Sunday, November 15, 2015

Quick notes: Putin was right, Slaughter repeat...

  • Democratic revolutions, the manufactured kind: “After the end of the Cold War, a single center of domination emerged in the world, and then those who found themselves at the top of the pyramid were tempted to think they were strong and exceptional, they knew better.  Then, adopting policies based on self-conceit and belief in one’s exceptionality and impunity this single center of domination, the United States, began to export so-called democratic revolutions".

    How did it all turn out? Says Putin: “An aggressive foreign interference has resulted in a brazen destruction of national institutions. … Instead of the triumph of democracy and progress, we got violence, poverty and social disaster. Nobody cares a bit about human rights, including the right to life.”


  • Now imagine 700 Mandyam Iyengars slaughtered on Diwali eve by Tipu:


  • An Open Letter to Moderate Muslims:

    (1) A moderate Muslim states that ISIS is wrong, they aren't "true" Muslims, and Islam is a religion of peace.

    (2) A questioner asks: what about verses in the Quran like 4:89, saying to "seize and kill" disbelievers? Or 8:12-13, saying God sent angels to "smite the necks and fingertips" of disbelievers, foreboding a "grievous penalty" for whoever opposes Allah and his Messenger? Or 5:33, which says those who "spread corruption" (a vague phrase widely believed to include blasphemy and apostasy) should be "killed or crucified"? Or 47:4, which also prescribes beheading for disbelievers encountered in jihad?

    (3) The Muslim responds by defending these verses as Allah's word -- he insists that they have been quoted "out of context," have been misinterpreted, are meant as metaphor, or that they may even have been mistranslated.

    (4) Despite being shown multiple translations, or told that some of these passages (like similar passages in other holy books) are questionable in any context, the Muslim insists on his/her defense of the Scripture.


2 comments:

non-carborundum said...

There is a move to sucker India into a coalition to fight whatever this ISIS is. Pakistan is already a leading member of this coalition. If indeed India is to contribute troops, someone should answer the question - who is fighting whom in Syria and which side are Russia, Assad, ISIS, and NATO respectively?

san said...

Saudis are backers of ISIS - since when would Pakistan go against them?

Following 9-11 when US neo-cons tried to sucker India into sending troops to occupy Iraq, the BJP govt appropriately turned them down. Likewise, we wouldn't want to get sucked into this post-Iraq mess, even while the Taliban mess continues nearby.

What I see is that France, being smaller than the US, is going to have to try harder than the US to keep itself safe from further terror attacks. France's greater difficulties may force greater changes in its domestic politics and its foreign policy.