<.. I want to debate with someone>
Yes, this much is clear.
<willing to submit, as well as defend, their opinions and beliefs.>
But I have done so... You've just showed up lately, and with a very sharpy defined opinion on what is wrong and right on this topic:
<<<that there is some inherent defect in the Muslim world that needs correcting with force, right now, unilaterally.>>
So it's natural and easy to see things differently if one does such. I think any of the miriad of potential intellectual 'jousting' positions could be rehashed and debated, but to what end? There are hundreds of them in the worlds newspapers every day... Would I go so far as to think you or I have some data point obviating thousands of diplomats and governments around the world? What's wrong with people having different opinions than yours?
<Not someone who can only manage to make half-baked, rhetoric criticisms of other people's opinions..>
On the level that you want to 'debate' this no doubt has lots of truth. Any opinion I would have on inherant defects of various Muslim cultures around the world would be more than 1/2 baked, I would rather use either 'raw' or 'burnt to a crisp'... ie. pretty worthless.
But, when I step back and LOOK at that statement I can also see that the current action does not address that issue. That statement implies that your [and my] culture don't have defects worth taking such serious action on but 'theirs' does... that our culture is not only somehow superior to the various Muslim cultures but we need to rectify the situation with force... even though 3rd partys all over the world don't think so. AND moreover, if there are things about cultures that appear blatently wrong or misguided [just as with another person] isn't education and dialogue the way? The money wasted on this project could probably have paid for decades of education for millions of poor all over the world.
I would submit to you that the problem is we ARENT EVEN LOOKING AT THE PROBLEM. Basic psychology says: "If you have a problem, it's YOUR problem", look at yourself FIRST to see what your reaction is all about. Know people who know all about all the problems in the world, and exactly what to do and never leave enough space to 'see' their own reaction? Our government has essentially told a good portion of the world "no you are wrong, I am right. We don't have time to 'see' your point, we must 'react' now... end of discussion". Sound familiar??? It should, it could be an observation by a psychologist of an immature [egoic] school boy deciding weather or not to send him to special school because he can't intereact in an appropriate manner with the other kids.
And hence simply another chapter of the same type of negative, fearful, defensive interaction whileselling out the long term good will of our country.
You see, why do ANYTHING now to 'get back' at someone? Why add up 'good' and 'bad' actions from the past [we'd probably not do well there anyway as far as Muslim counts go] to defend your actions? Why not start NOW and try to understand as many people as possible?
Or we can continue to be one of the 'special' kid on the block...in our own little class [living hell] along with Johhny Muslim militant.
DAK |
