Originally posted by Esoterica
Originally posted by Voice_of Doom
Are they "extremists" because they resort to violence to achieve their aims???
Don't the Russians resort to violence in Chechnya???
Dont the Isrealis resort to Violence in Palestine???
Dont the Americans resort to violence in Nicaragua???
Dont the Indians resort to violence in Pakistan???
Dont the british resort to violence in Ireland???
Dont the American colonies resort to violence against England???
Dont the Cherokee Indians resort to violence against Union Army???
Dont the South Africans resort to violence against the dutch???
Dont the Germans resort to violence against the Jews
Are we learning that "Extremism" is a matter of perspective? Are we learning that "morality" is a matter of perspective? Are we learning that
"truth" is a matter of perspective?
How do we brake the "mind-forged-manacles"???
Authority is an illusion in the mind of Govenors - Lao Tse
Some guy being famous for saying something doesn't make him right. Hitler said alot of things
Theya re called extremists because they are using their religion to justify what they are doing. They take one line of their holy book, and expand it
into justification to kill everyone who isn't them. They are an 'extreme' faction of their religion, as opposed to the majority.
PETA throwing paint on fur coats and burning down McDonald's are extremists, as compared to most vegetarians and animal-rights activists.
None of the people you stated above were extremists, because they had the support of most of their group. If every Muslim declared jihad on America,
they woudl no longer be extreme Muslims, just regular Muslims. The 5% that was peaceful would be the extremists.
[Edited on 23-1-2004 by Esoterica]
Sigh...what is it with people in Michigan these days?
Ok...So lets start this from the top...firstly, I never said Lao Tse was right. You did. In fact if you bothered to read the previous paragraph you
would have seen where I said that "truth" was a matter of perspective. doesn't mean I'm right, you're right or Lao Tse was right. Its
INFORMATION to make you think.
Secondly, to follow your line of logic, "extremism" is a matter of numbers...or percentages. 1000 muslims blowing things up is extremism but
10,000 is enemy action...or a political movement. Is that 5% or 6%. Does the percentage change according to the population size?
Thridly, you claim that a religious aspect has to be involved for the label extremist to be applied. Ok. Lets start with this quote from your
favorite guy Hitler, "Nazism is more than a political movement, more than a new religion." Sounds downright spiritual to me. Of course when the
Nazi's took power they were a minority too.
How about the Cherokee Indians and the Union soldiers? Think the indians apply a level of religiousness to their lives and actions??
How about the Isreali's...think religion conviction has anything to do with the continued violence in that country. Are they extremeist?
Or how about the "religious"war betweeen the Indian Hindus and Islamic Pakistanians? Where do you divide the line of extremism there?
And who decides where the line is divided? You? Me? George Bush who was elected by 15% of the people in this country...is he and his admin
extremist and if they are, how can we trust any pronouncement they make? Who can claim that authority and where do they get it? Who gives it to
them?
Is one man's extremism anothers right of survival? What did the British nobleman think of the terrorist American colonials? What does the
Chechnyan Businessman think of the extremist Russian infantryman?
Think things are getting complicated? Think it might have anything to do with the country they're born into? If so, does that mean we are forced
to adopt the rules and valuies of the country just becuase of the physical location of our birth? Maybe we do what we're told because of the church
we grew up in. Does that church have all the answers? CAn they see all ends? What about the families we're born into? Are we forced to adopt
their prejudices and patriotism?
What if there really is NO enemy? Can you handle the metaphysical implications of that statement? Not that its right..but what if it has built
with in it the key to unlocking more of the reality tunnel we currently live in. What if most of eastern philosophy and western cabalism were really
designed to help us face our own perspective limits and allow us a chance to redifine our neurological process's so we could be MORE than our genetic
makeup and chance early childhood provide.
Are there really any thinkers here?!