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Technology: Fueling Hatred and Misunderstanding
Red Leader. writes "This Thomas Friedman op-ed entitled "Global Village Idiocy" and this article by George Packer, entitled "When Here Sees There," both touch on some interesting observations regarding technology's impact on tolerance and understanding. My favourite quote from Friedman's piece is "the Internet, at its ugliest, is just an open sewer: an electronic conduit for untreated, unfiltered information."" We've previously posted the Packer piece, but combined with other story, I think it's worth a retread.
We have to do something, otherwise the Christians or Jewish will kill us.
I'm a deist. With few exceptions, I categorically deny the validity of organized religions. However the above quote from the first article is one that even the most hardcore tolerance nazi needs to take a good look at. Islam's interaction with other religions has always been with its followers holding a sword to the followers of the other religion's necks. It should surprise no one if anyone from another religion feels hatred toward Islam. I have no religion (deism being almost an anti-religion) and I despise this filthy religion.
Of course I'm going to get modded down for "being a racist" or "being flamebait" because God forbid someone should say that a particular religion is inferior to other religions and that it should be excluded from the global debate on how to make the world a better place because it has a truly horrific history. Islam cannot as a whole come to the table and try to make suggestions on how to make the world more peaceful and free. Individual muslims can, but not the religion itself. It has no history of being able to coexist with other religions when it didn't have a military advantage they didn't. The internet isn't going to undo so many centuries of hate for non-Islamic religions and societies.
Other religions like Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Wicca and probably a lot more allow for secular coexistance and equal rights. They allow for freedom and tolerance. They make it easy to believe and yet be a rational human being. Islam does none of those things. All of the virtues we embrace, Islam does not. When we say tolerance, we mean accepting as equals and allowing for equal rights and the right to be left alone. Islamic tolerance is the strictest intepretation of the word, it "tolerates" your not being a muslim, but there is a price in the form of less rights and a special tax (not to mention social stigma and persecution).
Let's be honest, Christianity and Judaism haven't been as bad to us as many seem to think. When people insult Christianity and Judaism and proudly declare themselves to hate Christianity or Judaism, you don't see conservative Christians and Jews lining up to strap C4 to their bodies and suicide bomb their "enemies." They may shake their fists in anger, but they don't kill you for insulting or denegrating their religion. Now, get outside the West and do that in Saudi Arabia. I dare you, go to Mecca and yell "Fuck Muhammad!" and then yell either "Jesus Christ is the only Begotten Son of God and He died for your sins." or yell "There is no God you idiots!" Before you die, try to take a bet on where the AK-47 rounds are flying from that kill you.
other people. I can see that Bill O'Rielly might upset some people.
But they should understand that some others really do feel like that.
If this journalist thinks the USA is represented by the NYT, then
she's seriously misleading herself.
The world may not be as nice
a place as political correctness would have you believe. But then,
it is not. Get over it, and work at overcoming differences if thats
your thing. Nothing
worse than not addressing something that could be addressed because
you think it doesn't need to be. Wasted opportunity.
If nothing
else, information helps you know your opponent. This is always a
good thing. So is a critical mind, unnumbed by state-controlled
or editorially sanitized press.
You are woefully ignorant, and I suggest you read a little history. Christians have shed more blood in God's name than ANY other religeon, ever.
There was no ENRON deal, unless you talk about Clinton and his cronies taking money and getting them some loan deals (that they have defaulted on now). Clinton's sexual history was news because he lied under oath. But that only showed how democrats are corupt to the core (look at the results of the impeachment trial). The war on terrorism is a US war, not Bush's. With 10 years in the Navy, I was just as much at risk as the current people. Maybe you can look at the book Bias. It is a good review of the state of current american journalism.
Have you really heard a good counter point on the networks for drilling in ANWR, against 1.5 million abortions a year, telling the truth about AIDS on the decline since 1992 (and the fact that it gets more funding that heart and cancer research)?
What a country we could be if people would use the brain for thinking instead of the Knee jerk emotional reaction that the left loves.
What OS do you want to abuse today?
No, no no..
Those morons dont even know how to use a telephone, let alone the information superhighway - all they do is make bombs and blow up anyone who disagrees with them...
Yes - this is flamebait
Yes - my nick gives it away
But, do you remember a certain author named Salmon Rushdie ?
Niggers.
Actually, no. The first "disrespecting"
was done by the Palestinians, who in the
1870's through 1920's had a habit of going
to the Al Aqsa mosque yard, looking at
the Jews who were down below at the Western
Wall, and pelting them with garbage. However,
that is largely irrelevant. The Mideast mess
wasn't caused by "disrespect." It was caused
by the massacres incited by Haj Amin Al Husseini
in 1929.