[Grovenet] Fear and Truth

[Meredith Bliss]

Hmmm, "... latter stages of the Vietnam war ... radicals ... " you must mean 
those bastions of democracy Richard, bring on the bombs, Nixon and John 
Mitchell (who also made history as the first attorney general to be convicted 
and sent to prison), right? And as for the current occupants, it seems we are 
rapidly sliding towards a theocracy where the "religious" right even has veto 
power over Supreme Court nominations.

On Saturday 16 September 2006 10:49, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:
> Turkey has always been considered moderate, but look at the hoopla over the
> Pope's statements there!
>
> I doubt if there's a single Muslim state that isn't dominated by radicals,
> just as the US was dominated (briefly) during the latter stages of the
> Vietnam war by demonstrators and radicals demanding our government bend to
> their wishes. Only in a theocracy they have a lot more power.
>
> Islam provides an answer. Islam says that one teaches by example. That's
> how Islam recruits new members: by example not by coercion or by offering
> bribes in the form of "salvation" or any other payback for converting.
>
> So we in the USA teach by example. We have, for half a century or more,
> taught that the way to get along in the world is to undermine other
> countries. Infiltrate their governments and control their leaders. When
> that doesn't work terrorize the people with bombs and assassination. When
> that doesn't work, invade and conquer the people and take what we want.
>
> That's been the USA's example for the Muslim people in the middle east.
>
> It seems to me they've learned well.
>
> Ron D'Eau Claire
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com [mailto:grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com] On
> Behalf Of David Morelli
> Sent: Friday, September 15, 2006 9:07 PM
> To: Forest Grove local interests list
> Subject: Re: [Grovenet] Fear and Truth
>
> On Sep 15, 2006, at 1:27 PM, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:
> > Good question, but what should the moderates do, demonstrate??
>
> There are a number of secular states in the world that we call
> "Muslim".  Some are reasonably democratic, others autocratic, and
> others dictatorial.  We removed one of the dictatorial secular states
> and replaced it with one that is going theocratic at an alarming
> pace.  Israel blew away the Southern part of one that was going
> democratic.
>
> It would be nice if moderates were allowed to form stable secular
> governments.  And that the citizens of other nations were given some
> option besides a totalitarian religious state or living under some
> war lord.  I strongly suspect that the presence of a strong and
> lively middle class, merchant class is the roots of democracy.  And
> that is not fostered by either Communism or International Capitalism.
>
> David
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-- 
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Just happy to be here, but speaking 
only for myself!
Meredith Bliss --- www.rdrop.com/~mbliss
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