CY,

All due respect, but wasn’t weather referencing ISLAM, rather than oil?

I don’t think Lawrence of Arabia was in Arabia to deal with issues of Islam.

So, political violence, with religious extremism as the excuse and the tactic, in so much as it has been practiced by ISLAMIC extremists, has been a result of Israel, and directly related to the genocide of millions of Arabs.

That’s NOT to say that the extremists within the Islamic community haven’t done a backlash against WESTERN imperialism from way back. Actually, sort of the ‘father’ of modern day Islamic extremism is Sayeed Qutb, an Egyptian. But even under the old Ottoman Empire, and later, when Iraq was under the control of Britain, -Islam- per se, was NOT an issue or concern.

Even then, the extremist elements of Islam were the ‘fringe’. In reality, they still are. But there’s no doubt that the development of Israel as a Jewish Nation State, right smack dab in the middle of the Arabian desert, created a major problem, and the reaction has been a focus on Islam, that didn’t exist before that.

I’ve posted this on other threads, because I think it’s really helpful.

Ok Joe, and this is actually for EVERYONE who actually is serious about these issues at hand. When you claimed that Ron Paul supporters are actually well read, I had to really bite my tongue; because of course it’s obvious that this too, is another matter of ‘relativity’. And, it’s not my intention to sound condescending, -at all-. But, the fact of the matter is that the crises we’re faced with is not, and cannot, be boiled down to simple issues of intervention v non-intervention, or immigration, or ‘civil liberties” v the opposite, or corporatism/privatization (they are the same, and most folks don’t even get that) and it’s relation to the State. (some folks don’t even get that “The State” IS the US Federal government,) or the market/economy.

All of these are connected, and none of them can be appropriately discussed in - alone terms. Unfortunately, that’s what much of the discourse here attempts to do, and even the most ‘well read’ among us, are not able to connect the dots in a way that is required. (if only because time and space don’t really permit that). More than anything though, we lack an historical context in most of these discussions. And, that is a common issue for MOST Americans. It’s just the way it is.

Anyway, rather than me try to address each one of these things separately, or to even deal with the issue of candidates and the upcoming election, it makes far more sense to share what I think will provide any REAL ‘thinkers” with some ‘prompts’ of things to consider, so that you all can try to connect the dots on your own, or at least get an idea of how things effect outcomes, and how it’s ALL inter-related.

Now this is an interview from what is actually my very favorite website. It’s been around a while now, (probably 5 or 6 years maybe more) and it provides a superior portal for anyone who really does wish to integrate their knowledge of the BIG PICTURE.

This is an interview with Naomi Klein, the author of several excellent works, but this is on her most recent, “The Shock Doctrine.” I read it when it first became available, and it will be included in the works for a course/seminar in my field, in the upcoming academic term. The course is on “The Authoritarian State”.

The interview is outstanding, as is the website overall. The editors frequently publish interviews and reports of enormous significance, again..to the overall picture that concerns us all, collectively and individually. If you can read Namoi’s book, all the better. But at least this will provide a bit of insight to what is FOUNDATIONAL, because the rest of this discourse is otherwise pretty useless without it.

So, here is the link. The interview is in two parts, and I noticed that I had to fiddle with the controls on the second part, because the appropriate ‘play arrow’ didn’t appear on my screen. That just may have been a fluke with my system.

Enjoy the knowledge. I hope you’ll find some value here, and make some ‘connections’ of your own.

Naomi Klein on
the Shock Doctrine

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/122807J.shtml

We all know Israel serves it’s own interests. Israeli interests lobby our government and it is very successful in doing so, since our politicians are obviously easily bought. The problems we are having with Muslims are a direct result of electing an inept president whose disengenuous policies feed the extreme views and actions of militant Muslims giving them more credibility with which to recruit followers .

I can’t believe Rudi has any support. He is a political hack who is not above using the suffering of anyone to further his ambitions. I can think of only one other politician who is low enough to meet Rudi’s political standards; want to guess who I am thinking of?
The Republican Party is in sever trouble if Rudi is their best shot!!!!

#122839 by SoccerGuy

SocceerGuy…

You have said it all, and so eloquently, I think you deserve some sort of an award. I can’t think of what it should be called right now, but you sure did cover it all, especially the fabricated ‘enemy’.

And yeah, the bozo in the clip really DID say that rudy the tutti-fruiti, (thanks for that Thomas Billis) was gonna run those ‘terrorist Muslims’ back to their caves.

Scary eh? Scarier that those people at the ‘tea party’ were all saying the same stupid shit.

I have yet found anyone to say anything good about Rudy except Pat Robertson.

He is proof polls are manufactured.

What a scuz bag.  I would love to go one on one (verbally of course) with Giuliani’s tough talk.  C’mon this guy’s a wiener.

Somebody please explain to me how on 911 a bald middle aged man running around lower Manhattan made you think everything was under control.I realize the vacuum left by our Pres hiding in a bunker finishing “My Pet Goat"left the opening for Rudy but other than letting those workers at Ground Zero inhale all the toxic residue they could hold I cannot for the life of me figure out how he is viewed as some sort of 911 hero.Right now the real heroes are gasping for air and it looks like nobody cares.

What a joke?
For those who believe this “staged” sincere belief that Rudy is a genuine hero I truly feel sorry.

Some of the comments from the party goers are living proof that people will believe anything and that living in a big white house with pillars does not make you intelligent.

This is like an amateur campaign movie from a high school ASB election??

Did one ignorant fellow actually say we should defeat the Muslims, or send them back to their cave???  As if all Muslims are anti American or worse yet terrorists????  Personally, I would rather hang out with a good quality person who happend to be a Muslim than a slimy Superficial American Citizen who thinks he or she is better just becasue they are a Christian or happent to live in the USA, any day.

This sounds like politically correct bigotry to me.  We need another cold war to replace the non-existant cold war with USSR and we need a new enemy so we are manufacturing one.

Our leaders and the system are rotten to the core and the sheep just keep on keeping on….