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 : The Truth About Islam -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Cage Rattler who wrote (5373)	2/27/2007 2:26:11 PM
From: one_less	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 20106

Thank you. That was a fair and reasoned proposition. One that I would have been pleased to forward myself. I recognize the threat from radical extremism as well as anyone. I've been personally effected by it and have no hesitation in labeling Radical Islam an enemy. Having said that I would ask you to do what many people do when trying to honestly examine the presuppositions of another view point. That is consider things in reverse. If a person made all kinds of proclamations about the Christian Community in America based on the data they collected about America having higher statistics than almost any country in the world for rapes, assaults, murder, robbery, sexual perversion ... if they further supplied anecdotes describing horrific circumstances in America, and if English was their first language but they didn't spell Biebbol or Gaud correctly would you hold them up as a valid spokes person for Christian Culture. Maybe you would want to hear their perspective but would you want their critique to be validated. The terms Korianic (Quranic) and Alah (Allah) jumped from a post of yours intended to inform me about Islam... Well lets be honest it was attacking me using your knowledge of Islam as justification. In the reverse case ... on an anti-Christian thread would you consider that a good start. Well by gones should do that ... be gone. It looks like we have a fresh start. As I have said, I am not a Spokesperson but I can certainly engage in a reasoned discussion that seeks understanding as a goal, and would be happy to do so.

To: Cage Rattler who wrote (5373)	2/27/2007 3:05:53 PM
From: one_less	Respond to of 20106

What particularly interested you with regards to the 'Frontpage Interview' post about political Islam? I know a little bit about the topic. I agree with the spokesperson that we should not allow ourselves to be bowled over politically by ideas that contradict our principles. The same fears have been raised continually over our history with regards to one political threat or another. They were real threats from fascist regimes in the 20th century and they have been real threats from fundamental idealists at various times. Why should we veiw this any differently. We need to understand political aspirations in order to maintain the integrity of our rule of law. A weak, immoral, and unprincipled society wont stand up to any of these threats in the 21st century. My suggestion is to stand on principle and don't sacrifice those principles for the sake of political gamesmanship, and encourage everyone in the land to do the same. Drawing lines in the sand leads to conflict not resolution. I believe rights are fundamentally derived from our nature and then distinguished and protected as legal rights by society. For the sake of common understanding we can start as Jefferson did by terming those things which should be obvious to our natures as 'Self Evident.' I personally start with the right to pursue well being and the responsibility to respect, encourage, support the well being of others. This is a pretty universal agreement among human beings that spans time and circumstance but since we are all socialized and educated to some extent, there is no way to 'prove' it exists a priori as part of the human condition. If you begin with agreements on common principle, we/they are likely to find that the differences are substantially unconsequential. If we start with the differences as happened on this thread, we are likely to find ourselves in some sort of armaggeddon, or WWIII. I know a couple of people here are actually rooting for that.