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To: laurav, mrustow, t-shirt, Diago, GKBelloc, tex-oma, arimus, Lizzy W, Demidog, Ligeia, MK, Twodees
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22 posted on 09/24/2001 12:56:19 PM PDT by A.J.Armitage
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To: A.J.Armitage
Thanks for the ping. Good, tight writing, but as you'll see, I have major disagreements with some of your positions. And if these domestic attacks continue, it's going to be next to impossible to protect the Bill of Rights.

I don't think Bush has spoken of the Afghani people as our enemy, as opposed to the Taliban, but your distinction between tyrannical rulers and oppressed subjects won't work. For one thing, according to Bernard Lewis (Islam and the West), Moslems put less stock in national than in religious identity. That means that Afghanis don't necessarily see Saudis and other Taliban as imperialists; Muslims feel closer to foreign Muslims, than they do to fellow citizens of different faiths. Indeed, Lewis insists that Muslims do not share Westerners' notion of national citizenship. They all dwell together "in the House of Islam."

And Islam is an authoritarian religion, which still sanctions slavery. So you don't customarily find Muslims who feel like, "My God, if only we could throw off the yoke of this tyranny!" Their thinking is more like, "My God! How can we be rid of this awful freedom and yoked to some good, old-fashioned tyranny! Give me chains, or give me death!"

Finally, even though many of our Muslim enemies have taken billions in aid money from us, that has not stopped them from praying to Allah for our imminent demise. In that regard, the Arab masses and Arab despots are of one mind: "Death to the Great Satan!"

168 posted on 09/24/2001 11:41:05 PM PDT by mrustow
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To: A.J.Armitage
Well written. Thanks. Now add me to your ping list, please! :-)
376 posted on 12/12/2001 9:47:43 PM PST by dcwusmc
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