Not Just the NSA: Politicians Are Data Mining the American Electorate. By John Nichols. The Nation, June 11, 2013.
John Nichols: Data Mining American Voters. Video. videonation, June 13, 2013. YouTube.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Michael Lind vs. Ben Domenech on Libertarianism.
The question libertarians just can’t answer. By Michael Lind. Salon, June 4, 2013.
Libertarians: Still a cult. By Michael Lind. Salon, June 11, 2013.
Michael Lind’s Revisionist Libertarian Smear. By Ben Domenech. Real Clear Politics, June 12, 2013.
Libertarians: Still a cult. By Michael Lind. Salon, June 11, 2013.
Michael Lind’s Revisionist Libertarian Smear. By Ben Domenech. Real Clear Politics, June 12, 2013.
Culture Wars—South of the Navel. By Peter Berger.
Culture Wars—South of the Navel. By Peter Berger. The American Interest, June 12, 2013.
Good Atheists? By Peter Berger. The American Interest, June 5, 2013.
Good Atheists? By Peter Berger. The American Interest, June 5, 2013.
America’s Vast Margin of Error. By Victor Davis Hanson.
America’s Vast Margin of Error. By Victor Davis Hanson. National Review Online, June 13, 2013.
Because the U.S. has so much going for it, it’s taking everything from education to freedoms for granted.
Because the U.S. has so much going for it, it’s taking everything from education to freedoms for granted.
The West Will Miss Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. By Reza Aslan.
Missing Mahmoud. By Reza Aslan. Foreign Policy, June 12, 2013.
Aslan:
Ahmadinejad broke that clerical precedent when he trounced his opponent, Ali Akbar Rafsanjani, by painting him as a wealthy, corrupt, out-of-touch mullah with no appreciation for the common man's concerns. In contrast to the fantastically wealthy Rafsanjani, whose speeches were peppered with Arabic words and Quranic recitations, Ahmadinejad dressed simply, spoke colloquial Persian, and clothed himself in a provincial religiosity deliberately stripped of clerical learning.
Do We Have Ahmadinejad All Wrong? By Reza Aslan. The Atlantic, January 13, 2011.
Reading Ahmadinejad via Wikileaks: A Freedom Lover or a Two-Bit Dictator? By Omid Memarian. The Huffington Post, January 31, 2011.
A Little Ahmadinejad Revisionism for You. By Jeffrey Goldberg. The Atlantic, January 13, 2011.
Ahmadinejad as the Jacksonian populist of Iran challenging the out-of-touch clerical elites.
Aslan:
Ahmadinejad broke that clerical precedent when he trounced his opponent, Ali Akbar Rafsanjani, by painting him as a wealthy, corrupt, out-of-touch mullah with no appreciation for the common man's concerns. In contrast to the fantastically wealthy Rafsanjani, whose speeches were peppered with Arabic words and Quranic recitations, Ahmadinejad dressed simply, spoke colloquial Persian, and clothed himself in a provincial religiosity deliberately stripped of clerical learning.
Do We Have Ahmadinejad All Wrong? By Reza Aslan. The Atlantic, January 13, 2011.
Reading Ahmadinejad via Wikileaks: A Freedom Lover or a Two-Bit Dictator? By Omid Memarian. The Huffington Post, January 31, 2011.
A Little Ahmadinejad Revisionism for You. By Jeffrey Goldberg. The Atlantic, January 13, 2011.
Ahmadinejad as the Jacksonian populist of Iran challenging the out-of-touch clerical elites.
Syria: The New Problem From Hell. By Aaron David Miller.
The New Problem From Hell. By Aaron David Miller. Foreign Policy, June 11, 2013.
Obama’s options in Syria are awful. But the United States is headed for intervention anyway.
Obama’s Options in Syria Are Few and All Bad. By Walter Russell Mead. Via Meadia, June 11, 2013.
Syrian Rebels Massacre Shiites. By Walter Russell Mead. Via Meadia, June 12, 2013.
US Edging Closer to Syria War. By Walter Russell Mead. Via Meadia, June 13, 2013.
