I like this guys writings
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In contrast, there is no demonizing of Jews in Islam which in fact honours them as ‘people of the Book’. That's simply untrue. Unless by "honour" you mean "differentialy tax and treat as second class citizen", oh, and murder at the behest of Mohammed. Dhimmitude is not honourable. The history of european anti sematism is disgusting, but that is no reason to whitewash Arab history. You won’t find much of it in the American media when it comes to Israel. Try pointing out Israeli atrocities in the occupied Palestinian territories and you’ll attract strange glances and be hounded or ostracized if you are in the media or the exalted world of academe. Erm, bullshit. There's plenty. American media isn't just Fox News. It's especialy not true in american acedemia. You won't find may holocaust deniers, granted, but thats because its a fringe view outside of the arab world. The American media didn’t distinguish itself for any conspicuous freedom of alternate opinion when the Bush administration was priming its guns for the invasion of Iraq. Erm, bullshit. There was plenty. American media isn't just Fox News. He also misses the fact the satanic cartoons were publised in arab media in september last year, without incident. People were told that they should be angry, and followed suit. You are being manipulated, and not by the US or Israel. Ryan
O fools, awake! The rites you sacred hold Are but a cheat contrived by men of old, Who lusted after wealth and gained their lust And died in baseness—and their law is dust. al-Ma'arri (973-1057)
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Ah, the sweet voice of muslim moderation! :rolleyes: America has only itself to blame for Islamic lunatics attacking it. I mean, who can blame the lunatics? Certainly not Mr. Ayaz Amir. the world of Islam is in a fix. It has a fair idea of what ails it. But it doesn’t know what to do. Sure it does - blame everybody but itself, shrug and look away. "You get that which you tolerate" -- modified at 12:43 Sunday 12th February, 2006
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The Americans should never press their luck with democracy in the Muslim world because if democracy arrives — something on which I am not betting — American influence will go out He is so true. Only thing in the article I agree with.
Member in good standing - the great cult of Firefox at CP -- modified at 17:10 Sunday 12th February, 2006
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I don't. First, the issue of freedom of speech: lots of people seem to get this wrong. Someone really needs to write an article about what freedom of speech is and isn't because people seem to throw around the phrase "freedom of speech" and pretend that it means all kinds of crazy things that it doesn't. This issue has come up a number of times in this whole Muslim cartoon debacle. Freedom of speech means simply that the government is not going to use its power to throw you in jail or shut down publishers who advocate your views. Some societies have placed some limits on freedom of speech - such as shouting "fire" in a crowded theater, laws against libel, laws against hate speech, laws against speech advocating violence, laws against Nazism. One can see the logic of the first few laws. The latter few laws make sense in places where society is concerned about a replay (even on a small scale) of past horrific events. DOUBLE standards? Of course. Whatever western countries may say about freedom of speech, such a thing as unlimited freedom of speech exists nowhere in the world. Now, of course, the author is going to conflate Western limits on freedom of speech with much expanded versions of those limits. You won’t find much of it in the American media when it comes to Israel. Try pointing out Israeli atrocities in the occupied Palestinian territories and you’ll attract strange glances and be hounded or ostracized if you are in the media or the exalted world of academe. Remember that definition of "freedom of speech"? It says the government isn't going to crack down on you. Guess what? The US will NOT crack down on you if you criticize Israli policies. Yes, among some conservative american groups you might "attract strange glances and be hounded or ostracized". But, guess what? Freedom of speech does not say, "you will be free from strange glances, being hounded, or ostracized". It says the government is not going to put you in prison or shut down a publisher who prints your views. In fact, it's trivial to find US professors or US media outlets who criticize Israeli policies. (Ever heard of Noam Chomsky[^]? He's an MIT professsor, critic of Israeli and US policies, he's NOT in jail, and he continues to get interviews from the media. How about the TV program
