Many of us are too busy going to work, caring for our families and trying to enjoy our lives to strap on a bomb and try to kill our fellow human beings. Perhaps society should just try to provide a meaningful job for anyone who wants one and then no one will have the time to listen to those who want to control their fellow beings through the power of hate.
Then, we need to decide that people who seek to control their fellow beings by teaching hate are criminals and need to be removed from society.
I'm all for doing it here... but how do we do that in all the countries that hate us?
I do agree that our war in Iraq is starting to feel like the war on drugs... trying to solve a social problem with military methods.
I think there's some truth here. In the forum at this link Our biggest failure: Not winning the hearts & minds of the Muslim world, I argue that the root cause of terrorism cannot be won with guns. It's a psychological problem based on the perception of many that our country is not virtuous (i.e., we don't care about the well-being of others) and our government's actions around the world (and at home) are motivated by self-interest with disregard for the welfare of the masses.
I invite you to read the original post and offer your comments.
Steve Beller, PhD
Professor Christina Curtis
I've read a lot on Islamic terrorism and truly, their perspective on reality is hellacious. I read up on their hell and what a nightmare.
Their daily activities include:
1.Prayer
2. Alms to the poor
3. Studying healthful living
4. They believe strongly in the day of Judgement! They will be held accountable for their actions in our world.
5. They have a day of worship.
If you take a child and feed this to them over a lifetime, truly, what will develop is someone committed to their cause!
Christians and Jews are supposed to be as strongly committed and some of them are, to the above daily activities.
Everything, for security of mind, spirit and body is one's perspective on reality. Now, how do you change one's perspective?
Some of you may have heard of the Mercy Ships. These full blown hospitals travel all over the world giving FREE Medical Care to the forgotten poor in Spaceship Earth, being it is a completely contained, not so recycling environment anymore.
On one journey a Jewish Doctor operated on a Moslem Imman and the Imman could finally see again. Both were at odds before the surgery but afterward, the Imman said he would now teach the Taurat, Injeel and the book of Psalms to his people, thus combining the perspectives of the Jews, Christians and Moslems. As I understand it, these books are in what's called the Old Prophets, not the current day Korean.
Unless one studies reality in our world, illiteracy and superstition pervade. 3/4 of our brothers and sisters on the planet cannot read or write.
What does that tell you? Without EDUCATION surpression in perspective will continue because everyone is not on the same page with their awareness.
More on perspective:
http://ccisha.tripod.com
Semper Fidelis,
Christina
set an example
first make an example out of your country
and let them fight each other. Don't try to mediate.
if someone asks for help, and youre for thier cause go ahead and help them.
you just better be damn sure you're right.
You cannot change the past, but you can look upon it and change the future. Anyone who says otherwise is a lethargic devil.-I.T.
I'm not certain I understand you suggestion.
Make an example of the US? Sure. What image to we want to portray and what grand strategy will we implement?
Is it one of helping those in need just because they are in need? Helping only those who ask for our help and only if we agree with their cause (their politics, religion, or actions of a few extremists)? Provoke increased turmoil in a region through foolish foreign policies, and let them fight it out until the beg us for help?
I'm just not sure we're your headed. Please explain. Thanks
Steve Beller, PhD
The first principle is - The Rule of Law. Rather than war, we use persuasion to identify a problem, suggest possible solutions, reach a consensus and develop a plan to implement the solution(s). I see terrorism and crime primarily as too much time on people's hands ("Idle hands are the devil's workshop"). The current goal of economics is to make a profit. Capitalism is the best system devised so far to provide efficiency in the economic system. But, government is responsible for all aspects of human society.
We can impose the rule of law to ensure employment for everyone who desires a job.
We can provide an electronic job placement system to ensure that a free market in job skills exists to provide upward (and downward) mobility for the individual.
We can educate the world's population on the benefits of full employment.
We can then provide financial incentives for all countries which participate in a world wide economic system which includes full employment, geographic specialization of the work force and equal opportunity for all.
As for fanatics, excessive use of force, and preaching hate; we use the United Nations to document hate crimes and unacceptable government conduct.
The world community would be responsible for law enforcement by requesting local governments to adhere to published standards of conduct.
