Arab World Poverty -- Whose Fault?

Capitalism Magazine ^ | 11/18/01 | Larry Elder

[Jean S]

"Muslims love to live in the U.S. but also love to hate it. Many openly claim that the U.S. is a terrorist state but they continue to live in it. Their decision to live here is testimony that they would rather live here than anywhere else. As an Indian Muslim, I know for sure that nowhere on earth, including India, will I get the same sense of dignity and respect that I have received in the U.S."

Arab World Poverty -- Whose Fault?
By Larry Elder (November 18, 2001)

[CAPITALISMMAGAZINE.COM] "I don't have the knowledge to blame a government," said Bakhtiar Khan, an Afghan man in his mid-twenties. "I don't know about politics, but for our problems I blame the world community. All humans should be equal, but we are not. You ask me who is to blame. You find out who is to blame."

Khan, according to a recent New York Times piece on the origins of Islamic extremism, earns a subsistence level income making bricks in a pit outside the city of Peshawar, an Afghan city of 2 million, nearly 50 percent refugees. When asked about his life, he says, "Life is cruel. You can see for yourself. You wear nice clothes and are healthy. But look at us. We have no clothes to wear and we are not healthy. Your question is amazing."

So, who is to blame?

A recent story on Afghan schools described a teacher who holds up a wealth pie chart. America, she shows her students, controls this huge slice of the pie, leaving a tiny sliver for us Afghans. The not-so-subtle point? Afghans suffer poverty because of America's disproportionate wealth.

But no, Khan lacks the "knowledge to blame a government." For, through knowledge, Khan would discover that his poverty stems from corrupt, dictatorial governments, the absence of capitalism and free trade, and the lack of individual rights and the rule of law. But who, in the Arab world, spreads this message?

Dr. Muqtedar Khan, director of International Studies at Adrian College in Michigan, challenges American Muslims to set the masses straight: "While we loudly and consistently condemn Israel for its ill treatment of Palestinians, we are silent when Muslim regimes abuse the rights of Muslims and slaughter thousands of them. Remember Saddam and his use of chemical weapons against Muslims (Kurds)? Remember Pakistani army's excesses against Muslims (Bengalis)? Remember the Mujahideen of Afghanistan and their mutual slaughter? Have we ever condemned them for their excesses? Have we demanded international intervention or retribution against them? Do you know how the Saudis treat their minority Shiis? Have we protested the violation of their rights? But we all are eager to condemn Israel; not because we care for rights and lives of the Palestinians, we don't. We condemn Israel because we hate 'them.'

"Muslims love to live in the U.S. but also love to hate it. Many openly claim that the U.S. is a terrorist state but they continue to live in it. Their decision to live here is testimony that they would rather live here than anywhere else. As an Indian Muslim, I know for sure that nowhere on earth, including India, will I get the same sense of dignity and respect that I have received in the U.S. No Muslim country will treat me as well as the U.S. has. If what happened on Sept. 11 had happened in India, the biggest democracy, thousands of Muslims would have been slaughtered in riots on mere suspicion and there would be another slaughter after confirmation. But in the U.S., bigotry and xenophobia has been kept in check by media and leaders ...

"It is time that we acknowledge that the freedoms we enjoy in the U.S. are more desirable to us than superficial solidarity with the Muslim World. If you disagree, then prove it by packing your bags and going to whichever Muslim country you identify with. If you do not leave and do not acknowledge that you would rather live here than anywhere else, know that you are being hypocritical.

"It is time that we faced these hypocritical practices and struggled to transcend them. It is time that American Muslim leaders fought to purify their own lot."

But only a few weeks ago, Arab leaders condemned Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi for calling Western civilization "superior" because it "guarantees respect for human rights and religion." Harsh criticism forced him to recant his "racist" statement. But if we call Berlusconi's remarks "racist," in what category do we place the statement made by Abdulrahman Awadi, formerly a high-ranking official in Kuwait? When Kuwait learned that Sulaiman abu Ghaith, a Kuwaiti citizen, had become a top lieutenant with Osama bin Laden, Kuwait revoked abu Ghaith's citizenship. Awadi said, "This is a wake-up call that we have to be very careful with freedom. Democracy and freedom of choice may be good for Western cultures, but for the Gulf countries, those are dangerous things. These people are using freedom to achieve their ends."

