Is Kelley Right in his article "The Face of Evil is ISIS"

Posted by Esceptico 9 years, 1 month ago to Politics
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Kelley substantially states the same arguments made by the neocons and standard conservatives, to wit: the Muslims hate us because of our culture. But, could this be wrong? Is there at least one other motive which drives the Muslims even more than that the standard answer? For example, about 90% of the “bad guys” have said the motivation is the Western World putting their noses under the Muslim Tents. So, if the West simply left them alone to live on dirt floors, would they withdraw with this fight against West go back to happily doing something else, like fighting among themselves? Ron Paul (and others) makes a good case for this position.


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  • Posted by jabuttrick 9 years, 1 month ago in reply to this comment.
    Some muslims hate all non-muslims because they believe their God tells them to convert, hate or kill the non-muslims. They think this because they believe an invisible, omniscient, omnipotent guy in the sky communicates with them via ancient writings or direct communication and has told them so either directly or through intermediaries. They think they are waging a God directed holy war and will be rewarded in the afterlife. As noted, these are only some muslims. The other muslims have other beliefs regarding non-muslims also based on what their religion tells them. You are correct that some muslims also dislike the US because of the US government's incessant meddling in the middle east. That is the Paul argument. There is some validity to the culture argument also. Some muslims, I would guess, have all three sets of motivations (and, I dare say, there are other motivations that don't come immediately to mind). I would say this, however. I think mysticism is at the root of the religious conflicts which themselves constantly devolve into political and military conflicts in the middle east. That is because religion and politics are fused in those societies in a manner mostly unknown to us.
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  • Posted by 9 years, 1 month ago in reply to this comment.
    Maybe not only fools. It is impossible to know what drives people with any clarity. This, of course, was necessarily anecdotal and I wonder how widespread this is as compared with constant drilling in that the imperialist US wants you country.
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  • Posted by 9 years, 1 month ago in reply to this comment.
    Some schools in Muslim Africa use only one textbook, the Koran --- which is shy somewhat in things such a physics. I don’t think you directly address to issue I posed, which is do the Muslims hate us because of our culture? I think not.

    Some of this can be addressed by reversing positions and the US faces a nation which has over 900 military bases in more than 140 countries and that nation is constantly making war in the US and tell the US how it should run the country. What would be your recommended response? Something like the French Resistance during WWII? If yes, how does what ISIS is doing differ? Or, were the French wrong in WWII?

    Cato has many well researched papers on the subject, but I think an excellent synthesis is Ron Paul’s very personally written and readable, book “Swords Into Plowshares — A Life in Wartime and a Future of Peace and Prosperity” Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity. It is in a Kindle Edition.
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  • Posted by 9 years, 1 month ago in reply to this comment.
    My experience is falsehood is a part of the middle eastern culture. I have known middle eastern Jews and Christians, and lying is part of their lifestyle. I don’t think you directly address to issue I posed, which is do the Muslims hate us because of our culture? I think not.

    Some of this can be addressed by reversing positions and the US faces a nation which has over 900 military bases in more than 140 countries and that nation is constantly making war in the US and tell the US how it should run the country. What would be your recommended response? Something like the French Resistance during WWII? If yes, how does what ISIS is doing differ? Or, were the French wrong in WWII?

    Cato has many well researched papers on the subject, but I think an excellent synthesis is Ron Paul’s very personally written and readable, book “Swords Into Plowshares — A Life in Wartime and a Future of Peace and Prosperity” Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity. It is in a Kindle Edition.
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  • Posted by 9 years, 1 month ago in reply to this comment.
    True, long before "or generation" played in their sandbox (I love the phrase). I don’t think you directly address to issue I posed, which is do the Muslims hate us because of our culture? I think not.

    Some of this can be addressed by reversing positions and the US faces a nation which has over 900 military bases in more than 140 countries and that nation is constantly making war in the US and tell the US how it should run the country. What would be your recommended response? Something like the French Resistance during WWII? If yes, how does what ISIS is doing differ? Or, were the French wrong in WWII?

    Cato has many well researched papers on the subject, but I think an excellent synthesis is Ron Paul’s very personally written and readable, book “Swords Into Plowshares — A Life in Wartime and a Future of Peace and Prosperity” Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity. It is in a Kindle Edition.
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  • Posted by 9 years, 1 month ago in reply to this comment.
    Christians claim to own the world and heaven. No difference. I don’t think you directly address to issue I posed, which is do the Muslims hate us because of our culture? I think not.

    Some of this can be addressed by reversing positions and the US faces a nation which has over 900 military bases in more than 140 countries and that nation is constantly making war in the US and tell the US how it should run the country. What would be your recommended response? Something like the French Resistance during WWII? If yes, how does what ISIS is doing differ? Or, were the French wrong in WWII?

    Cato has many well researched papers on the subject, but I think an excellent synthesis is Ron Paul’s very personally written and readable, book “Swords Into Plowshares — A Life in Wartime and a Future of Peace and Prosperity” Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity. It is in a Kindle Edition.
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  • Posted by 9 years, 1 month ago in reply to this comment.
    Judge, I don’t think any of this directly address to issue I posed, which is do the Muslims hate us because of our culture? I think not.

    Some of this can be addressed by reversing positions and the US faces a nation which has over 900 military bases in more than 140 countries and that nation is constantly making war in the US and tell the US how it should run the country. What would be your recommended response? Something like the French Resistance during WWII? If yes, how does what ISIS is doing differ? Or, were the French wrong in WWII?

    Cato has many well researched papers on the subject, but I think an excellent synthesis is Ron Paul’s very personally written and readable, book “Swords Into Plowshares — A Life in Wartime and a Future of Peace and Prosperity” Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity. It is in a Kindle Edition.
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  • Posted by 9 years, 1 month ago in reply to this comment.
    This may not be about beliefs. That is point of my question. That may be a major error in the analysis.