The situation does not change overnight; but, we have a clear path to a more peaceful world.
People have different beliefs about life and the creator of the universe. We only have what we can observe on which to base our decisions. We can be sure that we are born, we live, we learn and we die. It makes sense that there must be more to life than we can observe. The universe is just too grand for only one lifetime.
I think there are but two choices; life is all there is and once we die it is over or there is life after death.
I think there are but two choices; there is an intelligent being that created the universe or not.
I for one can not imagine a better life than I am experiencing. We in America have it really good. There are plenty of problems to solve; but, we have a great deal of help in trying to solve these problems. Solving problems is what makes life interesting.
I cannot imagine why anyone would be so desperate and without hope of making a better life for themselves that they would be willing to give their (perhaps only) life in order to destroy another human being in order to bring fear into our lives. But I believe these people need our help!
It is said that it is not important whether you win or lose but how you play the game. That may be the best wisdom of all.
Let's look at role models:
Osama bin Laden - he is not happy with the way things are going. So he decides to just kill people. Do you really think this is the way God would want us to handle problems?
Bill Gates - he has made a great deal of money by playing the game of life well. Now what does he do with this money? He tries to use it to better the human condition.
Now, what should each of us do?
If society wants to achieve world peace, we need to do two things.
We need to enact and enforce a law at the United Nations level that prohibits any individual or group from initiating or espousing any violent act to advance any cause which places any individual or group at an advantage over any other individual or group.
And we need to ensure that there is full employment in a meaningful, productive job world wide.
I believe that the rule of law and full participation in society's meaningful endeavors will provide the environment for a more peaceful life for each of us.
The Argument against terrorism
Edmond on July 8, 2024 - 2:38pm
"We need to enact and enforce a law at the United Nations level ..."
Your kidding? Right? the united nations? Ha Ha Ha Ha ,giggle giggle
It's too hot here to laugh.. but a that's good one never the less.. thanks..
ha, please dont make me laugh the UN the biggest joke ever, loser organization, corrupt, and hates the USA.
DIS BAN THE UN
.
Edmond wrote:
Perhaps society should just try to provide a meaningful job for anyone who wants one and then no one will have the time to listen to those who want to control other people through the power of hate.
If Jobs were our Number 1 Issue (and voters everywhere paid attention) we would reduce terrorism, poverty, and ignorance, and enhance the power of the center to hold and the chances for democracy to spread.
So why does it NOT happen?
Because we all think unemployment is the curse democracy cannot escape!
All my web pages are directed in favor of Edmond's simple request. Why don't we spend time here (or on my wiki or TIEA site) and thrash this thing out. Edmond is right and all the rest is stuff and nonsense.
.
John Gelles
Corrections after posting are at
Unity-now wiki
My Website
mailto:john.gelles@gmail.com
Human rights and how to pay for them are key to a livable world.
"A Job for Everyone", Says it All !
johngelles on July 9, 2024 - 1:44am
JG, We have experienced nation states that had a job of everybody as you state it. It was called the CCCP, soviet union if you wish. It failed is the kindness term used to discribe it. You don't want to go there.
.
Before SMH suggested that real full employment was tried by totalitarian communists and THEY gave it a bad name, I tried to explain that the cost to employ 4 billion people (of the 6.5 billion we have) would be scores of trillions in dollars and many times the goods and services we currently produce to match the money we know we need. I also expained the sales and gross profit necessary to pay these immense new payrolls. I said we had better get down to work to figure out how to do it.
The place to get to work may be on a separate topic -- not on terrorim.
.
John Gelles
Corrections after posting are at
Unity-now wiki
My Website
mailto:john.gelles@gmail.com
Human rights and how to pay for them are key to a livable world.
What happens when those who hate us[terrorist, dictators] simply won't play fair? What happens when if a terrorist group from some safe have[ much like the Taliban provided Al Qadea] launches an attack, and the "host country" doesn't allow the UN"police" to enter their country and arrest them. Also Terrorists like Mohamed Atta, Ziad Jarrah, and Bin Laden himself are[or were] anything but poor. Poverty is not the root cause of the war on terrorism, a 7th century of the Quran , and those who would seek to impose on the world is.
