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Gee, it is almost like white people make up a huge part of the population. Apply a little Bayes Theorem and visit back when you've run the numbers. Also, fwiw,
by viggity 10y ago
Gee, it is almost like white people make up a huge part of the population. Apply a little Bayes Theorem and visit back when you've run the numbers.
Also, fwiw, Islam is not a race, hence you can't be racist for criticizing it. It is an ideological system. In that way it is no different than Democracy, Communism, Buddhism, Capitalism, Mormonism, Anarchism, etc, etc. Race doesn't define any of those ideologies either. In a free society we must be allowed to criticize ideas.
I'm allowed to criticize Islamism and its practices and beliefs. I'm also allowed to criticize Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, et al. However only one of these ideologies regularly/commonly threatens to kill (and actually will kill) people who leave the faith. Only one of these ideologies has a large constituency who condones the intentional targeting of innocent civilians. It isn't a majority, but it isn't a fringe 1% either. Pew Research Surveys show the number to be 20-30% of these practitioners worldwide. (http://www.pewforum.org/2013/04/30/the-worlds-muslims-religion-politics-society-overview/ http://www.pewforum.org/2013/04/30/the-worlds-muslims-religi...)
- literallycancer 10y agoYeah, look at them evil Muslims.[1] Fundamentalists, every single one, right? Islam has issues, of course, just like any other ideology. Too bad the Wahhabis are largely successful in exporting their flavor of Islam.. but I guess that's what happens when you prop up oppressive regimes in the name of stability (and preferential access to natural resources). [1] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZIqdrFeFBk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZIqdrFeFBk
- jacquesm 10y agoThe thing that really rams this home for me is pictures of Teheran before the revolution: http://www.vintag.es/2014/09/pictures-of-tehran-iran-ca-1960s-1970s.html http://www.vintag.es/2014/09/pictures-of-tehran-iran-ca-1960... The problem with all this is if it achieves escape velocity then it can take a long long time to undo the damage. We're almost four decades into Iran being an Islamic state and I wonder how that would have all ended if there had not been so much meddling in Iran and Iraq (and less money flowing to the house of Saud). Quite possibly Iran (then Persia) would have been a real powerhouse in the region, highly educated citizenry and vast natural resources.
- pkd 10y agoIndeed. Alse Afghanistan before Taliban[1] Very appropriate that the US had a huge hand to play in dislodging the normalcy of life in both of these places. [1] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3404803/Life-Taliban-Fascinating-photographs-idyllic-Afghanistan-1960s-residents-free-enjoy-outdoor-picnics-colourful-markets.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-340480...
- jimmyk 10y agoI'm curious why you refer to that as "normalcy". Was that kind of lifestyle really "normal" for the Arab world? Did people outside of major cities live like that? Were the major cities like that for a long period of time? From what I've seen, those Western-looking cities are the anomaly, resulting from either European colonization or from Western-looking rulers seeking to modernize, against the wishes of the general population.
- jacquesm 10y agoWe do not have the monopoly on highrises and modern cities. Here is Ethiopia for instance: http://addisairport.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/addisababacity.jpg http://addisairport.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/addisabab... Highrises are simply a function of the price of ground in cities going up dictating more use per square unit of area. And FWIW the roots of most of our civilizations lie in the Arab world, at some point in time those regions were the moderns and our regions were backwards. To directly answer your question: Major cities like that have existed all over the globe for many centuries, the 'modern' look as you call it was most likely inspired by looking abroad but that has never stopped anybody from imitation.
- jimmyk 10y agoI'm not sure why you think I'm talking about the way the skyline looks. I'm talking about the acceptance of modern Western values. Do you really think that has been the normal state of the middle east, and Islamic fundamentalism is the anomaly?
- srean 10y ago> Only one of these ideologies has a large constituency who condones the intentional targeting of innocent civilians You mean collaterals and the US ?