[extropy-chat] Islamofacism [was: The Force of Human Freedom]

[Mike Lorrey]

--- Dan Clemmensen <dgc at cox.net> wrote:

> Greg Burch wrote:
> 
> >I'll certainly acknowledge there are significant differences between
> the threat of old-style secular fascism in the 1930s and
> islamofascism in the 1970s-20??, but I have concluded that we stand
> in an analogous situation in terms of the world's willingness to wake
> up to and deal with the threat.
> >
> >  
> >
> It's possible that we are using the wrong analogy. Islam is a very
> broad religion. I suspect Islam today is much more analogous to
> Catholicism in the 16th century than it is to fascism in the 20th..
> 
> One of the ugliest aspects of Catholicism in the 16th was the Spanish
> inquisition. By today's standards the Inquisition was every bit as
> evil as the fascism of the 20th, but I think is makes a much better
> analogy. There is no body of "good fascists" as far as most of us are
> concerned: 
> The fascist system may have been theoretically good in some ways (I 
> doubt it) but every actual instance ended in what I think of as evil.
> By contrast, Catholicism in the 16th, in many of its manifestations,
> was a force for good. in other manifestations, most notably the
> Inquisition, it was a force for evil.

On the contrary, the governments of Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin, Mao,
and Kai-shek were all fascist-oriented: they belived in very broad
government management of economies, centralized resource management,
and control over individuals, demands that individuals conform to
societal norms. Hitler, Mussolini, and Togo were only the most onerous
examples, but even during their reigns many people in many nations
thought that they were okay so long as 'they make the trains run on
time.' Franco was tolerated for decades by the west, and even put the
Spanish royal family back on the throne, while the others were lionized
by political cults of personality as 'great leaders', every one of
them: Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin, Mao, Kai-shek. They all prospered
through the use of the cold war.

> 
> I see Islam the same way. Throughout is history, in many of its 
> manifestations it was and is a force for good. In other
> manifestations, notably Al-Qaida, it is a force for evil.

Al Qaeda is known throughout the muslim world for doing good things for
the poor, and Osama is now the most popular baby's name. You can't say
people aren't programmed to believe al Qaeda is a force for good among
muslims.

Catholic extremism in the time of the Inquisition was a reaction
against muslim depredations upon europe and catholic parishes in the
holy land, across syria, iraq, Iran, to the Malabar Coast, where St
Thomas, the apostle, finally settled after founding the Syrian
christian faith. These parishes were cut off and largely converted by
force of arms or economic/political pressure. Imagine if Europe swept
across north africa and christianized the whole African continent.
Wouldn't islam feel it is under pressure? That is the pressure
Catholicism was under then. Even up to the 1600's the turks occupied
Vienna. Earlier on they had occupied Spain, Portugal, and part of
France.

Today islam is intent on reclaiming the full extent of its lands and
more: europe, south african nations, east africa, western China.

=====
Mike Lorrey
Vice-Chair, 2nd District, Libertarian Party of NH
"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom.
It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves."
                                      -William Pitt (1759-1806) 
Blog: http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=Sadomikeyism


		
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