That should read a 7th century interpitation of the Quran. Also safe haven, not safe have
Kevin NY on July 12, 2024 - 7:32pm,
The UN or the offended country could ask the police or the army in the country to serve the arrest warrants. When that fails, then the UN or the offended country would be justification in taking military action against the government of the country as we did in Afghanistan.
To what social injustice is Bin Laden really reacting?
Well Edmond, you do raise some interesting points. Back in 2024 Bush did give the Taliban a chance to turn over BinLaden and his cohorts. I don't think anyone actually thought they would do so. As far as the UN, BAck in the first Gulf War and after 9/11, the UN was very useful in building a coalition in fighting the bad guys. However, I don't think the US or anyone else should bank their right to exist on the UN.
Kevin NY on July 13, 2024 - 8:04am,
Our right to exist and defend ourselves is not at issue.
If all the people on the planet are to live together in peace, we need to establish some rules of conduct with which most people agree and publish those rules for all to see and follow. If there are those which choose not to follow the rules, then at least we can feel comfortable enforcing the rule of law without feeling guilty of vigilantism.
Funny Edmond, I don't think you and I are that far apart on our thinking. As regards to our attack on the Taliban and AlQada in afghanistan after 9/11, I don't belive we acted like vigilantes at all.
Kevin NY on July 13, 2024 - 3:55pm,
There I go not being clear again.
I agree with your statement "I don't believe we acted like vigilantes at all."
I believe I said as much earlier: "When that fails, then the UN or the offended country would be justified in taking military action against the government of the country as we did in Afghanistan."
Well, your going to have to define justified for me.
If the war is "justified" because we removed some one who was deamed "evil" in order to "liberate" his people even though there is less stability there now than ever then yes our presence is justified.
What if justified means that you actualy have to have clear stated reasons as to why we went to war instead of making up a bunch of crap that isn't true.
umm... citizen i think your talking about the Iraq war.
The core issue is that genie out of the bottle... the problem is old philosophy being used for national security... the tragedy is our backdoor has been left open to those holding the genie... and deep down in our guts we all know it... our leaders failed to tighten up the borders before going to war and now the *&#^#^#*#* feel they are justified in killing millions of Americans... So I suggest we build that wall and start checking I.D. yesterday! www.appyp.com/fix_main.html
This will be a sick joke in the history books, how we went into modern war with our pants down... as our current national security leadership refuses to face their tragic mistakes ... for it will be these civilians in charge of national security (big mistake) that will be blamed for any terror attacks to this nation because they left our backdoor open... www.appyp.com/fix_main.html
These "so called" civilian brains in charge of national security, tell the people we do not need to secure our ports, our infrastructure or worry about open borders because they are catching them abroad before they get to our shores... Oh my goodness, are they kidding me! Please get someone qualified in National Security or we are doomed ...
We can hit the terrorist where it hurts if we can become less dependent on foriegn oil and take a look at our drug policy.
Terrorist are funded by enlarge by money paid to oil producing countries who then fund terrorists. The drug trade also helps fund them. If we can reduce our need for their oil and change our drug enforcement policies then we can basicly take their sources of money that fuel their tactics.
Holding to some sort of moral code as it concerns illegal drugs is just a dead point. We are not winning the drug war and we are not slowing down its use. And many terrorist organizations are being funded by those who abuse drugs.
The fact is people are going to use drugs as long as they can get them regardless of the laws. More than 100yrs and dozens of laws have proven that it is useless. We are just funding the bad guys everyday that we continue our drug policies.
Just allow businesses to screen employees for drugs deemed dangerous as it pertains to the safety of their people and the public in general. If someone is found to be on certain drugs without prescriptions from doctors then allow businesses to terminate their employment at will.
Allowing people to get drugs on their own without the need for prescriptions will lower drugs costs, reduce prison populations, and reduce known gang memberships due to reduced income from drug sales.
Take the money from the criminals then only the hardcore will be a problem and law enforcement can focus their energy towards those individuals instead of drug dealers.
Additionally, the illegal drug market will die and terrorists will find themselves short of necessary dollars to fund terrorist acts upon us.
How about, "we can become less dependent on" drugs. Or "we can reduce our need for" drugs.