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I don't. First, the issue of freedom of speech: lots of people seem to get this wrong. Someone really needs to write an article about what freedom of speech is and isn't because people seem to throw around the phrase "freedom of speech" and pretend that it means all kinds of crazy things that it doesn't. This issue has come up a number of times in this whole Muslim cartoon debacle. Freedom of speech means simply that the government is not going to use its power to throw you in jail or shut down publishers who advocate your views. Some societies have placed some limits on freedom of speech - such as shouting "fire" in a crowded theater, laws against libel, laws against hate speech, laws against speech advocating violence, laws against Nazism. One can see the logic of the first few laws. The latter few laws make sense in places where society is concerned about a replay (even on a small scale) of past horrific events. DOUBLE standards? Of course. Whatever western countries may say about freedom of speech, such a thing as unlimited freedom of speech exists nowhere in the world. Now, of course, the author is going to conflate Western limits on freedom of speech with much expanded versions of those limits. You won’t find much of it in the American media when it comes to Israel. Try pointing out Israeli atrocities in the occupied Palestinian territories and you’ll attract strange glances and be hounded or ostracized if you are in the media or the exalted world of academe. Remember that definition of "freedom of speech"? It says the government isn't going to crack down on you. Guess what? The US will NOT crack down on you if you criticize Israli policies. Yes, among some conservative american groups you might "attract strange glances and be hounded or ostracized". But, guess what? Freedom of speech does not say, "you will be free from strange glances, being hounded, or ostracized". It says the government is not going to put you in prison or shut down a publisher who prints your views. In fact, it's trivial to find US professors or US media outlets who criticize Israeli policies. (Ever heard of Noam Chomsky[^]? He's an MIT professsor, critic of Israeli and US policies, he's NOT in jail, and he continues to get interviews from the media. How about the TV program
After that I can hear a fat lady singing. Very, very well put sir. Gets my 5 Rhys Someday, when freedom is gone, and all we've got is the right to whisper our thoughts to those closest to us, our children will look back and ask, why did we think we had the luxury to quibble? Lawrence Lessig In the 60s, people took acid to make the world weird. Now the world is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal Unknown Fox hunting is the unspeakable in full pursuit of the uneatable Oscar Wilde
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I don't. First, the issue of freedom of speech: lots of people seem to get this wrong. Someone really needs to write an article about what freedom of speech is and isn't because people seem to throw around the phrase "freedom of speech" and pretend that it means all kinds of crazy things that it doesn't. This issue has come up a number of times in this whole Muslim cartoon debacle. Freedom of speech means simply that the government is not going to use its power to throw you in jail or shut down publishers who advocate your views. Some societies have placed some limits on freedom of speech - such as shouting "fire" in a crowded theater, laws against libel, laws against hate speech, laws against speech advocating violence, laws against Nazism. One can see the logic of the first few laws. The latter few laws make sense in places where society is concerned about a replay (even on a small scale) of past horrific events. DOUBLE standards? Of course. Whatever western countries may say about freedom of speech, such a thing as unlimited freedom of speech exists nowhere in the world. Now, of course, the author is going to conflate Western limits on freedom of speech with much expanded versions of those limits. You won’t find much of it in the American media when it comes to Israel. Try pointing out Israeli atrocities in the occupied Palestinian territories and you’ll attract strange glances and be hounded or ostracized if you are in the media or the exalted world of academe. Remember that definition of "freedom of speech"? It says the government isn't going to crack down on you. Guess what? The US will NOT crack down on you if you criticize Israli policies. Yes, among some conservative american groups you might "attract strange glances and be hounded or ostracized". But, guess what? Freedom of speech does not say, "you will be free from strange glances, being hounded, or ostracized". It says the government is not going to put you in prison or shut down a publisher who prints your views. In fact, it's trivial to find US professors or US media outlets who criticize Israeli policies. (Ever heard of Noam Chomsky[^]? He's an MIT professsor, critic of Israeli and US policies, he's NOT in jail, and he continues to get interviews from the media. How about the TV program
Spot on :) Ryan
O fools, awake! The rites you sacred hold Are but a cheat contrived by men of old, Who lusted after wealth and gained their lust And died in baseness—and their law is dust. al-Ma'arri (973-1057)