Islam Isn't a Peril

[moda0306]

One could argue that there are other instances of Islamic extremism much more tied to wanting to expand their influence, or in extreme intolerance of general Western values (like free speech (French incident)), and that the Israel/US-military-base is just a rationalization/excuse for  behavior they would engage in anyway because they're showing themselves to be crazed murderers for areas more consistent with hatred of our values than just simply not wanting us meddling in their political affairs in nefarious ways.

I don't believe that, really, but I don't have a super-well-poised argument against it.  Sure, there would perhaps still be ISIS if we didn't prop up Israel and have bases in Saudi Arabia, but instinctually, I doubt 9/11 would have happened.

[dualstow]

I'm starting to realize that I'm something of an Islamophobe, but there's really nothing geopolitical about it and I agree with many of the author's points.

[Reub]

Bloodbath at museum in Tunisia:

http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/19/africa/tu ... index.html

23 more dead.

[MachineGhost]

I'm starting to realize that I'm something of an Islamophobe, but there's really nothing geopolitical about it and I agree with many of the author's points.

How can you be an Islamophobe about a religion of peace?!!

[Reub]

Why can't we all be like Obama and realize that all religions have a few bad eggs amongst them. Right WiseOne?

[dualstow]

I'm starting to realize that I'm something of an Islamophobe, but there's really nothing geopolitical about it and I agree with many of the author's points.

How can you be an Islamophobe about a religion of peace?!!

Must be a choline deficiency. 

[moda0306]

Islam sucks.

I'll see your Islam and raise you "religions that have a nasty habit of rationalizing the killing of non-believers."

[Pointedstick]

Islam sucks.

I'll see your Islam and raise you "religions that have a nasty habit of rationalizing the killing of non-believers."

I'll see your that and raise you "…and Islam is the major one that's doing it most right now."

[MachineGhost]

Islam must die.

[moda0306]

Islam sucks.

I'll see your Islam and raise you "religions that have a nasty habit of rationalizing the killing of non-believers."

I'll see your that and raise you "…and Islam is the major one that's doing it most right now."

And because blacks are doing the most murdering today in the U.S., do "blacks suck," or do "murderers suck?"  Since rich Republicans are doing the most to combat global warming legislation, and exploiting our natural resources and environment the most, do "rich republicans suck," or do "polluters suck" or is it simply more complex than that?

Do men suck, or do rapists suck?

Do whites suck, or do cops suck, or do white cops suck, or is it simply that racist, abusive, irresponsible, pig-headed cops suck?

Do women suck, or do faminazis suck?

Do kids suck, or do spoiled brats and violent kids suck?

Does gen Y suck, or do the boomers suck, or do people who make irresponsible personal decisions that are a burden on society suck?

Do the poor suck, or do irresponsible welfare queens suck?

Do Russians suck, or does Putin and his nationalist advocates suck?

Do North Koreans suck, or does the tragedy of a manipulated, controlled population by a dictator suck?

Do Republicans suck, or does the 1/4 of them that think Obama is a Muslim Atheist Kenyan Indonesian Socialist Corporatist suck?

Do gun-advocates suck, or do irresponsible rednecks suck?

Do Christians suck, or do Bible-thumping tribalist war-mongers sending our kids to war suck?

Does Reagan suck, or does an Alzheimer's-affected actor in the office of president getting duped into thinking murderous activities in South America are morally ok suck (ok that was a long one) ?

Do stocks suck, or does an un-diversified stock-only portfolio suck?

Do statistics suck, or does positioning them in ways to manipulate people into incorrect conclusions suck?

Does this board suck, or do bad arguments and fallacy of composition suck?

[moda0306]

Islam must die.

So what you're essentially asking is that over 1 billion people convert to some other religion, atheism, or agnosticism.

And I wish everyone would just put their guns down and arbitrate their disputes... wait... I think I feel the ghost of Kshartle controlling my typing hands.

Not happening.

Now what?

[moda0306]

Moda sucks too. 

We all suck.

Why am I reminded of this scene...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yC7HwPh6Es

[Pointedstick]

And because blacks are doing the most murdering today in the U.S., do "blacks suck," or do "murderers suck?"  Since rich Republicans are doing the most to combat global warming legislation, and exploiting our natural resources and environment the most, do "rich republicans suck," or do "polluters suck" or is it simply more complex than that?

Here we see the characteristic liberal inability to accept generalizations. The liberal is correct that not every member of the generalized group fits the description, but focuses on this so much that he fails to grasp why the generalization has come to exist in the first place--because it is largely a correct description of a collective. The liberal sees collectives as large numbers of atomized individuals to whom it is unfair to ascribe group labels or stereotypes, and while he is correct in this respect, it looks silly to people who have no difficulty making generalizations that are largely correct for the purposes of formulating non-individual responses to non-individual problems.

It's all a fascinating exploration of the constantly-misunderstood truth that conservatives are actually far more collectivist than liberals are.

[moda0306]

PS,

I don't mind generalizing for the right purposes.  If it serves the utilitarian purposes of a conversation, more power to it.  But still use numbers and facts.  I mean, why not?  Usually, "generalizations" that try to skip over facts, figures and analysis are simply tools to appeal to the tribalist tendencies of people who dislike the group being generalized.  Which isn't so horrible, until we're engaging in a never-ending war in the lands we made generalizations about as a result of the nationalist fervor that was rattled.

