It is interesting that you talk about the “nineteen [who] hijacked four jet airliners in a deliberately suicidal effort to hurt the United States of America”. Your article starting in this vain gave me hope. Alas, it was not to be. I have not read all of your posts nor followed all of your links so I realize I have missed many of your thoughts and probably have an incomplete picture, so take what I’ll say and put it in that context. If not, then your lack of expansion of this idea to its logical conclusion that these individuals did not typify [virtually any] Muslims and in fact were, in 2001, an incredibly small minority of the Muslim population, is a disappointment. Clearly this is the case. It is also true that the extreme reaction, and in fact what was simply a justification for an already-desired action at the time, of the U.S. has resulted in a far more rapid growth in militants than could have been achieved by any approach except perhaps one explicitly designed to achieve such aims. This is sad. It is sad that a powerful nation takes on a weak one—ruled my a madman but populated by you’s and I’s—crushes it, breaks it, botches putting it back together and then blames the people of this same nation for their ‘lack of support’. Blames… actually I’m not sure who is being blamed… for the rise of a new breed of militant. No that’s innaccurate—actually the picture that is being painted is one in which all of the current militants/maniacs(and they are) were already there! Hey, I’m all for revenge—go and blast Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and kill a significant number of innocent civilians (can we agree that even one innocent dead child is significant). I can understand this. I am fairly certain that if someone killed just one of my children I would want revenge—and may even, temporarily, willingly, lose my mind in emotion and rage—though I consider myself a highly civilized being. No one should understand US’ actions towards Iraq. All of us should pray that Iran isn’t next. I grew up in the 70s and early eighties when the cold war was still going strong and total annihilation seemed a damn good possibility. I thought all of that was over and done with and the world was free to spread its wings and explore as-yet unexplored avenues of humanity. We just might be seeing the creation of a new war, not as cold as the last, and not as predictable or stable. I hope not.
Forgive my minor rant. Someone with a name like mine rarely dares to speak up in this way. While I agreed with the sentiment of your article what remained unsaid screamed at me and I could not, this time, shut it out.
Eliezer just used 9/11 as an example. His post isn’t supposed to say all there is to say about 9/11. It’s supposed to make a point about seeing the humanness in people who do bad deeds.
No one should understand US’ actions towards Iraq.
Not understanding actions doesn’t help.
All of us should pray that Iran isn’t next.
Praying doesn’t help either. It’s rather important to understand why the world is the way it is. If a significant amount of people in a democracy understand the way the world works you get positive political change.
It is interesting that you talk about the “nineteen [who] hijacked four jet airliners in a deliberately suicidal effort to hurt the United States of America”. Your article starting in this vain gave me hope. Alas, it was not to be. I have not read all of your posts nor followed all of your links so I realize I have missed many of your thoughts and probably have an incomplete picture, so take what I’ll say and put it in that context. If not, then your lack of expansion of this idea to its logical conclusion that these individuals did not typify [virtually any] Muslims and in fact were, in 2001, an incredibly small minority of the Muslim population, is a disappointment. Clearly this is the case. It is also true that the extreme reaction, and in fact what was simply a justification for an already-desired action at the time, of the U.S. has resulted in a far more rapid growth in militants than could have been achieved by any approach except perhaps one explicitly designed to achieve such aims. This is sad. It is sad that a powerful nation takes on a weak one—ruled my a madman but populated by you’s and I’s—crushes it, breaks it, botches putting it back together and then blames the people of this same nation for their ‘lack of support’. Blames… actually I’m not sure who is being blamed… for the rise of a new breed of militant. No that’s innaccurate—actually the picture that is being painted is one in which all of the current militants/maniacs(and they are) were already there! Hey, I’m all for revenge—go and blast Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and kill a significant number of innocent civilians (can we agree that even one innocent dead child is significant). I can understand this. I am fairly certain that if someone killed just one of my children I would want revenge—and may even, temporarily, willingly, lose my mind in emotion and rage—though I consider myself a highly civilized being. No one should understand US’ actions towards Iraq. All of us should pray that Iran isn’t next. I grew up in the 70s and early eighties when the cold war was still going strong and total annihilation seemed a damn good possibility. I thought all of that was over and done with and the world was free to spread its wings and explore as-yet unexplored avenues of humanity. We just might be seeing the creation of a new war, not as cold as the last, and not as predictable or stable. I hope not.
Forgive my minor rant. Someone with a name like mine rarely dares to speak up in this way. While I agreed with the sentiment of your article what remained unsaid screamed at me and I could not, this time, shut it out.
Eliezer just used 9/11 as an example. His post isn’t supposed to say all there is to say about 9/11. It’s supposed to make a point about seeing the humanness in people who do bad deeds.
Not understanding actions doesn’t help.
Praying doesn’t help either. It’s rather important to understand why the world is the way it is. If a significant amount of people in a democracy understand the way the world works you get positive political change.