"And many terrorist organizations are being funded by those who abuse drugs."
"We are just funding the bad guys everyday that we continue" to use drugs.
So get to rehab, get clean and get real.
Try decriminalizing drugs. According to the very same government that is waging the "war on drugs" (ours) the quality and availability of illegal substances has dramatically INCREASED. This means that what they are doing is not working, so why are we still doing it? We are spending an unholy amount of money on what amounts to victimless vices. (I'm all for putting someone away who beats up an old lady to get drug money, but not for someone who is simply a user. Besides, the sole reason drugs are as expensive as they, and cause some people to beat up little old ladies for drug money, is due to their illegal classification) If drugs were decriminalized today, the bottom would fall out of the black market on drugs, completely, TOMORROW. The terrorists would lose all that income immediately. The reason we do not decriminalize is due to our "representatives" being bought and sold by the drug lobbyists, as well as the christian rights insistence on attempting to legislate delusional 14th century morality by fiat. Here's my new slogan:
Nobody listens.
Nobody truly represents the American people.
Nobody cares about anything but campaign contributions.
Re-elect nobody!
In this and other threads, I have noticed "withholders" - who believe that reducing our dependence on Middle East oil will reduce/eliminate the problem, and "developers" who want to lift up the non-oil economies of these countries - to create a more directed and satisfied populous. (To quote George Carlin: "Here's your industry, cool it, okay!!" ;-)
This focus is natural for Americans as we are largely economically oriented.
But listen to some of our Muslim brothers and sisters and you'll hear more social overtones.
http://www.freemuslims.org/news/article.html?article=351
Here's a paraphrased exerpt:
"The greatest mistake of commentators is attributing terrorism to the lack of social justice, the spreading of poverty, and the harsh social conditions in many Arab and Islamic countries.
"The socio-economic situation of most of the terrorists is very good. For example, Faysal Zayd Al-Matiri, a young Kuwaiti man from an economically well-off family, went to Fallujah to fight with Al-Qa'ida terrorists. He was killed in the fighting, leaving a widow, three orphan girls, and stricken parents mourning his death...
"Interrogations by the Iraqi authorities revealed that most of the Saudi youth who went to Iraq to join Al-Qa'ida come from families that are not poor and from a social environment that does not suffer from economic problems.
"What is the reason for such despicable acts? The terrifying brainwashing suffered by Arab youth at the hands of 'religious clerics.' They nourish the Muslim youth with racist views and extremist principles, and nurse them with hostility towards members of other religions."
***
If (for the sake of discussion) we agree that terrorism at least has a major social component, it seems like part the solution lies along the lines of getting more Arab, Muslim, Persian, etc. youth to travel abroad - not just to the U.S., but anywhere and everywhere. I'm talking way before college here. 13-16 years old, tops. And for American students of that age to go to middle-class areas of Arab and Muslim countries.
The multiplier effect works wonders here. An altered viewpoint of one youth can directly influence at least 10 close friends. And such an effort is worth (you guessed it) Federal Funding. Spend a grand on a plane ticket today, and you don't have to spend 500 grand on a Hummer tomorrow...
This approach does not "throw out" the much-needed security and intelligence component - especially in the Homeland - but it offers a more realistic long-term solution to a largely social problem.
Since 911, the United States of America has created tighter security, to say the least, in the airline industry. I say the real solution to the fight terror WAS prevention.
However, it is too late for this. Evil is collaborating, organized and feeding off of the other evils of the world.
The nation's forefathers were free thinkers, but they did come to terms of agreement that there is a God! Where is God in any of our solutions? No where!!!
We are becoming a nation who is less sovereign and basically in denial concerning God in our solutions. The evil in the middle east we face is a spiritual war as well as a physical war. A very, very dangerous situation for America. This country needs to be proactive from here on out ... and if it means lowering oil supply to stop funding the terrorist then let's do it! The Bible says God is the rock and salvation. He can save a country just as he saves a sinner ...
Our military is working extremely hard for this country and we can atleast be thankful for the peace we have each and every night.
God bless America!
This country needs a bold leader to take this country to a whole new level!
Terror and its evil will not prevail, but God will for sure!!!