Neither Assad nor the Jihadists. By Emanuele Ottolenghi. Commentary, June 12, 2013.
Syria: Inventing a Religious War. By Toby Matthiesen. New York Review of Books Blog, June 12, 2013.
The Syria Strategy Vacuum. By Marc Lynch. Foreign Policy, June 13, 2013.
Syria deaths near 100,000, says UN – and 6,000 are children. By Ian Black. The Guardian, June 13, 2013. UN Report.
Obama’s options in Syria are awful. But the United States is headed for intervention anyway.
Obama’s Options in Syria Are Few and All Bad. By Walter Russell Mead. Via Meadia, June 11, 2013.
Syrian Rebels Massacre Shiites. By Walter Russell Mead. Via Meadia, June 12, 2013.
US Edging Closer to Syria War. By Walter Russell Mead. Via Meadia, June 13, 2013.
Neither Assad nor the Jihadists. By Emanuele Ottolenghi. Commentary, June 12, 2013.
Syria: Inventing a Religious War. By Toby Matthiesen. New York Review of Books Blog, June 12, 2013.
The Syria Strategy Vacuum. By Marc Lynch. Foreign Policy, June 13, 2013.
Syria deaths near 100,000, says UN – and 6,000 are children. By Ian Black. The Guardian, June 13, 2013. UN Report.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
The Question is Not Whether the Obama Regime Will Survive, But Will America as Founded Survive the Obama Regime? By Rush Limbaugh.
The Question is Not Whether the Obama Regime Will Survive, But Will America as Founded Survive the Obama Regime? By Rush Limbaugh. RushLimbaugh.com, June 10, 2013.
Rush:
Let me try to explain something, ladies and gentlemen. You look at all that we’ve learned about our intelligence gathering, not only our ability in this country, but how it’s actually happening. And Snerdley asked me if I thought this guy, Snowden, should go to jail and I mentioned I’m conflicted. And here’s why. See, it boils down or comes down again, in my mind, to who’s doing it. Because a person’s ideology matters.
Do I want somebody in charge of this kind of surveillance who doesn’t like this country as it’s founded? Do I want somebody collecting this kind of data on everybody who is in the middle of trying to transform this country into something the founders never intended it to be? On the other side of this is you would hope that our country and our intelligence agencies are able to determine planned attacks against this country and citizens against this country and uncover those in enough time to thwart them. In that sense, you want this kind of ability. And, by the way, the ability exists. This genie’s not gonna go back in the bottle.
So in my mind, it does matter who’s in charge of it. It does matter. The political identity of the people who administer something like this matters incredibly. You look at the focus on how the leak happened and the motives of the leaker, if you focus on that, I think you missed the main question. The main question is, why is such a gigantic surveillance operation even necessary? What is really going on here? Who is the enemy? The Tea Party, we know, is an enemy of this administration.
We know that conservative Republicans – and I could give you names – are enemies of this administration. We know that this administration has people in it who consider conservative Republicans to pose a greater threat to them than Islamic jihadists. So in deciding how you think or how you feel or what you think about this, I don’t know how you take that out. The government’s not just this thing sitting there that people run. There are certain kinds of people running it.
Rush:
Let me try to explain something, ladies and gentlemen. You look at all that we’ve learned about our intelligence gathering, not only our ability in this country, but how it’s actually happening. And Snerdley asked me if I thought this guy, Snowden, should go to jail and I mentioned I’m conflicted. And here’s why. See, it boils down or comes down again, in my mind, to who’s doing it. Because a person’s ideology matters.
Do I want somebody in charge of this kind of surveillance who doesn’t like this country as it’s founded? Do I want somebody collecting this kind of data on everybody who is in the middle of trying to transform this country into something the founders never intended it to be? On the other side of this is you would hope that our country and our intelligence agencies are able to determine planned attacks against this country and citizens against this country and uncover those in enough time to thwart them. In that sense, you want this kind of ability. And, by the way, the ability exists. This genie’s not gonna go back in the bottle.
