Letters to the Editor
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Mike
Mike,
I am certainly not going to argue that American Presidents have handled the Middle East or the problem of Muslim aggression well, considering that I strongly believe that Bush's invasion of Iraq is illegal and incompetently run. Everyone can criticize American and Western foreign policy mistakes and show how in some cases things are being made worse.
But can it be true, as Kamiya believes, that that neo-con policies provoked or created Muslim terrorism? Let's return to that in a moment. In the meantime, let's do as you suggest and focus on Western foreign policy. I'd like you to read a column from that right-wing rag the Guardian, which begins:
"When I was still a member of what is probably best termed the British Jihadi Network, a series of semi-autonomous British Muslim terrorist groups linked by a single ideology, I remember how we used to laugh in celebration whenever people on TV proclaimed that the sole cause for Islamic acts of terror like 9/11, the Madrid bombings and 7/7 was Western foreign policy.
By blaming the government for our actions, those who pushed the 'Blair's bombs' line did our propaganda work for us. More important, they also helped to draw away any critical examination from the real engine of our violence: Islamic theology." http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,2115891,00.html
What do you think about that? Look, Mike, I'm a thorough atheist; I have no time for any of these religions. But it is total nonsense to suggest that there is some equivalency between the civilized religions of Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc and the vicious ideology of Islam.
After you read the Guardian column, why not take a shot at these questions:
1) If Muslim violence is a result of neo-con policies, why does Muslim violence predate neo-con policies?
2) If Muslim violence is a result of support for Israel, why do Muslims also target those in countries that do not support Israel?
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He's BACK! GoldenBigot's Islamophobic Campaign of Hatred...
Forgot how ubiquitous and indefatigable goldenboy is (But I do really think "GoldenBigot" is far more appropriate, not to mention funny!) in his campaign of hatred against Muslims and Arabs.
And I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who realizes how hateful he is.
As was said about another one of my least favorite individuals,
Goldenboy has had a stake driven through his heart, and a silver bullet through the forehead for good measure -- and yet he keeps coming back.
He must not be getting sufficient attention at Jihadwatch (as well he wouldn't, given that he's not a troll there as he is here!) or they're just not keeping him busy enough over at 440 1st St.
Come on, fella, isn't there some sort of white paper on Dhimmitude to write or some other equally urgent Islamophobic task that will occupy you enough to keep you from polluting the Salon airwaves?
--Aruru
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Goldenboy what's your answer to your questions?
I volunteer these observations.
1. Just because there was "Muslim violence" (as you so awkwardly put it as if violence had a religion) before the neocons does not mean that neocon-Bush administration policies have not made the problem of violence by violent terrorist organizations that are led by Muslims much much worse and more dangerous. Of course, so far mostly Muslims are the ones dying in huge numbers in Iraq.
In all these discussions the extreme and nasty violence of Serbians (Serbian Orthodox) and Croatians (mostly Roman Catholic) against Bosnians (Muslim)in the former state of Yugoslavia in the 1980's is rarely mentioned. At the time I kept repeating if it had been the Bosnians beating up on the Serbs and Croats there would have been outrage in Europe and the US. As it was the world outside the Balkans paid very little attention. Does Goldenboy or anyone want to talk about "Christian" violence?
2. Again, Goldenboy, your reasoning is faulty. Palestinians and other Arabs - and NOT all Muslims by any means - are angry about the displacement of people from the land that they inhabited themselves for more than a thousand years. While it's true that the Arab countries spent more effort fanning the flames of opposition to Israel rather than making serious efforts at negotiation and accomodation and really accepting the Palestinians as permanent residents and citizens, it's also true that no one in the Arab world was responsible in either the 19th or 20th century for the sorry plight of so many Jews in Europe. And they had nothing to do with bringing Hitler to power. But after WWII the Arab world felt they were burdened with the effects of Europe's sins. Didn't the US turn away boats of Jewish refugees? So, Israel is A cause for Muslim anger it is not the ONLY cause.
And lest someone start a big rant about how anti-Semitic (oh dear, Arabs are Semites too, we really mean anti-Jewish) Muslims are I would remind those who don't know that when the Christian Ferdinand and Isabella kicked the Jews out of Iberia in 1492 the Ottoman Empire took them in.
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Big shock. Kamiya blames US policy, and suggests appeasement
Really, Kamiya, I could write these articles myself. Page one, describe how incredibly stupid the administration is, and how incompetently they've adjudicated this war. Page two, explain how if we just get out of Iraq and stop sending checks to Israel, the Islamic extremists will stop attacking us.
Never mind that when Israel turned over 100% of the Gaza Strip, rocket attacks followed in the wake of the settlers' departures. Appeasement works. Never mind that India doesn't do a lot of Israel supporting or Iraq fighting, but still manages to get attacked by Islamic terrorists. Appeasement works. If they'd just hand over all of India to the Pakistanis, they wouldn't have a problem.
Never mind that when the Israelis fully withdrew from Lebanon, in compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 425, Hezbollah suddenly claimed they owned some more land that Israel occupies (the Shebaa Farms region, which Syria may have a claim to but Lebanon does not) and used that to justify continued indiscriminate attacks on civilians. Appeasement works.
Yes, let's get out of that sorry stupid mess that we've created in Iraq. But don't be so naive as to think that will bring us peace and quiet.
Israel doesn't need us really. If we stop giving them their billion a year they'll do just fine. But to be fair, let's also stop our "aid" to Egypt. How many minutes after the check bounces do you think it will take Egypt to attack Israel? Let's get a pool going.
Good luck getting a single articulate answer to either of your very simple questions, Golden Boy. If your entire letter consisted of just those questions, no one would answer them, but many would call you a racist Islamophobe for even asking them. I predict, as usual, no one will even try.