Hi Dan,
One of the aims of Zen Buddhism is to free the mind from the connection between words and the reality. The concept was well understood by Lincoln. Honest Abe used ask his aids, "if we all agree to call dogs' tail "leg", how many legs does a dog have?" When they'd answer 5, Lincoln would correct them and say, "no, the dog would still have only 4 legs; calling a tail leg, does not make it so". Unfortunately, for most people the distinction between words and reality is very fuzzy.
These days people speak of Islam and Muslims as if it is monolithic, completely forgetting that bunching up the British, the French, and the Russians under the heading of "Christians" ignores the vast differences between these people. The same can be said about Muslims.
The roots of the Muslim anger against US is not as complex as people seem to think it is. The people in the Muslim countries, like the people everywhere, want governments that are responsive to their needs and blame their governments when their lives are not according to their expectations. In this they are no different than the people of other countries. The problem is that unlike the people in the West, they cannot vote their governments down. Governments that by and large have remained in power with the US help. As a result the US ends up as a party to their anger and hatred.
You don't see US pushing for democracy in Egypt, do you? Opinion polls suggest that over 90% (up from 65% after 9/11) of Egyptians do not like America and do not wish their government to have relationships with the US. So how has Hosni managed to cling to power? Could it be because of the billions of US dollars entrusted to him that allows him to buy off favors from the armed forces? Now imagine the opposite. Picture a dictatorship regime in the US propped up on the back of Saudi money. What would your reaction be?
By nature I am a libertarian. I have come to believe the traditional libertarian tactics or promoted methods of government lead to the wrong results. So I have modified my opinions on policy but not on the belief in the maximum possible freedom for everyone. I think they should be free to do with their lives as they see fit.
ST |