So in my mind, it does matter who’s in charge of it. It does matter. The political identity of the people who administer something like this matters incredibly. You look at the focus on how the leak happened and the motives of the leaker, if you focus on that, I think you missed the main question. The main question is, why is such a gigantic surveillance operation even necessary? What is really going on here? Who is the enemy? The Tea Party, we know, is an enemy of this administration.
We know that conservative Republicans – and I could give you names – are enemies of this administration. We know that this administration has people in it who consider conservative Republicans to pose a greater threat to them than Islamic jihadists. So in deciding how you think or how you feel or what you think about this, I don’t know how you take that out. The government’s not just this thing sitting there that people run. There are certain kinds of people running it.
If the GOP Is This Stupid, It Deserves to Die. By Ann Coulter.
If the GOP is this stupid, it deserves to die. By Ann Coulter. The Daily Caller, June 12, 2013.
Ann Coulter attacks the immigration reform plan. Video. Hannity. Fox News, June 12, 2013. YouTube.
Coulter Goes Ballistic On Hannity Over Immigration: You’re “Like A Liberal Making A Silly Argument!” By Josh Feldman. Mediaite, June 12, 2013.
Ann Coulter attacks the immigration reform plan. Video. Hannity. Fox News, June 12, 2013. YouTube.
Coulter Goes Ballistic On Hannity Over Immigration: You’re “Like A Liberal Making A Silly Argument!” By Josh Feldman. Mediaite, June 12, 2013.
Chris Matthews: Ted Cruz “Fits In Tradition” With Nazi Sympathizer Father Coughlin. By Noah Rothman.
Chris Matthews: Ted Cruz “Fits In Tradition” With Nazi Sympathizer Father Coughlin. By Noah Rothman. Mediaite, June 12, 2013. YouTube.
Sleazy Matthews: Ted Cruz, Bill O’Reilly Are the Same as Nazi Sympathizer Father Coughlin, Huey Long. By Scott Whitlock. NewsBusters, June 12, 2013.
Sleazy Matthews: Ted Cruz, Bill O’Reilly Are the Same as Nazi Sympathizer Father Coughlin, Huey Long. By Scott Whitlock. NewsBusters, June 12, 2013.
Obama Middle East Policy: Wrong Team, Wrong Ideas. By Barry Rubin.
Obama Middle East Policy: Wrong Team, Wrong Ideas. By Barry Rubin. PJ Media, June 7, 2013. Also at Gloria Center.
Hot Mic Catches Egyptian Politician Discussing “War” with “Enemies” Israel and America.
Hot Mic Catches Egyptian Politician Discussing “War” with “Enemies” Israel and America. By Sharona Schwartz. The Blaze, June 12, 2013. Reposted by Pamela Geller at Atlas Shrugs.
With Cameras Rolling, Egyptian Politicians Threaten Ethiopia Over Dam. By Liam Stack. New York Times, June 6, 2013.
Egyptian Blooper: Politicians, Unaware They Are Live on Air, Threaten Ethiopia over Dam Construction. Video. MEMRI TV, Clip No. 3857, June 3, 2013. YouTube. Transcript.
Magdi Ahmad Hussein, chairman of the Islamic Labor Party: I’m very fond of battles. With the enemies, of course – with America and Israel, but this battle must be waged with maximum judiciousness and calm. Even though this is a secret meeting, we must all take an oath not to leak anything to the media, unless it is done officially by sister Pakinam. We need an official plan for popular national security, even if we . . . Okay . . . Fine . . . The principles behind what I’m saying are not really secret... Our war is with America and Israel, not with Ethiopia. Therefore, engaging in a war . . . This is my opinion . . .
Participant: This meeting is being aired live on TV.
Magdi Ahmad Hussein: I am not presenting a secret plan or anything. All the countries do what I am saying and what has been said by others. All countries with regional conflicts do that.
I say to the Egyptian people: Nobody can turn off your water supply – unless they want to turn the Egyptians into the world’s most extremist people. Imagine what this people would do if its water were turned off – what all 80 million of us would do to Israel and America if our water were turned off.
With Cameras Rolling, Egyptian Politicians Threaten Ethiopia Over Dam. By Liam Stack. New York Times, June 6, 2013.
