Fear us Women

[Mister D]

I rather think it a back to the basics sort of thing for modern Muslims that sign on. It is 7th century living.

I disagree. Islam was much more tolerant in the 7th Century.

[Ethereal]

I disagree. Islam was much more tolerant in the 7th Century.

Most Muslims are still fairly tolerant. It is the Salafists who spearhead international terrorism

[Ethereal]

Radical Islam is a reaction to globalization just like the disgust European populations show toward immigration.

There is certainly some truth to that. But radical Islam, such as it is, is also heavily bankrolled by the US government and its nominal allies. That is not a conspiracy theory, by the way. From the so-called "freedom fighters" in Afghanistan to the so-called "moderate" rebels in Syria, the US government has been providing crucial support to radical Islamists for decades.

[Mister D]

There is certainly some truth to that. But radical Islam, such as it is, is also heavily bankrolled by the US government and its nominal allies. That is not a conspiracy theory, by the way. From the so-called "freedom fighters" in Afghanistan to the so-called "moderate" rebels in Syria, the US government has been providing crucial support to radical Islamists for decades.

I have no doubt that we supplied Islamists during the Cold War and I continue to maintain that was a rational and ultimately successful policy. Strategic decisions can only be judged by their goals and the goal in this case was the containment and exhaustion of the USSR.

[Mister D]

Most Muslims are still fairly tolerant. It is the Salafists who spearhead international terrorism

I'm just saying the rage and savagery we see today does not have its roots in Islam but in the threats globalization poses to traditional identities and cultures.

[Ethereal]

I have no doubt that we supplied Islamists during the Cold War and I continue to maintain that was a rational and ultimately successful policy. Strategic decisions can only be judged by their goals and the goal in this case was the containment and exhaustion of the USSR.

I agree it was effective when viewed in that context. However, I would contend that context was more than a little warped by paranoia, corruption, and rank dishonesty from the political class. I mean, one second the Soviets are our valued allies and the next they're the biggest threat to humanity? I was able to catch a glimpse of this dissonance recently after I read a very old National Geographic that was published right after the end of WWII. Every reference to the Soviets was glowing and positive. Only a few years later, the rhetoric would shift radically despite the fact that nothing had fundamentally changed with regards to the Soviet Union. They were essentially the same entity they were when they were our allies.

[Ethereal]

I'm just saying the rage and savagery we see today does not have its roots in Islam but in the threats globalization poses to traditional identities and cultures.

There is some truth to that. And while I still maintain the belief that western militarism in Muslim lands is more to blame, I have become increasingly convinced that Islamic terrorism is largely a manufactured phenomenon having very little to do with cultural or religious tensions.

[Mister D]

I agree it was effective when viewed in that context. However, I would contend that context was more than a little warped by paranoia, corruption, and rank dishonesty from the political class. I mean, one second the Soviets are our valued allies and the next they're the biggest threat to humanity? I was able to catch a glimpse of this dissonance recently after I read a very old National Geographic that was published right after the end of WWII. Every reference to the Soviets was glowing and positive. Only a few years later, the rhetoric would shift radically despite the fact that nothing had fundamentally changed with regards to the Soviet Union. They were essentially the same entity they were when they were our allies.

Yeah, the pro-Soviet propaganda of the 1940s is kind of weird. I took a class in college and we watched a few wartime films. Mission over Moscow I think was one of them? By the 1950s the USSR was demonized.

[Mister D]

There is some truth to that. And while I still maintain the belief that western militarism in Muslim lands is more to blame, I have become increasingly convinced that Islamic terrorism is largely a manufactured phenomenon having very little to do with cultural or religious tensions.

I agree it's a product of colonialism but I have something a little different in mind when I use the term.

[Ethereal]

I agree it's a product of colonialism but I have something a little different in mind when I use the term.

As I understand it, colonialism would be a massive step up from what I'm describing.