Letters to the Editor
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Bebop..
Now you've done it.
"I hope this post is less a brawl than the other one."
The word dhimmitude is a neologism, imported from the French language, and derived from the Arabic language word dhimmi...
A more recent pejorative usage variant of "dhimmi" and "dhimmitude" divorces the words from the historical context of jihad and applies them to situations where non-Muslims in the West are allegedly championing Islamic causes above others’; "dhimmi" is synonymous with "Quisling" within this context. See, for example, the site Dhimmi Watch.
Bernard Lewis states that there are two well-established myths available in the literature about the position of Jews in the Islamic world.[164] Mark Cohen calls them the "Myth of an interfaith utopia" and "countermyth of the Islamic persecution of Jews".
The first myth states that medieval Islam provided a peaceful haven for Jews while Christendom relentlessly persecuted them.[165] "A golden age of equality, of mutual respect and cooperation, especially but not exclusively in Moorish Spain"[164]
The other myth is the story of "dhimmitude" (a term coined by Bachir Gemayel), of subservience and persecution and ill treatment.[164]
Lewis says these are myths and that like many myths, both contain significant elements of truth. According to Cohen they equally distort the past. The historic truth is in the middle of these extremes.
I'm converting to Islam so I can work towards the day when America will be an Islamic caliphate and Shoots His Mouth Off, Golden Boy and other annoying trolls will be eunechs guarding my hareem.
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@ 8:19
I ask gaping tooth, the Secretary of State, to inform prattler that populated civilian sectors, anywhere in the world, once bombs are dropped from airplanes or sea sinking ships...
{REMEMBER: Planes like the ones McCain used to help kill several millions South East Asians with tonnages of WMD},
...gives day old babies a tooth ache. Condi, what do you tell a mother who lives 8,000 miles away that your battle schemes severed her infant's head off? "Bobby Pins?" or is a metal paper trick good to fix the tricks. Lie to your mother and all your ancestry...Out to sea...
okay...RoE, ROW, rOw a boat to your own earthen grave. Wait to see all the innocent DEAD who wish to attend the WAKE to testify against thee. Sad. No rejoicing for you on that day? Maybe. I no wager bets. I don't do off-track betting. No ship is named after whipped wet backs (shooter) or me. I wager it be best to be honest and ready just it case....
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William Timberman
I'm glad you seem to know more about my family than I do. It's a common deficiency of the self annointed blogging left that they imagine their hands are clean their intentions are pure.
To be fair, my French Communists are ex French West African expats which brings a whole new level of Marxist People's revolutionary smugness into the picture. Back in the 90's when that whole rim was plunged into civil fervor it was interesting to hear them talk about the virtual necessity of spreading the fight into Western Sahara against the Moroccan army. Today several hundred thousand people are caught between "People's Armies" in that region. Further south the arc across Zambia, Mozambique, Angola and Namibia the military wing of the ANC pretty openly committed atrocities (oddly, against Muslims too) at the behest of the Soviet army and KGB staffers like Ronnie Kasrils who today a) is the ZA minister of intelligence and b) admits complicity in the massacre of over 12,000 people in Zambia in the late 70's. In all these cases terrorism against civilians was pretty standard. Even today 'necklacing' still happens if someone needs to make a particularly pointed example of someone.
But as I said, I'm sure you know more about my experience than I do. Please carry on.
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a view from abroad
for what it's worth, the Guardian also has an article on the Pew Poll here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,2085909,00.html
under the title: US Muslims more assimilated than British
The idea being that some of the reasons for home-grown muslim terrorism are specific to godless europe (including Britain). In particular, less 'ghettoisation'. This should be a warning to Americans -- the more ostracized the muslim community becomes, the more there will be a tendency for 'home-grown' terrorism. It's a situation where it is entirely possible to create your own reality.
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So RealName was pro-apartheid
Nice. That's in France.
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thought vs act
Also to keep in mind: Big difference between a thought or opinion and acting it out. People under some circumstances imagine / fantasize about killing someone (such as the boss who fired you unfairly), but it is just fantasy.
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red star for Michael Harold
The lesson to be taken from all the wars of the last century is quite the opposite of what the NeoCons and what television media imply--that we are a "great" and "strong" nation.
I went on for a while about the lessons of the wars of the last century, but it quickly turned into a book, so I rubbed it out. We were just damn lucky in the 20th century. We didn' have to fight on our own soil. We had a good industrial infrastructure (steel, ships and rails) upon which to run a war, and this infrastructure went unmolested. We had leaders capable of planning and restraint, so when we did engage it was, for the most part, with decisive force and well supported.
In Vietnam we were beaten by an enemy more tenacious and committed (i.e. fighting with patriotic zeal), and, should have, learned some important lessons.
The whole Iraq thing--everything we've done since the twin-towers attacks--seems to be without any historical consciousness or base. We are like a blind crazed monster with no memory, stung by a bee, and flailing at silly notions of PAX American while throwing away our REAL strength (rule of law, Constitution, international alliances, etc.). Is our collective ego really so fragile?
I've finally decided it's television--it has destroyed our sense of society as well as any collective memory. A friend told me last night that the only tv shows his family watches now are idol and dances with starz--because it's wholesome. Pathetic isn't quite strong enough...Has it really come to that? Are we so completely myopic and self-absorbed?
In the article yesterday about "why isn't bush impeached yet" Mr. Dennis Loo has a great letter, which I post hear:
http://tinyurl.com/23kp2e
I'm afraid it's time to take this conversation to a wider, more immediate audience then the letters in Salon.