Egyptian Blooper: Politicians, Unaware They Are Live on Air, Threaten Ethiopia over Dam Construction. Video. MEMRI TV, Clip No. 3857, June 3, 2013. YouTube. Transcript.
Magdi Ahmad Hussein, chairman of the Islamic Labor Party: I’m very fond of battles. With the enemies, of course – with America and Israel, but this battle must be waged with maximum judiciousness and calm. Even though this is a secret meeting, we must all take an oath not to leak anything to the media, unless it is done officially by sister Pakinam. We need an official plan for popular national security, even if we . . . Okay . . . Fine . . . The principles behind what I’m saying are not really secret... Our war is with America and Israel, not with Ethiopia. Therefore, engaging in a war . . . This is my opinion . . .
Participant: This meeting is being aired live on TV.
Magdi Ahmad Hussein: I am not presenting a secret plan or anything. All the countries do what I am saying and what has been said by others. All countries with regional conflicts do that.
I say to the Egyptian people: Nobody can turn off your water supply – unless they want to turn the Egyptians into the world’s most extremist people. Imagine what this people would do if its water were turned off – what all 80 million of us would do to Israel and America if our water were turned off.
A Brief History of Humankind MOOC. By Yuval Noah Harari.
A Brief History of Humankind MOOC. By Yuval Noah Harari. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Coursera. Starts August 11, 2013. Introductory Video on YouTube. Lectures on YouTube.
Just How Many History MOOCs are Being Offered Now, Anyway? By David Austin Walsh. History News Network, June 11, 2013.
Inter-frontal Cooperation in the Fourteenth Century and Edward III’s 1346 Campaign. By Yuval Noah Harari. War in History, Vol. 6, No. 4 (October 1999).
Martial Illusions: War and Disillusionment in Twentieth-Century and Renaissance Military Memoirs. By Yuval Noah Harari. The Journal of Military History, Vol. 69, No. 1 (January 2005).
Military Memoirs: A Historical Overview of the Genre from the Middle Ages to the Late Modern Era. By Yuval Noah Harari. War in History, Vol. 14, No. 3 (July 2007).
The Concept of “Decisive Battles” in World History. By Yuval Noah Harari. Journal of World History, Vol. 18, No. 3 (September 2007).
Combat Flow: Military, Political, and Ethical Dimensions of Subjective Well-Being in War. By Yuval Noah Harari. Review of General Psychology, Vol. 12, No. 3 (September 2008).
Just How Many History MOOCs are Being Offered Now, Anyway? By David Austin Walsh. History News Network, June 11, 2013.
Inter-frontal Cooperation in the Fourteenth Century and Edward III’s 1346 Campaign. By Yuval Noah Harari. War in History, Vol. 6, No. 4 (October 1999).
Martial Illusions: War and Disillusionment in Twentieth-Century and Renaissance Military Memoirs. By Yuval Noah Harari. The Journal of Military History, Vol. 69, No. 1 (January 2005).
Military Memoirs: A Historical Overview of the Genre from the Middle Ages to the Late Modern Era. By Yuval Noah Harari. War in History, Vol. 14, No. 3 (July 2007).
The Concept of “Decisive Battles” in World History. By Yuval Noah Harari. Journal of World History, Vol. 18, No. 3 (September 2007).
Combat Flow: Military, Political, and Ethical Dimensions of Subjective Well-Being in War. By Yuval Noah Harari. Review of General Psychology, Vol. 12, No. 3 (September 2008).
Obama’s Ministry of Propaganda. By Pamela Geller.
Obama’s Ministry of Propaganda. By Pamela Geller. WND, June 9, 2013. Also at Freedom Outpost. Atlas Shrugs.
Teacher in Egypt Sentenced for “Defaming” Islam. By Pamela Geller. Atlas Shrugs, June 11, 2013.
Another Rabbi Enabler of Islamic Oppression. By Pamela Geller. WND, June 11, 2013. Also at Atlas Shrugs. Freedom Outpost.
Muslims Bury 16-Year Old Girl Alive in Honor Killing. By Pamela Geller. Atlas Shrugs, June 11, 2013.
