Again, I never in my life thought I’d support McCain. But as I said, with this group to pick from, he has to be at the top of the list. It’s more an indictment of the choices than an endorsement of McCain.

ThackerAgency on November 11, 2007 at 6:58 PM

I don’t know the religious make up of the folks who screwed up the Olympics. I don’t think it really matters.

As far as McCain goes, I think he could be effective on the WOT as SecDef. I just don’t want him in a position to push agendas because HE thinks it the best thing to do when it was clear from day one that the people did not want shamensty. I think it would be best to limit him to military matters etc.

He brought her mom out to prove that his age isn’t a factor on his presidency.

This is exactly right. Look I disagree on a lot of things with McCain, but it would not surprise me if he ended up with the nomination. If you want someone for the sole purpose of prosecuting the WOT, he’s the guy.

The point he made about Kerik (Rudy’s choice to help the Iraqi police) and how he handled that situation (poorly) is very important. He also was appropriately critical of Rumsfeld, and called for this ‘troop surge’ 2 years before it happened.

I disagree with a lot of his domestic politics, but he won’t raise taxes. I think if you are looking for the best person to fight the WOT, McCain wins that hands down.

I don’t think he’ll make the illegal immigration mistake again. He’s from Arizona where it is a major problem. I think he could figure out a good solution for it too. . . but he needs to have learned his lesson that we don’t just want to make them citizens.

I like McCain at LEAST as good as Mitt and Thompson, and MUCH better than Rudy. I don’t think his mom’s comment about the Olympics was that important. The Mormons were in charge of a lot of it. They probably did mess up and corrupt a lot. That is not bigoted to point it out.

The Race Card on November 11, 2007 at 2:44 PM

If you haven’t already, every Sunday Robert Spencer posts a topic where we can blog the Koran.

I got through 4 or 5 weeks until I became so utter disgusted with the religion and it’s teachings that I cannot hardly read them any more. The people who follow that faith are truly following the whore of Babylon. And until they start repudiating the extremist behavior and speaking out for moderation, there is no such thing as a moderate Muslim.

I don’t think it is ever a good policy to let your views be determined by the personalities of others who may share of those same views.

Your point is a valid one. In theory, I agree. However in practice, I still have a personal reticence against allying myself with those whom I find detestable.

… I dare say that Hizbollah and Hamas are not radicals in the muslim world, as proven by their size and representation in the respective governments. …

another good point…

… I think you have to look at your definition of “radical”, which should have an approval ceiling of some small percentage, and find a definition that actually meshes with the opinions of muslims.

progressoverpeace on November 11, 2007 at 3:46 PM

I am always in consideration of my opinions and perceptions. Explosive labels such as “radical” are not always so easily defined. I do not have enough information to confidently condenm all Muslims or to really know the en masse “opinions of Muslims.”

***
Disclaimer:
I know a few things. But there are many others who know everything. Consult with them about how to save the world. My opinion is really not worth your troubles. Thank you for your time.

I think I have more of a problem joining the anti-Islam chorus because of the company I would be keeping.

The Race Card on November 11, 2007 at 3:16 PM

I don’t think it is ever a good policy to let your views be determined by the personalities of others who may share of those same views.

Many of the loudest voices against Islam are not only speaking against radicals.

What do you consider a “radical”? I dare say that Hizbollah and Hamas are not radicals in the muslim world, as proven by their size and representation in the respective governments. You would also have to go to Turkey and its history of voting in Islamists (whom you would probably call “radicals”) along with any vote that has ever taken place in any islamic country. Ataturk understood islam well enough to build a constitution that requires a secular military to keep control of the public’s desires. A constitution, I might add, that no Westerner would ever accept as reasonable, as we are more about putting the military under civilian control and not the opposite.

I think you have to look at your definition of “radical”, which should have an approval ceiling of some small percentage, and find a definition that actually meshes with the opinions of muslims.

Many of the loudest voices against Islam are not only speaking against radicals.

The Race Card on November 11, 2007 at 3:16 PM

If a Muslim does not act like Mohammad he is a radical. The best Muslims are the radicals.

… “There may be moderates in Islam but Islam itself is not moderate.”

MB4 on November 11, 2007 at 2:55 PM

That is a forboding quote. It makes your point well.

I guess what I am struggling with is more philosophical. I want to abolish terrorism. I want terrorists dead. That’s the easy part.