Who is to blame?

Countries like Saudi Arabia and Egypt suffer double-digit unemployment rates, estimated as high as 25 percent. Grinding poverty and religious zealotry, wrapped around a blanket of government-led scapegoating of Israel, the United States and the West -- all combine to form a dangerous and deadly Third World victicrat mindset. Blame triumphs over enlightenment, and anger defeats reason.

CREATORS SYNDICATE COPYRIGHT 2001 LAURENCE A. ELDER

 

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[johniegrad]

And a bump back to you, Timestax.

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bump, just because it's there!

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[RamsNo1]

Arab world poverty? Doesn't take more than a couple seconds to answer that the muslim sheikhs/dictators are responsible for keeping their own people in the stone age. As they live in their palaces of gold, their own people are starving. SHAME!

[timestax]

Arab world poverty? Doesn't take more than a couple seconds to answer that the muslim sheikhs/dictators are responsible for keeping their own people in the stone age. As they live in their palaces of gold, their own people are starving. SHAME! 245 posted on 3/31/02 8:51 PM Pacific by RamsNo1 [ Post Reply |

AMEN!!!

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bumped for the newbies to get to see and think about!!

[timestax]

believe Islam is to blame. Let's face it, if the Christians of the USA had to live to the standards of the Koran, I think the USA would be in poverty. Drop everything 5 times a day, face Mecca, break out your Prayer Rug, kneel on it and pay, then go home to your 4 wives and 22 kids. How much actual, productive WORK could you do? I'm not knocking another man's religion, but what I am saying is that you can't have it both ways, prosperity and Islam. 249 posted on 4/22/02 1:12 PM Pacific by Moderatz [ Post Reply

DITTO !!!

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[BeAChooser]

Rule of law means the people's elected officials have made the laws, and they can be unmade by the same democratic process.

I think it also means those officials must obey the same laws as the ordinary people. What worries me is that I see signs in our country that both the democRAT and Republican party leadership are willing to turn a blind eye to violations of the law by elected and party officials. Otherwise, why are the Republicans ignoring the many crimes committed by the democRATS the last 9 years?

Market economies work best -- human nature and all that

True, but a disquieting trend is that both parties now seem to support larger and larger government ... which for the most part means more interference with market processes. And larger government demands more taxes and the tax code inherently interferes with market processes too.

Last but not least, free elections, and a free press.

Again, clouds on the horizon. We've seen signs in the last several elections of massive voter fraud (Florida) and election tampering (for example, the infusion of large quantities of illegal foreign money). And anyone who thinks our mainstream press is doing its job of presenting all the facts so we can make responsible decisions and draw valid conclusions, is dreaming. The only bright note is the arrival of the internet and (to some degree) FoxNews.

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[RightOnline]

"I always wonder how the people who write these article reconcile children dying in Iraq with all of Hussein's new palaces."

Now, ya see..................this is the thing....................

In Arab countries that have made their fortunes (due to Westerners discovering, drilling for, pumping, transporting........then buying their oil; there's a message there) from Black Gold, the immense profits generally go into the pockets of a relative few. Do their "leaders" share the wealth? In some cases, yes......in most, no. Do they invest in their fellow Muslim countries? Do they provide them with "foreign aid"? Do they go to s**tholes like Afghanistan and build schools, hospitals, etc.? Nope. So.........who does?

The Great F**king Satan, the US of A............THAT'S who.

The Muslim world should be ashamed of their pathetic selves and should be kissing the collective US ass over the generosity of our citizens. Instead, they wish us dead and kiss the asses of bloodthirsty despots like Saddam Hussein and Arafat.

Which is the screwed-up culture, I ask you????

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