tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7701411.post112902240365033392..comments2023-09-28T21:40:05.328+10:00Comments on Dr Clam's accidental blog: Half a Truth is Better than NoneMarco Parigihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00702055111711651319noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7701411.post-1129581419526869202005-10-18T06:36:00.000+10:002005-10-18T06:36:00.000+10:00I am of the opinion that the terrorists are "losin...I am of the opinion that the terrorists are "losing" in South East Asia. The hatred trying to be exaggerated and fostered among Indonesians and others is being gradually dissipated through good police work, little retaliation, and governmental co-operation.Marco Parigihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00702055111711651319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7701411.post-1129091504802122992005-10-12T14:31:00.000+10:002005-10-12T14:31:00.000+10:00Invading Buddhist counries = joke...Burma and Nort...Invading Buddhist counries = joke...<BR/><BR/>Burma and North Korea are possibilities, but there are good reasons not to, which I've discussed before! The Balinese are mostly Hindu, the last relic (that I know of) of the Pre-Muslim, Pre-Buddhist cultures of Southeast Asia.Dr Clamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14985493422534275997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7701411.post-1129082059270211392005-10-12T11:54:00.000+10:002005-10-12T11:54:00.000+10:00Yes, I was going to say..."Aren't the Balinese not...Yes, I was going to say..."Aren't the Balinese not actually muslim?"<BR/><BR/>Jenny - forgot blogger passwordAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7701411.post-1129080607043724562005-10-12T11:30:00.000+10:002005-10-12T11:30:00.000+10:00"e.g., by invading a couple of traditionally buddh..."e.g., by invading a couple of traditionally buddhist countries."<BR/><BR/>Like Bali?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7701411.post-1129077437764554632005-10-12T10:37:00.000+10:002005-10-12T10:37:00.000+10:00Nowhere, I think! My trivial point is that I'm qui...Nowhere, I think! My trivial point is that I'm quite prepared to accept the 'we share some of the blame for our own misfortunes' argument, but only if we make a serious effort to apply it as broadly as it should be applied... we should accept that we are, in many people's eyes, not only imperialist busybodyies, but repulsive moral dwarves destined for eternal damnation. Equally, we correctly don't tend to have much sympathy for traditionally Christian ethnic groups in Eastern Europe who are forever going on about how they were done wrong hundreds of years ago and using this as an excuse for present misbehaviour. Their inability to break free from the past is much more their problem than that of their massacred neighbours. The only ways I can see that we in the West can do anything about these historical wrongs to the Muslim world are: (i) Let them conquer us, so they will feel better (impractical); (ii) Seduce them with Coca-Cola and Britney Spears so that they become part of our diseased culture and forget about these historical wrongs (impractical and very very evil);(iii) Refuse to put up with references to historical wrongs, pointing out to those who raise them that they are being childish, while working in a real way to ameliorate features of present-day Western civilisation and policy that are offensive, e.g., getting rid of reality television and overturning Roe vs. Wade, simultaneously cutting military aid to Israel and Egypt. It might also help if we could demonstrate that our busybody imperialism is not designed to oppress Muslims in particular, e.g., by invading a couple of traditionally buddhist countries.Dr Clamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14985493422534275997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7701411.post-1129072254419416292005-10-12T09:10:00.000+10:002005-10-12T09:10:00.000+10:00Fair enough points on both sides, I reckon. So whe...Fair enough points on both sides, I reckon. So where does the not-entirely-unexpected conclusion that We Never Really Got Along get us?Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05203948349102824828noreply@blogger.com