Unity08.com is the first step in getting leaders in Washington who can take charge and protect America at all costs!!
Whose god?
The Bible (as well as the Koran) is positively chock full of direct orders for believers to kill other human beings for the heinous crimes of:
1) blashpemy; Leviticus 24:16
2) working on the Sabbath; Exodus 31:15
3) cursing ones' mother or father; Exodus 21:17
4) adultery; Leviticus 20:10
(This last one, if followed, would wipe out half of the American population overnight, according to all polls. Undoubtedly many folks that you know personally. Is that you're desire?)
The ONLY difference between the faiths is that the fundamentalist Muslim acts out his faith in accordance with holy writ.
I'm forced to assume you're one of those folks that professes "faith, without having actually read the Bible and therefore has no idea what he/she is talking about. Either that or you're not willing to be true to your professed "faith". You have my deepest sympathies. Remember that the 19 hijackers on 9-11 were without doubt the most "faith-based" people in the United States at that time.
After several hundred years of nearly obsessive determination by literally tens of thousands of people to find any evidence whatsoever for the existence of god, there exists not one single shred of evidence in favor of such a proposition. (Try to prove me wrong; the attempt is called theodocy) Religeon has by far and above been the primary contributor to evil and human misery in our species' entire existence. It belongs to the infancy of our species, and it must go the way of the dodo if we are to survive our own technology. The profession of "faith in God" by a politician should immediately disqualify him or her for high office. (When a person believes something incredibly far-fetched without any supporting evidence it's called delusional. When a large group of people do it, it's called religeon)
Wake up! The enlightenment happened several centuries ago and you have, indeed, been "left behind". There's still time for you to catch up; it's called reason.
re: Poets Friend, I will only accept what you say if you allow me to define "God" in my own spiritual way.
Your notion of God seems to be a literal interpretation from the Bible. That's fine. But that God, and that Book were never meant to save a country, justify a war, spread democracy, or take over politics in America.
Any Bible based religion that supports the war, or uses their religion as a political tool, is engaged in a false religion, and a false interpretation of the bible. I'm not taking some radical viewpoint, I'm simply telling you what the Bible itself says.
The bible is one of the deepest and most complex books ever arranged, and yet the vast majority of religions surrounding it take such a narrow literal interpretations of the story that they render it completely spiritually impotent.
We do not need leaders to take this country down some theocratic path of moral law...we need aware, enlightened, pragmatic thinkers that take their vision and inspiration from a great variety of sources, and realize that we all need to be free to believe and practice our own personal ways of living.
Islamic-terrorism as we know it today is not a spiritual battle, is it an ideological one. It is based on decades of historical events mostly surrounding western capitalistic hegemony and the American/Israeli connection. Until leaders recognize the root historically-contingent causes of the ideology of islamic-terrorism, they will never be able to defeat it, no matter how many dollars they throw into their military.
Creating places like the current Iraq, and possibly Lebanon, only deepens the resentment against what the muslim's see as a combined America/Israel enemy and further incubates the ideology of fundamentalist terrorism.
This is a CIA term used for unintended consequences that occur after a failed poilcy implementation.
I recommend reading the following for a better understanding of the terrorism issue and basis for unity08 to start.
Stephen Kinzer has reported from more than 50 countries for The New York Times and has been the paper's bureau chief in Turkey, Germany, and Nicaragua. In his new book, Overthrow: America's Century of Regime Change From Hawaii to Iraq, he writes that in the past 110 years, America has overthrown 14 governments that displeased them for "ideological, political, and economic" reasons
People don't kill themselves for ideological purposes, only religious fanatics and the mentally deranged do that. Nor did Mohamed have "western capitalistic hegemony" in mind when he spoke about end times when Jews would hide behind trees and the trees would call on Muslims to kill them.
There's nothing in the New Testament about waging war to spread Christianity or killing non-Christians. When Christians act that way they aren't acting like Christians. But when Muslims engage in jihad or force people to choose between death or conversion (like those 2 FoxNews reporters in Gaza recently), they are following the example set by Mohamed.
How do you reform a religion that didn't become debased over time but started out that way? It may not be possible.
It IS idealogical. The radical Muslims are trained from birth that killing the infidels gain immediate access to Heaven.