Teacher in Egypt Sentenced for “Defaming” Islam. By Pamela Geller. Atlas Shrugs, June 11, 2013.
Another Rabbi Enabler of Islamic Oppression. By Pamela Geller. WND, June 11, 2013. Also at Atlas Shrugs. Freedom Outpost.
Muslims Bury 16-Year Old Girl Alive in Honor Killing. By Pamela Geller. Atlas Shrugs, June 11, 2013.
Why Do Academics Downplay Repression? By Michael Rubin.
Why Do Academics Downplay Repression? By Michael Rubin. Commentary, June 9, 2013.
The Roots of the Turkish Uprising. By Michael Rubin. Wall Street Journal, June 3, 2013.
The Roots of the Turkish Uprising. By Michael Rubin. Wall Street Journal, June 3, 2013.
Alicia Keys, Israel and Civil Rights. By Richard Friedman.
Alicia Keys, Israel and Civil Rights. By Richard Friedman. Wall Street Journal, June 9, 2013.
Alice Walker pens open letter to Alicia Keys about Israel. Rolling Out, May 29, 2013. Also here.
Despite Protests, Alicia Keys Says She Will Perform in Tel Aviv. By Dave Itzkoff. New York Times, May 31, 2013.
Alicia Keys: Girl on Fire. Video. aliciakeysVEVO, October 19, 2012. YouTube.
Alice Walker’s Purple Prose: Why the Novelist’s Attack on Alicia Keys Is All Wrong. By Liel Leibovitz. Tablet, June 3, 2013.
Pro-Israel New Yorkers Protest 92nd St Y’s anti-Israel Speaker. By Lori Lowenthal Marcus. The Jewish Press, June 1, 2013. (interviews Lainee.)
Alice Walker: The Color of Anti-Semitism. By Jonathan S. Tobin. Commentary, June 19, 2012.
The Color of Anti-Semitism, Part Two. By Jonathan S. Tobin. Commentary, May 29, 2013.
The Conspiratorial World of Alice Walker. By Jonathan Kay. Commentary, June 5, 2013.
Alice Walker pens open letter to Alicia Keys about Israel. Rolling Out, May 29, 2013. Also here.
Despite Protests, Alicia Keys Says She Will Perform in Tel Aviv. By Dave Itzkoff. New York Times, May 31, 2013.
Alicia Keys: Girl on Fire. Video. aliciakeysVEVO, October 19, 2012. YouTube.
Alice Walker’s Purple Prose: Why the Novelist’s Attack on Alicia Keys Is All Wrong. By Liel Leibovitz. Tablet, June 3, 2013.
Pro-Israel New Yorkers Protest 92nd St Y’s anti-Israel Speaker. By Lori Lowenthal Marcus. The Jewish Press, June 1, 2013. (interviews Lainee.)
Alice Walker: The Color of Anti-Semitism. By Jonathan S. Tobin. Commentary, June 19, 2012.
The Color of Anti-Semitism, Part Two. By Jonathan S. Tobin. Commentary, May 29, 2013.
The Conspiratorial World of Alice Walker. By Jonathan Kay. Commentary, June 5, 2013.
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Alicia
Keys performing “Girl on Fire” at the MTV Music Awards at the Staples Center in
Los Angeles,
September 6, 2012. Just Jared.
|
Israel In Denial About 46 Years of Occupation. By Michael Lerner and Uri Avnery.
Occupation? What Occupation? By Michael Lerner and Uri Avnery. Tikkun, June 9, 2013.
A Big Change In How Americans View George W. Bush. By Ariel Edwards-Levy.
George W. Bush Gets First Positive Rating Since 2005: Poll. By Ariel Edwards-Levy. The Huffington Post, June 11, 2013.
Former President George W. Bush’s Image Ratings Improve. By Jeffrey M. Jones. Gallup, June 11, 2013.
Bush Legacy in Convalescence. By Walter Russell Mead. Via Meadia, June 12, 2013.
Ariel Edwards-Levy Twitter.
Former President George W. Bush’s Image Ratings Improve. By Jeffrey M. Jones. Gallup, June 11, 2013.