[Mountaineer]

Moda sucks too. 

We all suck.

Are you trying to kc us?  I thought liberal statists moved forward, progressively.  Move on Dude! 

... Mountaineer

[MachineGhost]

It must suck to suck.

[Libertarian666]

I'll see your Islam and raise you "religions that have a nasty habit of rationalizing the killing of non-believers."

I'll see your that and raise you "…and Islam is the major one that's doing it most right now."

And because blacks are doing the most murdering today in the U.S., do "blacks suck," or do "murderers suck?"  Since rich Republicans are doing the most to combat global warming legislation, and exploiting our natural resources and environment the most, do "rich republicans suck," or do "polluters suck" or is it simply more complex than that?

Do men suck, or do rapists suck?

Do whites suck, or do cops suck, or do white cops suck, or is it simply that racist, abusive, irresponsible, pig-headed cops suck?

Do women suck, or do faminazis suck?

Do kids suck, or do spoiled brats and violent kids suck?

Does gen Y suck, or do the boomers suck, or do people who make irresponsible personal decisions that are a burden on society suck?

Do the poor suck, or do irresponsible welfare queens suck?

Do Russians suck, or does Putin and his nationalist advocates suck?

Do North Koreans suck, or does the tragedy of a manipulated, controlled population by a dictator suck?

Do Republicans suck, or does the 1/4 of them that think Obama is a Muslim Atheist Kenyan Indonesian Socialist Corporatist suck?

Do gun-advocates suck, or do irresponsible rednecks suck?

Do Christians suck, or do Bible-thumping tribalist war-mongers sending our kids to war suck?

Does Reagan suck, or does an Alzheimer's-affected actor in the office of president getting duped into thinking murderous activities in South America are morally ok suck (ok that was a long one) ?

Do stocks suck, or does an un-diversified stock-only portfolio suck?

Do statistics suck, or does positioning them in ways to manipulate people into incorrect conclusions suck?

Does this board suck, or do bad arguments and fallacy of composition suck?

+1.000000003 (precision in excess of accuracy sucks)

[moda0306]

tech,

I was waiting for one of the board's true individualists to back me up.

And that precision/accuracy/suckiness analysis is awesome.


BTW, Spring sucks.

[MachineGhost]

+1.000000003 (precision in excess of accuracy sucks)

I'll do you one better, sucka!

+1.31415926535897932384626433832795028841971693993751058209749445923078164062862089986280348
25342117067982148086513282306647093844609550582231725359408128481117450284102701938521105559
64462294895493038196442881097566593344612847564823378678316527120190914564856692346034861045
43266482133936072602491412737245870066063155881748815209209628292540917153643678925903600113
30530548820466521384146951941511609

[Libertarian666]

+1.000000003 (precision in excess of accuracy sucks)

I'll do you one better, sucka!

+1.31415926535897932384626433832795028841971693993751058209749445923078164062862089986280348
25342117067982148086513282306647093844609550582231725359408128481117450284102701938521105559
64462294895493038196442881097566593344612847564823378678316527120190914564856692346034861045
43266482133936072602491412737245870066063155881748815209209628292540917153643678925903600113
30530548820466521384146951941511609

No, that is not an example of precision in excess of accuracy. In the case of fundamental mathematical constants, precision and accuracy are exactly the same.

[Libertarian666]

tech,

I was waiting for one of the board's true individualists to back me up.

And that precision/accuracy/suckiness analysis is awesome.


BTW, Spring sucks.

Thank you. I appreciate the compliment from a logical thinker, even one with whom I often disagree.

[MachineGhost]

+1.000000003 (precision in excess of accuracy sucks)

I'll do you one better, sucka!

+1.31415926535897932384626433832795028841971693993751058209749445923078164062862089986280348
25342117067982148086513282306647093844609550582231725359408128481117450284102701938521105559
64462294895493038196442881097566593344612847564823378678316527120190914564856692346034861045
43266482133936072602491412737245870066063155881748815209209628292540917153643678925903600113
30530548820466521384146951941511609

No, that is not an example of precision in excess of accuracy. In the case of fundamental mathematical constants, precision and accuracy are exactly the same.

Whoops, my bad!!!

+1.00000000314159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510582097494459230781640628620899
86280348253421170679821480865132823066470938446095505822317253594081284811174502841027019385
21105559644622948954930381964428810975665933446128475648233786783165271201909145648566923460
34861045432664821339360726024914127372458700660631558817488152092096282925409171536436789259
0360011330530548820466521384146951941511609

[moda0306]

Dammit MG!!!  You broke the thread width.

Mods, get your banning fingers ready.

MG Sucks.

This thread sucks.

Not knowing how to post in ways that are reader-friendly sucks. (trust me... I know)

[moda0306]

PS,

I really do love your theory about conservatives/liberals and collectivism/individualism.  While I still think people bounce back and forth in their arguments to be convenient to the conclusion that they've already decided, I think if I'd have to lean any direction, it would be yours in a heartbeat.  Especially as I see liberals championing the causes of further and further fringe groups, like men who think they are women wanting to play women's basketball. (Facepalm emoticon)

Trannies suck.

[MachineGhost]

It does suck to suck.