Sort of like the way kids in this country are trained that Free market economics is the "best" economy.
http://journals.aol.com/kweinschen/Veritas/
a jihad is very similar to a crusade.. fighting in the name of god, and if you die u go to heaven.. it's not about fighting the "infidels" it's just that when ever a jihad is waged ( which just for ur information, there are two kinds of jihad, one violent and one peaceful except most ppl just think that a jihad is through violence) the fighters, if they are fighting for the good of their land and counrty along with ppl, they have access to heaven, but the koran also says that killing one innocent person, is like killing all of human kind.. which completely shows that those who fight and kill innocent, no matter who they are, or wat religion they believe in, they are commiting a sin. islam is usually misunderstood, and should be studied better for better talks to eachother...
Read Ephesians 6:12 to understand what Christian 'war' is all about.
It is NOTHING like a "Jihad".
http://journals.aol.com/kweinschen/Veritas/
Killing in the name of GOD.. Just plain stupid.
Tee
"Lets take care of "U.S." first"
U.S. = United States
I agree.....
That's why Christians engage in spiritual warfare against "principalities...powers...rulers of of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places"
Yaknow....people like you.
http://journals.aol.com/kweinschen/Veritas/
Killing one innocent person is wrong. However i've seen it written that unless you are islamist you are not innocent. By the Quoran's reckoning all non islamists are guilty. Therefore legit targets. Who do you classify as innocents? Seems jihadists have no qualms about killing christian children, see article below.
Iraq: Jihadists behead, roast Christian toddler
Savagery in the name of obedience to the Almighty. From "We must not let this ancient Church slide into oblivion," by Ed West in the Catholic Herald (thanks to all who sent this in):
“When they cook a dish in the Middle East, it is traditional to put the meat on top of the rice when they serve it. They kidnapped a woman’s baby in Baghdad, a toddler, and because the mother was unable to pay the ransom, they returned her child – beheaded, roasted and served on a mound of rice.” The infant’s crime was to be an Assyrian, but this story, reported by the Barnabus Fund, went unnoticed in the West, like so many other horrific accounts of Christian persecution in Iraq.
Since the invasion of Iraq, Muslim militants have bombed 28 churches and murdered hundreds of Christians. Last October, Islamists beheaded a priest in Mosul in revenge for the Pope’s remarks about Islam at Regensburg. But never let it be said that jihadis do not have a sense of ironic humour: that same month they crucified a 14-year-old Christian boy in Basra.
Until abot 400AD, Christianity was a 'passifist' religion. However, Emperor Constantine changed all of that. He made it fashionable to "Kill for Christ". It would be nice if Christianity would return to its original doctrines that the Nazarene preached. If you don't believe this, read about Emperor Constantine and another great "Kill for Christ" Christian leader, Pope Julius. It will open your eyes. It opened mine. Also, the newly rediscovered gospels of James, Jesus' brother, give an excellent account of Jesus' actual words. Nobody has twisted and tainted them, yet.
And the two Edwards bloggers who called Catholics M*****F***ers didn't have any "hate" in their hearts.
The attack on Christians in the public square continues, in direct violation of the First Ammendment.
And the ACLU makes MILLIONS by sustaining the attack.
http://journals.aol.com/kweinschen/Veritas/
Whenever I see blogs filled with hateful messages -- whatever they might be about or whomever they might be against -- I always consider the possibility that they are writing horrible things under the guise of being a "supporter" of a candidate when in fact, they are blogging for the other team.
That's why I mainly ignore bloggers who attack whole classes of people or religious groups with vile ephitaphs. Who knows whose side they're really on?
like the Apostle Paul, I confront them, head on....
and if I perish, I perish.
http://journals.aol.com/kweinschen/Veritas/
first of all, islam is both a violent and peaceful religion, but the koran says to kill those who dont believe in allah. Jews and Christians do believe in allah.. we all believe in the same god, and in the days of the prophet christians and jews lived together though jews and christians were taxed more.. but nothing too serious.. it's just taht some ppl interpret it in a different way.. just like how christians interpret their religion differently so do muslims.. there will always be debate about wat all religions mean weather we like it or not.. it's just that some ppl interpret it in a violent way, and some (hopefully most) interpret it in a peaceful way.
