AP caption: “An unidentified Kenyan woman demonstrates in Nairobi, Kenya Friday Feb. 10, 2006.”
That unidentified woman appears to be in the process of denying the axiom of identity. 
That unidentified woman appears to be in the process of denying the axiom of identity.
The axiom of identity is a Western instrument of oppression! Didn’tcha know?
The axiom of identity is a Western instrument of oppression! Didn’tcha know?
Voltaire had these people figured out 2 centuries before we encountered them. This woman is actually living up to the quote by the French Liberal Philosopher of the enlightment that I have as part of my signature. (Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities). So we see the absurdity here, and we see the resulting atrocities of embassies being burnt, why isn’t everyone putting together the fact that Islamicism is the culprit? Answer, altruism is itself an absurdity that results in the atrocity of inaction in the sight of destruction.
Someone finally gets it!
Italian minister puts Mohammad cartoon on T-shirts
(Please excuse the slant … it’s Reuters)
“We have to put an end to this story that we can talk to these people. They only want to humiliate people. Full stop. And what are we becoming? The civilization of melted butter?” Calderoli said.
! ! ! B R A V I S S I M O ! ! !
Someone finally gets it!
Hooray! I wish we had political leaders like Calderoli in the United States. The proper response to the crazed Islamic mobs in the Middle East is to show our contempt for their silly religious notions. As a demonstration of their courage, patriotic Americans should start wearing T-shirts, hats and thongs with the Mohammad cartoon on them. Better yet, our troops in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, etc. should have the Mohammad cartoon proudly displayed on their uniforms.
The only way we’re going to win the war against the Arabs is to show we don’t give a damn about Islam or anything else they worship.
As Alex Epstein of the Ayn Rand Institute wrote, “The proper response to Islamists and their supporters is to identify them as our ideological and political enemies–and dispense justice accordingly. In the case of our militant enemies, we must kill or demoralize them–especially those regimes that support terrorism and fuel the Islamist movement; as for the rest, we must politically ignore them and intellectually discredit them, while proudly arguing for the superiority of Americanism.” http://www.aynrand.org/site/News2?page=New…ws_iv_ctrl=1021
The more they see how much we dislike their ridiculous Prophet, the more demoralized they’ll become, and the sooner they’ll give up fighting us.
Someone finally gets it!
Italian minister puts Mohammad cartoon on T-shirts
(Please excuse the slant … it’s Reuters)
! ! ! B R A V I S S I M O ! ! !
I may move to Italy now. B)
Never under-estimate the power of commercialized ridicule. :stuart:
Better yet, our troops in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, etc. should have the Mohammad cartoon proudly displayed on their uniforms.
Umm. NO. The military uniform is NOT a proper place for a joke. Nor would it have any effect on the moral of the extremist terrorists. In fact…it would probably put our soldiers at more of a risk. It would actually help the terrorist cause and recruiting.
The only way we’re going to win the war against the Arabs is to show we don’t give a damn about Islam or anything else they worship.
I seem to think that that’s what’s caused wars throughout history (in one form or another). Somehow, I don’t see it as the ‘key’ to winning. Personally, I think the key to winning the “war” is to convince the few rational facultied people over there that the only way to get US out of there is for them to get their compatriots to stop bombing their own people in an attempt to kill us. It is the responsibility of the the country’s people to take control for themselves. So far, very little of them have shown that initiative or understanding (there are some, and I do enjoy reading the articles and stories where the people have turned in terrorists, because they’re sick of it…and they SHOULD be.)
The more they see how much we dislike their ridiculous Prophet, the more demoralized they’ll become, and the sooner they’ll give up fighting us.
Again, they already know that…trust me it hasn’t helped. Funny that since this has happened there have been MORE terrorist attacks, and recruiting for the terrorists has gone up. Still, WE struggle to get anybody in uniform over here. Somewhat ironic, I think.
And one of the funny points about EXTREMISM is that those folk believe in their cause/hate so purely that they will not give up until they, or we, are dead (I’d, personally, prefer them). They will not “give up” fighting us. That suggests rational faculty on their part…and you’d give them too much credit at that.
Umm. NO. The military uniform is NOT a proper place for a joke. Nor would it have any effect on the moral of the extremist terrorists. In fact…it would probably put our soldiers at more of a risk. It would actually help the terrorist cause and recruiting.
If that is the way you feel, then wouldn’t it make sense for you to discourage all cartoons of the Prophet --including those promoted by the Italian minister? And if the Italian minister is helping “the terrorist cause and recruiting,” maybe our Dept. of Defense should look into it.
As for me, I agree with ARI’s Alex Epstein who favors demoralizing our enemies. Currently our fiercest and most visible enemies are in Iraq. And the Americans who are closest to them are our soldiers. Showing Muhammad as a terrorist is not a joke. It is reality. And showing his true nature to our enemies and to the populations that support them is bound to have a demoralizing effect. And if a cartoon on a soldier’s helmut makes someone angry enough to pick up a rifle or a bomb, I say bring 'em on. Those guys need to be exterminated anyway.
Hooray for Italy!