Bush Legacy in Convalescence. By Walter Russell Mead. Via Meadia, June 12, 2013.
Ariel Edwards-Levy Twitter.
Retirement Will Kill You. By Peter Orszag.
Retirement Will Kill You. By Peter Orszag. Bloomberg, June 11, 2013.
America Is Getting Tired of Israel. By Eitan Haber.
Israel losing America. By Eitan Haber. Ynet News, June 9, 2013.
What Will Israel Do As America Retreats from the World? By Isi Leibler. Real Clear World, June 12, 2013. Also at the Jerusalem Post. Candidly Speaking from Jerusalem.
What Will Israel Do As America Retreats from the World? By Isi Leibler. Real Clear World, June 12, 2013. Also at the Jerusalem Post. Candidly Speaking from Jerusalem.
The Solitary Leaker. By David Brooks.
The Solitary Leaker. By David Brooks. New York Times, June 10, 2013.
In Praise of Brooks’s Conservative Vision. By Peter Wehner. Commentary, June 12, 2013.
In Praise of Brooks’s Conservative Vision. By Peter Wehner. Commentary, June 12, 2013.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
We Can’t Behave as If 9/11 Never Happened. By Thomas L. Friedman.
Blowing a Whistle. By Thomas L. Friedman. New York Times, June 11, 2013.
We are shocked, shocked . . . By David Simon. The Audacity of Despair, June 7, 2013.
We are shocked, shocked . . . By David Simon. The Audacity of Despair, June 7, 2013.
The Trouble Within Islam. By Tony Blair.
The Trouble Within Islam. By Tony Blair. Project Syndicate, June 10, 2013. Also at the Tony Blair Faith Foundation.
Blair:
When I return to Jerusalem soon, it will be my 100th visit to the Middle East since leaving office, working to build a Palestinian state. I see first-hand what is happening in this region.
So I understand the desire to look at this world and explain it by reference to local grievances, economic alienation, and, of course, “crazy people.” But can we really find no common thread, nothing that connects the dots of conflict, no sense of an ideology driving or at least exacerbating it all?
There is not a problem with Islam. For those of us who have studied it, there is no doubt about its true and peaceful nature. There is not a problem with Muslims in general. Most in Britain are horrified at Rigby’s murder.
But there is a problem within Islam, and we have to put it on the table and be honest about it. There are, of course, Christian extremists and Jewish, Buddhist, and Hindu ones. But I am afraid that the problematic strain within Islam is not the province of a few extremists. It has at its heart a view of religion – and of the relationship between religion and politics – that is not compatible with pluralistic, liberal, open-minded societies. At the extreme end of the spectrum are terrorists, but the worldview goes deeper and wider than it is comfortable for us to admit. So, by and large, we don’t admit it.
This has two effects. First, those who hold extreme views believe that we are weak, and that gives them strength. Second, those Muslims – and the good news is that there are many – who know the problem exists, and want to do something about it, lose heart.
Throughout the Middle East and beyond, a struggle is playing out. On one side, there are Islamists and their exclusivist and reactionary worldview. They comprise a significant minority, loud and well organized. On the other side are the modern minded, those who hated the old oppression by corrupt dictators and despise the new oppression by religious fanatics. They are potentially the majority; unfortunately, they are badly organized.
The seeds of future fanaticism and terror – possibly even major conflict – are being sown. Our task is to help sow the seeds of reconciliation and peace. But clearing the ground for peace is not always peaceful.
The long and hard conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq have made Western powers wary of foreign intervention. But we should never forget why these conflicts were long and hard: we allowed failed states to come into being.
Saddam Hussein was responsible for two major wars, in which hundreds of thousands died, many by chemical weapons. He killed similar numbers of his own people. The Taliban grew out of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and turned the country into a training ground for terror. Once these regimes were removed, both countries began to struggle against the same forces promoting violence and terror in the name of religion everywhere.
Not every engagement need be military, and not every military engagement must involve troops. But disengaging from this struggle won’t bring us peace.
