Thread: Strike against Syria

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

The Pew Research did a study, found here, that lists the world religions by demographic & population.


To assume that all adherents to a specific religion are extremists is a distorted view of reality. Those who hold to that view and advocate the destruction of all members of that religion or ethnicity are proving themselves to be the mirror image of those extremists they hate. IMHO.

While I agree with your point, and I'm assuming your statement was directed at 1OldGI's comment about "a radical islamic government", technically, he's not wrong.

The CIA even considers the government in Syria to be a "Republic under authoritarian regime" (reference).

Now, I'll also say that just because they are radical (read: commit heinous crimes, at least according to John Kerry, not that I trust the man), and just because they are Muslim means nothing in and of itself. Evil is universal across all religions.

Originally Posted by crouton976

While I agree with your point, and I'm assuming your statement was directed at 1OldGI's comment about "a radical islamic government", technically, he's not wrong.

The CIA even considers the government in Syria to be a "Republic under authoritarian regime" (reference).

Now, I'll also say that just because they are radical (read: commit heinous crimes, at least according to John Kerry, not that I trust the man), and just because they are Muslim means nothing in and of itself. Evil is universal across all religions.

I was not directing my comment to that particular post/member. My comment is simply an observation that there are fringe groups within some religions/belief systems that distort those belief systems. To say that all Muslims are radical extremists is equivalent to saying that all Christians are potentially murderers because some of them bomb abortion clinics or murder doctors who perform same. IIRC the largest Muslim population is in Indonesia where the Wahhabi sect, the particular strain of Islam that is responsible for the lion's share of the 'problems', is virtually non existent.

Oh, okay... In that case, I'll simply say again that I agree with you wholeheartedly. And, it really is a shame that so many times, in religion, in politics and in life, the actions of a few soil the reputation of so many. What's even worse is that we sometimes allow ourselves to believe that viewpoint is the correct one. It's a shame we don't try and judge each other individually rather than as a group or clique.

Actually, that reminds me of something my grandmother used to say quite often: never forget that for every finger you point at someone, there are three pointing right back at you.

I did always wonder what your thumb was doing, though...

Whatever the 'west' is about to do, one thing is clear: stay out or intervene but there is no nice options nor happy endings.
It seems to be popular to forget that not only Russia and China but USA and EU has their strategic and economic interest as well in that area. In the whole middle east.
Whatever they do there's always a price waiting to get paid. Sooner or later. Both for us and people in Syria.

I'm glad that i'm soon to be too old for that sort of bs and spending too many times away from my family. Living with frustration and unkept promises (also called as military deployment).

These wars are for profiteers only. Billions spent quickly destroying then rebuilding. The UN was created to protect humanity against atrocities, however considering 5 million have been killed in darfur, theres no money to be made there so no war. We have been divided and ruled gents. Thats the truth.

The world is being swept by religious fundamentalism both Muslim and Christian and from what I see the two are incompatible. It's almost going back to the Crusades and I'll tell you the next World War will be a a religion based one and it will be the last because when religious zealots go at it it's to the last man. Winning or losing is immaterial because life in this world is not important.

Originally Posted by Sailor

Whatever the 'west' is about to do, one thing is clear: stay out or intervene but there is no nice options nor happy endings.

This is one time that you and I agree totally...

There is no upside here, the time for intervention was 100,000 deaths ago, if there was going to be intervention for humanitarian reasons... Not quite sure what we are even going to "Target" nothing except the Chemical Weapons themselves makes much sense, and I have my doubts that we have the intel to hit them safely...

Robert Fisk on Syrian Regime and threat of Civil War; Robert Fisk on Syrian Regime and threat of Civil War - YouTube