On Saturday, September 18, 2004 7:08 PM CDT; Lonnie wrote;
Subject: [RHETORIC] Defending what truth?
For a discussion list called "Defending the Truth,"
I'm reading a lot of false statements and prejudices
here.
1. What is "militant Islam"? Has anyone ever
bothered to find out what Osama bin Laden's beef with
the US is? I mean, other than what Bush has
repeatedly spew on the airwaves. Those whom you are
labelling "Islamic militants" are a small minority of
the nearly one billion muslims in the world. Your
understanding of Islam and its practitioners is not
based on reality, but on media images, which any
thinking person must know are not reflections of
reality. You have fallen for the lie that Bush has
been telling you since 9/11: anyone against us
(meaning the US military-industrial complex) is a
terrorist.
Here lately, you might have good cause to wonder about "Defending the
Truth". Remember a couple of things, though. Hank's board deals with
politics. That, by its very nature, deals with SUBJECTIVE truth rather than
OBJECTIVE truth. That's when political discussion doesn't degenerate into
outright lies and name-calling which it all too often does.
As far as Osama's beef with the U.S., I understand that at least in part it
has to do with the presence of U.S. forces in Saudi Arabia, at the request I
might add of the House of Saud. That land is considered Holy to many
Moslems, and the presence of Infidels (which is what U.S. troops are
considered over there) is an offence to them. In the case of the band of
merry men following Osama, it's enough of an offence to go to war over it.
Incidentally, there are at the present moment 2,240 hits for "Tap-dancing
Militant Islamic Fundamentalist" on Google. Try not to think about it.
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