International trials of world leaders must be implemented immediately. Trials that do not require the presence of the accused. Let the accused respond by streaming video and once convicted the U.S. Airforce will take care of the execution. - Earn Snyder
Author "$aving the bureaucracy - Killing the beast"
Modern Progressive Independent
www.appyp.com/fix_main.html
Tribes in the Middle East have been killing each other for over 4,000 years. This is only a problem for us because the Oil Barrons want more money. They keep us involved in this area of the world for money. Middle East destabilization and war is good for profits. If we divest from the Middle East economically, militarily, and politically Islamic extremists won't have a reason to attack us anymore. Moving to a renewable fuels economy has so many advantages for us, but we allow our 'leaders' to continue to serve the Oil Barrons instead of forcing them to free us from Middle East violence. As long as you keep mindlessly flipping switches that elect Republicans & Democrats, the situation won't change. Our soldiers will continue to pay for our laziness with their lives, we will continue to pay from our wallets, and the bosses of George and Hillary will laugh all the way to the bank. Remember, "OBEY,CONSUME,DON'T ASK QUESTIONS".
it's not exactly as u think.. the problem is our dependence for oil.. once we have alternatives for oil we could then not have to deal with their problems. the other problem is that because we are the superpower we have to show that we want stablity in the world, and that we renounce war, even though me start that wars most of the time..
For devout Muslim’s in the Mid-East, allegiance first and foremost, is to Islam. National identity and allegiance to secular government are a distant second. Each Friday, Shia’s and Sunni’s attend their respective mosques throughout the world to worship Allah, Mohammed his prophet, the Koran and the Five Pillars of Wisdom. Rather than accentuating this common ground, however, differences occurring almost 14 centuries ago prevail between these sects, segregating the brotherhood of this great religion. Common ground is largely limited to their perception of non-Islamic countries that they hold responsible for proselytizing, exploitation, and arbitrary establishment of national boundaries after WWI in disregard of ethnic, tribal and cultural considerations. The centuries-old ideological differences (sectarian) and the latter secular issue arising in the early part of the twentieth century have been commingled in Islamic thought in many of the mosques - some being more proactive in this regard than others. In Saudi Arabia a substantial amount of funds have been raised privately to foment negative sentiments in the madrassahs, and to support insurgent and terrorist activities world-wide. The Iranian government, basically a theocracy, supports Shia interests in Iraq, while Syria unofficially supports Sunni interests, and by association the deposed Ba’athists, and al-Qaida in Anbar Province.
The recent meeting between Saudi and Iranian leaders is a step forward in curbing the civil strife in Iraq. Viewed pragmatically, however, this limited secular initiative needs to be expanded to include the sectarian leaders (Sunni & Shia) throughout Islam. A clear and unequivocal pronouncement by the latter in the form of 'Fatwahs' authoritatively declaring "fratricide and wanton killing of innocent people, regardless of persuasion or affiliation, is an abomination and contrary to the teachings of the Koran" is key to ending the civil violence; and in providing a resonating moral disincentive against terrorist activities (and recruitment therefor) world-wide.
There is little difference between the animosity between Sunni and Shia and that between various countries and ethnic groups overlaid with various Christian sub-groups experienced by the West over the ages.
While Christianity's various expressions found some leverage in secular matters during the Middle Ages, The Reformation, The Renaissance, Victorian Era and our most recent era of Cultural Warfare, the truth is that religion acts as a smoke-screen to more deep-seated economic or political problems within a society.
We should never confuse the (mis)use of Islam by a few with the practice of Islam by the devout. Simply issuing fatwas against causing the death of the innocent is redundant as this proscription is well represented in the Koran without equivocation or need for further explication and there is no clear evidence that the political and economic basis for Islamic fascism would be one bit moved by such edicts.
Better it is to work at the underlying problems that cause disaffection and political or economic disenfranchisement; or at least at the West's complicity in this disaffection and disenfranchisement than to take a Pollyanna view of Islam's ability to significantly affect populations, politics and the movement of history.
John E. Kaczmarowski
kacz@kaczmarowski.com