Neither will security alone. While revolutionary communism was resisted by resoluteness on security, it was ultimately defeated by a better idea: freedom. The same can be done here. The better idea is a modern view of religion and its place in society and politics – a model based on respect and equality among people of different faiths. Religion may have a voice in the political system, but it must not govern it.
We have to start with children, here and abroad. That is why I established a foundation whose specific purpose is to educate children of different faiths around the world to learn about each other and live with each other. We are now in 20 countries, and the programs work. But it is a drop in the ocean compared with the flood of intolerance taught to so many.
Now, more than ever, we have to be strong, and we have to be strategic.
Blair:
When I return to Jerusalem soon, it will be my 100th visit to the Middle East since leaving office, working to build a Palestinian state. I see first-hand what is happening in this region.
So I understand the desire to look at this world and explain it by reference to local grievances, economic alienation, and, of course, “crazy people.” But can we really find no common thread, nothing that connects the dots of conflict, no sense of an ideology driving or at least exacerbating it all?
There is not a problem with Islam. For those of us who have studied it, there is no doubt about its true and peaceful nature. There is not a problem with Muslims in general. Most in Britain are horrified at Rigby’s murder.
But there is a problem within Islam, and we have to put it on the table and be honest about it. There are, of course, Christian extremists and Jewish, Buddhist, and Hindu ones. But I am afraid that the problematic strain within Islam is not the province of a few extremists. It has at its heart a view of religion – and of the relationship between religion and politics – that is not compatible with pluralistic, liberal, open-minded societies. At the extreme end of the spectrum are terrorists, but the worldview goes deeper and wider than it is comfortable for us to admit. So, by and large, we don’t admit it.
This has two effects. First, those who hold extreme views believe that we are weak, and that gives them strength. Second, those Muslims – and the good news is that there are many – who know the problem exists, and want to do something about it, lose heart.
Throughout the Middle East and beyond, a struggle is playing out. On one side, there are Islamists and their exclusivist and reactionary worldview. They comprise a significant minority, loud and well organized. On the other side are the modern minded, those who hated the old oppression by corrupt dictators and despise the new oppression by religious fanatics. They are potentially the majority; unfortunately, they are badly organized.
The seeds of future fanaticism and terror – possibly even major conflict – are being sown. Our task is to help sow the seeds of reconciliation and peace. But clearing the ground for peace is not always peaceful.
The long and hard conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq have made Western powers wary of foreign intervention. But we should never forget why these conflicts were long and hard: we allowed failed states to come into being.
Saddam Hussein was responsible for two major wars, in which hundreds of thousands died, many by chemical weapons. He killed similar numbers of his own people. The Taliban grew out of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and turned the country into a training ground for terror. Once these regimes were removed, both countries began to struggle against the same forces promoting violence and terror in the name of religion everywhere.
Not every engagement need be military, and not every military engagement must involve troops. But disengaging from this struggle won’t bring us peace.
Neither will security alone. While revolutionary communism was resisted by resoluteness on security, it was ultimately defeated by a better idea: freedom. The same can be done here. The better idea is a modern view of religion and its place in society and politics – a model based on respect and equality among people of different faiths. Religion may have a voice in the political system, but it must not govern it.
We have to start with children, here and abroad. That is why I established a foundation whose specific purpose is to educate children of different faiths around the world to learn about each other and live with each other. We are now in 20 countries, and the programs work. But it is a drop in the ocean compared with the flood of intolerance taught to so many.
Now, more than ever, we have to be strong, and we have to be strategic.
What Muslims Get Right. By Bill Cosby.
A plague called apathy. By Bill Cosby. New York Post, June 8, 2013.
Cosby:
I’m a Christian. But Muslims are misunderstood. Intentionally misunderstood. We should all be more like them. They make sense, especially with their children. There is no other group like the Black Muslims, who put so much effort into teaching children the right things, they don’t smoke, they don’t drink or overindulge in alcohol, they protect their women, they command respect. And what do these other people do?
They complain about them, they criticize them. We’d be a better world if we emulated them. We don’t have to become black Muslims, but we can embrace the things that work.
Bill Cosby: We Should All Be More Like Muslims. Breitbart, June 10, 2013.