I think I have more of a problem joining the anti-Islam chorus because of the company I would be keeping. Many of the loudest voices against Islam are not only speaking against radicals.

Remember these discussions? here | here

You’re more comfortable than I am judging another religion.

The Race Card on November 11, 2007 at 2:44 PM

I wasn’t judging a “religion”. I was looking at a specific ritual (and its required frequency). You don’t find being forced to kiss the ground 5 times a day to be anything strange and you don’t think that it would have any impact on the minds of those required to do it. Good for you. I disagree.

thuja on November 11, 2007 at 1:48 PM

I would disagree with your assessment of Judaism’s impact on Western culture. Not a big deal, though, and certainly not anti-semitic. The Greeks obviously had a huge/gigantic contribution to what I call “Judeo-Christian”.

On what the Pope said (or quoted, at least), my view is that it goes to something other than than the individualistic nature of the religion, though. The Pope’s quote was addressing meta-physical innovation. Every major religion has brought with it at least one new, genius solution to a typical human problem – whether it was reincarnation, or an abstract G-d, or the ultimate fairness of life, … among many other interesting concepts. The point the Pope was making, via the quote, was that islam brought no such genius solutions with it, IMO. Islam introduced no new meta-physical concepts of any sort. All Islam brought with it that was new was the idea of religious expansion by violence. I don’t believe that it addressed individualism in the ideology, at all. That’s how I read it.

acknowledge that extremist Islamic interpretations are dangerous.

The Race Card on November 11, 2007 at 2:44 PM

NO, no, no! It is the correct interpretations of the Koran and the Hadiths that are the most dangerous.

Until I hear from more of these “moderate” Muslims, I choose to believe that Islam in its present form is an imminent danger to modern civilization, and should be treated as such.

hillbillyjim on November 11, 2007 at 5:13 AM

People whom some call moderates are labeled hypocrites by Allah himself in the Koran. No moderate can convincingly tell another Muslim to not do the kind of things that Mohammad himself did. Moderates will always lose any debate because as ex-Muslim author Ibn Warraq said, “There may be moderates in Islam but Islam itself is not moderate.”

progressoverpeace on November 11, 2007 at 6:44 AM

You’re more comfortable than I am judging another religion. I have no problem castigating Islamic radicals and/or terrorists. (They are often one in the same.) But my presence on this planet is not significant enough to judge how millions of people worship.

I can hate terror and terrorists and acknowledge that extremist Islamic interpretations are dangerous. But I would be a fool to stop there. There are many religious interpretations that are historically and contemporarily dangerous.

Maybe the fact that I have known many Muslims, none of whom were radicals, acts as a baffle against my prejudice. I’ve known many other people who I presume to be Muslim, but never asked. All of these were decent individuals.

I certainly recognize the threat of extreme Islam. But I have never met a Muslim of whom I am afraid.

I support the War on Terror and see countries like Belgium, Netherlands, and the UK struggling against radical Islam. But, I can accept that there are everyday Muslims who don’t mind capitalist-inspired automotive convenience.

This is one of the greatest points of divergence between islam and Judaism/Christianity. The individual is celebrated in Judeo-Christian culture while the individual is of no value in islam. Kissing the ground 5 times a day, every single day, is the mechanism for imprinting this idea on the mind of a muslim. Mundane, it is not.

progressoverpeace on November 11, 2007 at 6:44 AM

This is exactly why as I an atheist prefer to live in a Western culture. Of course, I would immediately add that what is decent in Christianity comes more from Greek culture than Hebrew culture–though I think well of the early cultural achievement of the Hebrews. Due to the sad facts of our Western history, I have the strong fear of being interpreted as being somehow anti-Semitic here. I assure you that I’m strongly opposed to Antisemitism. Instead, I’m motivated in pointing to the Greek origins of some Christian thought to bring up the embrace of reason that was thus brought into the Bible. And the Pope is absolutely right to contrast the Christian and Islam view of reason. I believe that this is the basis for the different approaches to the individual in Christianity and Islam.

It’s MSNBC: At least no one was watching.

Can’t remember ever seeing McCain’s wife. Does he have one?

Yes, she’s his second wife, almost twenty years younger and attractive. Here is an article about her with photos.

CS Deven

JiangxiDad on November 11, 2007 at 9:20 AM

He brought her mom out to prove that his age isn’t a factor on his presidency. Truly desperate behavior and it may have blown up in his face.