Bigthink - Idea Comments Feed

Comment on: America and the Middle East

Bigthink — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:58:30 +0100

While true this is a little trite as it fails to recognize the hypocrisy existent in all debates of this nature.

For example it is standard practice in every Muslim country in the World to subject prisoners to torture and abuse but locals are typically too intimidated to make any protest - even if it should become public knowledge. Of course the minute the free Western Press exposes a situation in its jurisdiction the righteous are quick to condemn.

Having said that the West and Muslim countries need to have open dialogue based on the truth but is it likely - not in my opinion based on historical norms.

Comment on: America and the Middle East

Bigthink — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 11:08:28 +0100

Honestly it doesn't really matter how we perceive each other. Muslims think they are right in their beliefs and I guess some of "the West" thinks they are right in theirs but both have to accept that neither have unlocked the secret of the universe or the ideal way of living. I think that if we are to live together we have to work through our prejudices, mix together and get on with things.

This is all about oil anyway. "The West" wouldn't give a damn about the Islamic nations if they weren't sitting on vast oil fields. The framing is this whole Islam v. "The West" but what it's really about is that "The West" wants "Islam"'s oil. It makes this conflict all the more depressingly inevitable.

Comment on: America and the Middle East

Bigthink — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 05:12:58 +0100

This is so typical of fundamentalist true Muslims masquerading as "Moderates" (a entirely Western Media fantasy) by sprouting the exactly expected WITHOUT saying anything and NEVER EVER providing a hint of a single constructive idea. Why would they? They know the are in "the land of war"! People like that frighten me MORE then mortal gentlemen like Osama bin Laden

Comment on: America and the Middle East

Bigthink — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 03:00:29 +0100

Perception is reality in most cases. Muslims around the world percieve Americans who diregard their beliefs and customs while imposing a western philosophy.
I think that our government has lost sight of the true values of what it means to be American. In many cases it has corrupted those values to support its own agenda.

Do you really think that we would be in Iraq today if it didn't control a huge chunk of the world's oil supply?

I think it is important for the next U.S. administration to repair the damage these Wild West Cowboy politics has created and begin to listen to countries that disagree us. The negative perception will change when we stop thinking that every country has to agree with us and begin to develop a conversation which helps create solutions to difficult problems.

Comment on: America and the Middle East

Bigthink — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 03:36:57 +0100

This brings to memory a conversation I had, I am an American, while living in Mexico at a restaurant. My Mexican friends were quick to point out their history with America. The Mexican-American war, lands lost and other points when America had involved themselves into Mexico. I told them for all of our differences we were very much alike. We persecuted native populations, treated those with African heritage as less than human and everything America had done to Mexico it had done to Guatemala. The Apaches of Southern Arizona (Geronimo especially) raided Mexico because the Mexicans persecuted them as well as native populations in Texas and California. So what does all this mean? Rather than share a past....let us find a future together. We need to stop listening to the voices of hatred and find peace....and that means us of good will must make our voices heard and that we will no longer support hatred.

Comment on: America and the Middle East

Bigthink — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 02:33:35 +0100

a reasonable description of a large part of the problem. no more.