Allen West on Bill Cosby’s pro-Muslim post: Are you crazy? By Cheryl K Chumley. Washington Times, June 11, 2013.
Allen West’s Blunt Response to Bill Cosby’s “We Should All Be More Like Muslims” Remark. By Jason Howerton. The Blaze, June 10, 2013.
Allen West:
2day in NY Post, Bill Cosby said we should b more like Muslims. U mean honor killings, beheadings, suicide bombings? Hope ur kidding sir.
Bill Cosby’s pro-Muslim post causes a stir. Video with Allen West. Hannity. Fox News, June 11, 2013. At YouTube here, here, here, here.
Cosby:
I’m a Christian. But Muslims are misunderstood. Intentionally misunderstood. We should all be more like them. They make sense, especially with their children. There is no other group like the Black Muslims, who put so much effort into teaching children the right things, they don’t smoke, they don’t drink or overindulge in alcohol, they protect their women, they command respect. And what do these other people do?
They complain about them, they criticize them. We’d be a better world if we emulated them. We don’t have to become black Muslims, but we can embrace the things that work.
Bill Cosby: We Should All Be More Like Muslims. Breitbart, June 10, 2013.
Allen West on Bill Cosby’s pro-Muslim post: Are you crazy? By Cheryl K Chumley. Washington Times, June 11, 2013.
Allen West’s Blunt Response to Bill Cosby’s “We Should All Be More Like Muslims” Remark. By Jason Howerton. The Blaze, June 10, 2013.
Allen West:
2day in NY Post, Bill Cosby said we should b more like Muslims. U mean honor killings, beheadings, suicide bombings? Hope ur kidding sir.
Bill Cosby’s pro-Muslim post causes a stir. Video with Allen West. Hannity. Fox News, June 11, 2013. At YouTube here, here, here, here.
Paul Fronczack, Reunited With the Wrong Parents As a Baby 49 Years Ago, Discovers the Truth.
Heartbreak and shock of man who believed he was baby kidnapped from hospital in 1964 – only to be told 50 years later he is NOT related to the parents to whom he was returned. By Michael Zennie. Daily Mail, June 2, 2013.
Twice disappeared: Paul Joseph Fronczakrealizes he’s NOT kidnapped baby claimed by parents. By Nina Golgowski. New York Daily News, June 3, 2013.
Baby Reunited With Wrong Parents 50 Years Ago Discovers Truth. Video. AOL On.
Twice disappeared: Paul Joseph Fronczakrealizes he’s NOT kidnapped baby claimed by parents. By Nina Golgowski. New York Daily News, June 3, 2013.
Baby Reunited With Wrong Parents 50 Years Ago Discovers Truth. Video. AOL On.
Paralyzed Bride Rachelle Friedman on How to Rise Above the Challenges of Change.
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| Paralyzed bride Rachelle Friedman Chapman with husband Chris Chapman |
“Paralyzed Bride”: How to Rise Above the Challenges of Change. By Rachelle Friedman. The Mobility Resource, June 10, 2013. Also at The Huffington Post.
Bride-to-Be Rachelle Friedman Is Paralyzed After a Bachelorette Party Joke Went Wrong. By Emily Friedman. ABC News, November 17, 2010.
Paralyzed bride-to-be determined to beself-reliant, get married. By Phil Gast. CNN, November 22, 2010.
Paralyzed bride: “You can be sexy in a wheelchair.” By Scott Stump. Today. NBC News, March 30, 2012.
“The Paralyzed Bride” Talks Life & Sex as a 27-Year-Old Quadriplegic. The Daily Beast, February 27, 2013. Full Q&A at Reddit.
Rachelle Friedman website.
Prank leaves bride-to-be Rachelle Friedman paralyzed. Video. HLN, November 19, 2010. YouTube.
Rachelle Friedman and Chris Chapman Wedding Video. 1800registryvideo, April 3, 2012. YouTube.
Rachelle Friedman and Chris Chapman Return from Fiji. Video. 1800registryvideo, April 3, 2012. YouTube. Also at Today. NBC, August 5, 2011.
Paralyzed bride’s “big step to independence.” Video. Today. NBC, March 30, 2012.
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