If that is the way you feel, then wouldn’t it make sense for you to discourage all cartoons of the Prophet --including those promoted by the Italian minister? And if the Italian minister is helping “the terrorist cause and recruiting,” maybe our Dept. of Defense should look into it.
Perhaps they should, that doesn’t change the fact that it is an innappropriate item to put on military clothing. If we do that, then we can put WHATEVER we want on our uniforms. (In which case, mine would be covered in “Calvin and Hobbes.”) If civilians CHOOSE (key word here) to wear such an item, that is up to them. One should not be FORCED to wear a political cartoon. That would oppression (of the strangest kind).
As for me, I agree with ARI’s Alex Epstein who favors demoralizing our enemies. Currently our fiercest and most visible enemies are in Iraq. And the Americans who are closest to them are our soldiers. Showing Muhammad as a terrorist is not a joke. It is reality. And showing his true nature to our enemies and to the populations that support them is bound to have a demoralizing effect. And if a cartoon on a soldier’s helmut makes someone angry enough to pick up a rifle or a bomb, I say bring 'em on. Those guys need to be exterminated anyway.
I agree with demoralizing them. However moving the ENTIRE Islamic culture to the extremist side only gives THEM more ammo. The terrorists would be MORE demoralized if they realized they DID NOT have the support of their fellow country-men. Thus such “insults” only give them more fuel for their hate, and possibly give them more people to join their cause, all over a subjective view of a “character” in a religion. I will agree that the terrorists need to be exterminated, though, I rather not see our soldiers, my friends, and co-workers, killed or hurt in the process.
What is the arguement here, that all muslims are evil and therefore must be humiliated by democratic representitives, even those they may have voted for?
Perhaps they should, that doesn’t change the fact that it is an innappropriate item to put on military clothing. If we do that, then we can put WHATEVER we want on our uniforms. (In which case, mine would be covered in “Calvin and Hobbes.”) If civilians CHOOSE (key word here) to wear such an item, that is up to them. One should not be FORCED to wear a political cartoon. That would oppression (of the strangest kind).
If you know of a Calvin and Hobbes cartoon that is demoralizing to Muslims, then I would all in favor of placing it on the uniforms of our troops in Iraq. I also agree that no soldier should be forced to wear a uniform he didn’t like – just as no soldier should be forced to salute an officer, march in formation or make up his bunk in the morning. Those who don’t like serving should be kicked out and shipped home pronto.
I agree with demoralizing them. However moving the ENTIRE Islamic culture to the extremist side only gives THEM more ammo.
If anybody is going to get upset over a silly little cartoon, then they are already extremist. As far as I’m concerned, any dope that prays to Allah is a nut job of the most extreme variety. But to start rioting over a few lines scribbed in a paper takes the cake. All those guys yelling their heads off in the streets – that’s your enemy right there, Jack. Lock and load.
What is the arguement here, that all muslims are evil and therefore must be humiliated by democratic representitives, even those they may have voted for?
No, I think it is that all (true) Muslims are evil and they should be combatted by whatever means is necessary. That might include polite public criticism, ridicule, shooting… really, it depends. The people who engage in the mockery should not be limited to Democratic representatives, but can include also Republican senators, presidents, judges, teachers, grocery store clerks, computer programmers and anyone else with a desire to do so. An exception could be made for military mockery: it would be reasonable, given the nature of the job they are supposed to be doing, to require them to do whatever destroys the enemy. That would not be an appropriate obligatory requirement for non-military government personel, but still a good idea.
A few days ago, some Iranian group was sponsoring a contest that would have cartoons of Jews, the Holocast, and other themes that might offend Israelis. A news-story today talks of an Israel-based company that is havinga similar contest, to demonstrate that they can “laugh at themselves”.
If you know of a Calvin and Hobbes cartoon that is demoralizing to Muslims, then I would all in favor of placing it on the uniforms of our troops in Iraq. I also agree that no soldier should be forced to wear a uniform he didn’t like – just as no soldier should be forced to salute an officer, march in formation or make up his bunk in the morning. Those who don’t like serving should be kicked out and shipped home pronto.
You twisted and misinterpretted my words. The military uniform (as I wear it.) is set to represent all the folks who wear it. All soldiers salute officers because of their achievements and responsibilities. We march in formation because it shows uniformity and discipline. The same with our bunks. None of those will insult or offend a said soldier (or shouldn’t, by any means). There are MANY muslims who serve in our American Army who follow (more or less) the same rules as the rest of the muslims. They serve this country just as proudly as the rest of us (regardless of their flaws) and we don’t need to insult THEM by putting a stupid cartoon on a MILITARY uniform. But moreso, as I said before, it would serve no purpose other than to add fuel (not demoralize) the enemy’s motivation. But, if you’d like, please feel free to go over there with that T-shirt on.
If anybody is going to get upset over a silly little cartoon, then they are already extremist. As far as I’m concerned, any dope that prays to Allah is a nut job of the most extreme variety. But to start rioting over a few lines scribbed in a paper takes the cake. All those guys yelling their heads off in the streets – that’s your enemy right there, Jack. Lock and load.
