Eight Out of 10 Arabs . . .
rosskolnikov
location: Far end of the Group W bench
listening to: The Tony Rice Unit
registered: 2005.05.24
posts: 1822
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http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080414/wl_nm/usa_arabs_poll_dcNo surprise there, but the flip side of the story not told in the article is that I'll be something like Seven-to-Eight out of 10 Americans have an unfavorable view of Arab countries. How to bridge that gap?If we were to modify our behavior toward them, would they modify theirs toward us? Or would they continue down the the destructive road of fundamentalist Islam?If we allow them to visit our country and for their women to wear the veil, do they respond in kind? (Well, yes, except in Saudi Arabia . . .)If we respect freedom of religion (for the most part) when they migrate to the US, will they allow us to practice Christianity, or the Bahai Faith, or for their own people to convert if so desired? (That would be a no.)Has the Iraq occupation done so much damage to the relationship that it will take generations to build any kind of cross-society trust again? (I think so.)Should the gap be bridged or should an all-out cultural war be declared on Islam? (I know, maybe Bush already has). Can that even work? Is it counter-productive to the goal of taming militancy? Does isolationism and total withdrawal make any sense? Or would it make things worse?In an ideal world you don't intervene, but what about Kosovo, Sudan, Zimbabwe? Afghanistan? Is the intervention the problem or is it the incompetence of the intervention?Funny thing is, looking at those sorts of questions, one can see how Pat and Dale get to where they are, and one can see who Ed (to pick a polar opposite) gets to where he is.
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.:RS:.
.:RS:.
R
rosskolnikov
(view)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080414/wl_nm/usa_arabs_poll_dcNo surprise there, but the flip side of the story not told in the article is that I'll be something like Seven-to-Eight out of 10 Americans have an unfavorable view of Arab countries. How to bridge that gap?If we were to modify our behavior toward them, would they modify theirs toward us? Or would they continue down the the destructive road of fundamentalist Islam?If we allow them to visit our country and for their women to wear the veil, do they respond in kind? (Well, yes, except in Saudi Arabia . . .)If we respect freedom of religion (for the most part) when they migrate to the US, will they allow us to practice Christianity, or the Bahai Faith, or for their own people to convert if so desired? (That would be a no.)Has the Iraq occupation done so much damage to the relationship that it will take generations to build any kind of cross-society trust again? (I think so.)Should the gap be bridged or should an all-out cultural war be declared on Islam? (I know, maybe Bush already has). Can that even work? Is it counter-productive to the goal of taming militancy? Does isolationism and total withdrawal make any sense? Or would it make things worse?In an ideal world you don't intervene, but what about Kosovo, Sudan, Zimbabwe? Afghanistan? Is the intervention the problem or is it the incompetence of the intervention?Funny thing is, looking at those sorts of questions, one can see how Pat and Dale get to where they are, and one can see who Ed (to pick a polar opposite) gets to where he is.
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.:RS:.
.:RS:.