    Some of this can be addressed by reversing positions and the US faces a nation which has over 900 military bases in more than 140 countries and that nation is constantly making war in the US and tell the US how it should run the country. What would be your recommended response? Something like the French Resistance during WWII? If yes, how does what ISIS is doing differ? Or, were the French wrong in WWII?

    Cato has many well researched papers on the subject, but I think an excellent synthesis is Ron Paul’s very personally written and readable, book “Swords Into Plowshares — A Life in Wartime and a Future of Peace and Prosperity” Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity. It is in a Kindle Edition.
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  • Posted by 9 years, 1 month ago in reply to this comment.
    We agree, again. You might add that according the Abrahamic bible says to kill all infidels, and non-believers in their view of the bible, should be killed. Last week I visited the scene of massacre of beheading indigenous people on Terra del Fuego, Chile, because they were in the way of farming. The murderers were Christian.
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  • Posted by 9 years, 1 month ago in reply to this comment.
    Perhaps, but Iran was not very aggressive until more recent times. I don’t think you directly address to issue I posed, which is do the Muslims hate us because of our culture? I think not.

    Some of this can be addressed by reversing positions and the US faces a nation which has over 900 military bases in more than 140 countries and that nation is constantly making war in the US and tell the US how it should run the country. What would be your recommended response? Something like the French Resistance during WWII? If yes, how does what ISIS is doing differ? Or, were the French wrong in WWII?

    Cato has many well researched papers on the subject, but I think an excellent synthesis is Ron Paul’s very personally written and readable, book “Swords Into Plowshares — A Life in Wartime and a Future of Peace and Prosperity” Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity. It is in a Kindle Edition.
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  • Posted by 9 years, 1 month ago in reply to this comment.
    Terrorism does go way back, but that is not what I am asking. You make several points with which I agree, but (there is always a “but) I don’t think you directly address to issue I posed, which is do the Muslims hate us because of our culture? I think not.

    Some of this can be addressed by reversing positions and the US faces a nation which has over 900 military bases in more than 140 countries and that nation is constantly making war in the US and tell the US how it should run the country. What would be your recommended response? Something like the French Resistance during WWII? If yes, how does what ISIS is doing differ? Or, were the French wrong in WWII?

    Cato has many well researched papers on the subject, but I think an excellent synthesis is Ron Paul’s very personally written and readable, book “Swords Into Plowshares — A Life in Wartime and a Future of Peace and Prosperity” Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity. It is in a Kindle Edition.

    Last week I went to the site of a beheading massacre of indigenous people because they were "in the way" and this was done by Christians on Tierra del Fuego island (Chile) --- and only a few hundred years ago. Religion is not the issue, in my opinion.
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  • Posted by 9 years, 1 month ago in reply to this comment.
    You make several points with which I agree, but (there is always a “but) I don’t think you directly address to issue I posed, which is do the Muslims hate us because of our culture? I think not.

    Some of this can be addressed by reversing positions and the US faces a nation which has over 900 military bases in more than 140 countries and that nation is constantly making war in the US and tell the US how it should run the country. What would be your recommended response? Something like the French Resistance during WWII? If yes, how does what ISIS is doing differ? Or, were the French wrong in WWII?

    Cato has many well researched papers on the subject, but I think an excellent synthesis is Ron Paul’s very personally written and readable, book “Swords Into Plowshares — A Life in Wartime and a Future of Peace and Prosperity” Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity. It is in a Kindle Edition.
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by 9 years, 1 month ago in reply to this comment.
    There were may pirates over the years. You make several points with which I agree, but (there is always a “but) I don’t think you directly address to issue I posed, which is do the Muslims hate us because of our culture? I think not.

    Some of this can be addressed by reversing positions and the US faces a nation which has over 900 military bases in more than 140 countries and that nation is constantly making war in the US and tell the US how it should run the country. What would be your recommended response? Something like the French Resistance during WWII? If yes, how does what ISIS is doing differ? Or, were the French wrong in WWII?

    Cato has many well researched papers on the subject, but I think an excellent synthesis is Ron Paul’s very personally written and readable, book “Swords Into Plowshares — A Life in Wartime and a Future of Peace and Prosperity” Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity. It is in a Kindle Edition.
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by 9 years, 1 month ago in reply to this comment.
    You make several points with which I agree, but (there is always a “but) I don’t think you directly address to issue I posed, which is do the Muslims hate us because of our culture? I think not.

    Some of this can be addressed by reversing positions and the US faces a nation which has over 900 military bases in more than 140 countries and that nation is constantly making war in the US and tell the US how it should run the country. What would be your recommended response? Something like the French Resistance during WWII? If yes, how does what ISIS is doing differ? Or, were the French wrong in WWII?

    Cato has many well researched papers on the subject, but I think an excellent synthesis is Ron Paul’s very personally written and readable, book “Swords Into Plowshares — A Life in Wartime and a Future of Peace and Prosperity” Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity. It is in a Kindle Edition.
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  • Posted by 9 years, 1 month ago in reply to this comment.
    I think it is territorial, more than religion. I agree with you about the fight not being as much religion as we are told it is.
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  • Posted by $ Olduglycarl 9 years, 1 month ago in reply to this comment.
    On who's part? Mankind evolved into a state of conscious awareness...many of us anyway, it's not pretty nor consistent; see spiral dynamics by Ken Wilbur), but we have to accept the fact that a particular culture has not in any way shape or form...so what's wrong with pointing that out.
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  • Posted by mia767ca 9 years, 1 month ago in reply to this comment.
    my war was vietnam...every member of my pilot training class who went was killed...my last commander was a 7 year pow...i flew thru boston two days before 9/11...
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