Not terribly different than christians in Northern Ireland… Quite frankly…it’s not any different than ANY OTHER terrorist group (be it christians, pro-life, or other hate-groups.) We just choose to put the focus (currently) on muslims. Everyone has to have something to be angry about. Some folks just get stupider than others about it.
A few days ago, some Iranian group was sponsoring a contest that would have cartoons of Jews, the Holocast, and other themes that might offend Israelis. A news-story today talks of an Israel-based company that is havinga similar contest, to demonstrate that they can “laugh at themselves”.
Now…THAT is a nice counter. Make them look silly. I think that’s how you fight this sort of thing. It may not be terribly successful. But, I like it.
Ministers forced out as cartoon row escalates
Initially resisting calls for his resignation, Italian Reforms Minister Roberto Calderoli stepped down after he was widely blamed for bloody clashes in Libya over cartoons of the Prophet which he had made into T-shirts and wore on television.
Sigh.
There are two things I find disturbing about the “Cartoon Affair.”
First is the obvious: the rioting muslims, and even those “peacefully” protesting, are making clear their view of what the world ought to be: We ought all to be bowing before Allahs commands, whether we believe in him (and his prophet) or not. This is not exactly news. That such a demonstration of intentions should be met with relatively little outrage and even appeasment on the part of Western political leaders is disgraceful, but not exactly a surprise.
The second thing I find disturbing, and I haven’t decided whether it shold be more-so than the first or not, is the attitude that a religion should be immune from criticism. This attitude is the basis on which the efforts at appeasement depend. What I find disturbing about it is that ideas based on faith are given a free-pass because they are based on faith. The notion that one’s religion, no matter how blatantly evil, ought not to be a subject of critical discussion is being taken almost as a given. Ideas based on reason, by definition, require justification, and rightly so. If someone wants to criticize or even ridicule them, they are free to do so. To the extent that the ideas they criticize are true, they will only make themselves look ridiculous. On the other hand, ideas based on faith, which ought to be criticized and ridiculed for that reason alone, are given a free pass.
I haven’t been able to find the reference, but somewhere in one of Rand’s books (The Virtue of Selfishness, I think) she says something about the image of a timid, self-effacing good and a virulently self-righteous evil. (I’m paraphrasing as best I can.) We’re certainly seeing it.
15 people dead in Nigeria and 11 more in Libya, yet we hardly hear a word of condemnation from our politicians. Their philosophical impotence is on display for all to see. Of course when the Islamists detect weakness, they push even harder. Now they’re calling for an international law against insulting any religion!
In Cairo, Bishop Karsten Nissen, of Denmark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, met with Grand Imam Mohammed Sayyed Tantawi of al-Azhar University, the world’s highest Sunni Muslim seat of learning.
Tantawi said the Danish prime minister must apologize for the drawings and further demanded that the world’s religious leaders, including him and
Pope Benedict XVI, should meet to write a law that “condemns insulting any religion, including the Holy Scriptures and the prophets.” He said the
United Nations should then impose the law on all countries.
I find the protest and the deaths related to this cartoon sad but the fact that the media is clamming up and self-censoring has prompted me into action (they’ve actually blurred the image out!). After Theo van Gogh died I was angry but I didn’t know what I could do so, like most people, I didn’t do anything. After the TV channels started openly admitting that they wouldn’t show the cartoon, I and some friends decided to post it up around the area, but we changed our minds fearing that the message would be misinterpreted for one of hatred.
Onkar Ghate (a senior fellow at the Ayn Rand Institute) and Christian Beenfeldt wrote an article called The Cartoon Jihad: Free Speech in the Balance http://www.capmag.com/article.asp?ID=4567
In the article he said
"The issue at stake is the right to speak one’s mind.
Recognizing this, many European newspapers reprinted the cartoons. Echoing the story of the defiant slaves, who, when the Romans came for Spartacus, the leader of their rebellion, each proclaimed “I am Spartacus”–this was a clear show of support for the Danish paper and a symbolic affirmation of the right to free speech.
In the United States, however, fear of Muslim anger has suppressed a similar show of support."
That is why my friends (and now hopefully more people) have taken those words and turned them into a battle cry “I Too Am Spartacus” to show our support for those who are not willing to be silent. We do fear retaliation and creating more violence, but to give into that fear is to willingly give over our minds. I hope this doesn’t get deleted because this isn’t spam, I’ve been on this board before (under a different name of course) and I appreciate the rational minds and the desire for intellectual communication that most of you express here. If the intellectuals refuse to stand up, nobody will. I’m not willing to watch allies in the fight against irrationality perish anymore.
I hesitate to put my blog address up because I think that’s why my other posts were deleted, but the link is in my profile.
Spartacus, the problem with a campaign like this is that most people will think you’re a troll and dismiss the campaign for that reason. [before we exchanged private PMs I thought the same.]
Echoing the story of the defiant slaves, who, when the Romans came for Spartacus, the leader of their rebellion, each proclaimed “I am Spartacus”–this was a clear show of support for the Danish paper and a symbolic affirmation of the right to free speech.
If I remember the movie correctly, the result was that the Romans crucified all the rebels instead of just Spartacus alone. 