Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Foreign Policy Discussion Thread -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ish who wrote (5509)	4/23/2003 9:33:20 PM
From: Hawkmoon	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 15987

1. Syria may become more into our line. It depends upon whether Assad can undermine some of the other hardline elements in his government. There's only so much "give" and openess he can tolerate before his own authority is called into question by the majority Sunnis. The Alawites hold power in a very similar manner to how the Iraqi Baathists did in Iraq. Assad's family/clan is only the most powerful of the various alawite clans that hold their ruthless grip on power in Syria. Relax that grip too much and they will topple, which is not condusive to their interests. 2. This will make the Islam religion go into it's final fight. I'm not sure about that, at least how you seem to present it. The struggle between fundamentalist and moderate/modernist religious elements will continue for decades, if it ever ends so long as Islam remains a major religious force. It's little different to the struggle within Christianity (such as methodists vs southern baptists), IMO... Different denominations always vary on just how strict their dogma will be as well as their tolerance for secular laws and regulations. And that's a struggle that will end for any foreseeable period in the future. I don't see Islam disappearing in coming decades, minus some major evangelical miracle by other faiths. In fact, given it's growth in recent years, Islam may become the dominant religion of the world. But what I hope for is that it becomes more moderate and less militant, recognizing the value of operating within a secular governmental system, battling peacefully for souls. Hawk