic.debate
Date: 
Tue, 7 Feb 2006 03:04:43 GMT
Viewed: 
1565 times
  
In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Dave Schuler wrote:
   In lugnet.off-topic.debate, John Neal wrote:
   In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Dave Schuler wrote:

   Fundamentalism breeds intolerance, and that’s the underlying problem--not whether the protesters are Christian or Muslim.

Does it actually breed it? I don’t believe one needs to be a fundamentalist to be intolerant. I have come across many intolerant liberals lately, though I doubt they’d ever admit it.

Let’s be clear, though; I’m not saying that only fundamentalism breeds intolerance, nor that all fundamentalists are intolerant.

Alles klar, Herr Kommissar.

   Perhaps a better word than “fundamentalist” in this context is “absolutist,” meaning someone who claims to have knowledge of an “absolute” and is motivated to extremes of action (violent or otherwise) as a result of that claim. Many fundamentalists are absolutists. Robertson certainly is, as is Phelps.

Liberals have their sacred cows, too, no question.

Exactly. But are fundamentalists more apt to resort to violence in promoting/defending their ideals? I’m thinking not, and so I suspect that the seeds of violent intolerance are sown elsewhere. I have a suspicion that they are cultural in origin. I point to American Muslims to illustrate my case. There are many fundamental Muslims living in America. Why are they not rioting as are their European brethren? I believe it is because they are more Westernized than their fellow (and most likely) newly immigrated Islamists. This difference in cultures is the only explanation up with what I can come. (;-)

  
  
   As far as what happened to them, I understand that there are several likely theories:

1. He used them all
2. He destroyed them after Desert Storm
3. They were destroyed during Desert Storm
4. They degraded to the point of non-viability

Again, why let on that you still had them, even to the point of being deposed? It doesn’t make sense to me.

A fine question. Before answering, I should point out that almost no one outside of the Bush administration (along with Blair himself) believed that Hussein really still had a viable WMD arsenal. Colin Powell certainly didn’t believe it, but like a dutiful soldier he paraded his grainy photos before the Security Council.

Come on, Dave! The inspectors still thought he had them, but you know what? I’m having deja vu all over again, AND my spider sense is tingling. This is a fruitless, deadend road IMO. It bothers me that we are forced to simply speculate because the truth is not or never will be known. Both Righties and Lefties are going to formulate hypotheticals that conform to their own world views and so the whole thing is a frustrating exercise in futility. I want more facts and less divisive theorizing. :-)

   As far as why Hussein would foster the perception that he had them, some of it was probably raw bravado, paired with the belief that we just wouldn’t attack him. Some is also a “don’t mess with me” attitude, insofar as he didn’t care for the inspectors to be running around his country (especially when some had previously been revealed as US spies).

  
   But it is clear that they were not smuggled into Syria prior to the start of the current war.

What is this new book out claiming that very thing by a SH pilot? I Need to check that out.

The burden of proof is on the one making that assertion, and it’ll have to be a lot stronger than “he could have done it if he’d wanted,” which is the best I’ve heard so far.

He claims to have been the one that flew them out! Now I must go find the title.... I’m back (did you miss me?) The book: Saddam’s Secrets HERE is an article about the book.

   Simply put, Iraq was the most closely scrutinized real estate in the world for over a decade. If he succeeded in smuggling them into Syria in the run-up to the war, then Dubya should be impeached for allowing such a huge movement of equipment to go unnoticed.

Of course, Dubya should be impeached for a range of reasons, so what’s one more?

Aren’t those damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t, win-win situations swell? :-)

JOHN



Message is in Reply To:
  Re: Danish cartoons outrage some Moslem groups and nations
 
(...) Let's be clear, though; I'm not saying that only fundamentalism breeds intolerance, nor that all fundamentalists are intolerant. Perhaps a better word than "fundamentalist" in this context is "absolutist," meaning someone who claims to have (...) (18 years ago, 6-Feb-06, to lugnet.off-topic.debate, FTX)

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