gdp's Comments

KABOBfest : Al-Azhar Supports Israeli Apartheid

Sat, 9 Jan 2010 09:25:39 +0000

This is a demented mindset...there are other tragedies in the world and everything does not compare to Gaza. I'd like to disagree. The reason why the Palestinians' situation is so vehemently publicised by its supporters is because of the tendency by major Western nations to disregard their suffering and blame it on the Palestinians themselves. You'd never see congress passing a resolution espousing the Sri Lankans' right to self-defence, while making no mention of its treatment of ordinary Tamils. It's also well known now that many politicians are pressured into supporting Israel for fear of a financial and political backlash by pro-Israel American Jews for the Democrats and Evangelical Christians for the Republicans. But these two groups together make up less than half of the American voting population. The rest of the country either doesn't care (and would like the US to stay out of it altogether) or would like a more balanced approach. It's also ridiculous to say that Ron Paul enjoys little support. He enjoys support not only from Republicans but from Democrat leaning voters too, and his views have become mainstream. Your last paragraph, I agree with - the US is a democracy that gives its citizens more rights than even the most enlightened European nations. And this is coming from a European.

KABOBfest : Al-Azhar Supports Israeli Apartheid

Thu, 7 Jan 2010 21:28:49 +0000

Yes, I'm sure smuggling because you desperately need food and medicine that's not allowed to be imported, is exactly like crack dealing. The situation the Gazans are in is not in any way their fault. To try and blame them is despicable.

KABOBfest : Al-Azhar Supports Israeli Apartheid

Thu, 7 Jan 2010 07:32:51 +0000

And that's where the similarity ends. One is an well-intentioned taskforce whereas the other attempts to limit personal freedoms (regardless of any connotations it may have). When you have a blockade and there are no exports, then the line between legal and illegal is blurred. The Gazans smuggle because they need to - the only other option for them would be to live horrid lives on basic food rations and none of the amenities demanded by life in a 21st century world,

KABOBfest : Al-Azhar Supports Israeli Apartheid

Wed, 6 Jan 2010 18:29:20 +0000

You didn't make that comparison and even if you did, it wouldn't hold. One publicly admonished one of its students for wearing something (remember the uproar in Brazil about the girl who wore a low-cut dress?) Telling her it's un-Islamic is perfectly fine - ordering her to take it off isn't. Smuggling through the tunnels is ILLEGAL. Gazans risk smuggling through the tunnels because there is a lot of money to be made at it: risk and reward, its basically like free market entrepreneurship except its illegal - its illegal capitalism - like the cocaine industry. Do you think ordinary Gazans would risk smuggling goods through tunnels if they didn't desperately need them? Yes. Everyone knows this. So you know that Gazans are desperate and smuggle out of necessity, but you think its fine that they have to resort to this behaviour? (btw, I've never come across smuggling being called illegal - do you have any sources?)

KABOBfest : Al-Azhar Supports Israeli Apartheid

Wed, 6 Jan 2010 16:35:43 +0000

Wrong! As long as this isn't an attempt to undermine academic freedom (which I doubt is the case), then there is no problem. You just don't see the difference between setting up a task-force to ensure people don't get radicalised and building a wall to imprison people, do you? Do you think ordinary Gazans would risk smuggling goods through tunnels if they didn't desperately need them?

KABOBfest : Al-Azhar Supports Israeli Apartheid

Wed, 6 Jan 2010 11:44:05 +0000

If you include non-Arab, Sunni clerics, then yes, many have. As for Arab clerics, I don't know. I get the feeling that you're hostile to Sunni Arab terrorism, which is justified, but I also noticed that you're quiet on the actions of Shia Arabs (and non-Arabs) in the country. I'm pretty sure the atrocities flowed both ways.

KABOBfest : Al-Azhar Supports Israeli Apartheid

Tue, 5 Jan 2010 22:22:48 +0000

Actually, modern Jihadism took root in attempts to overthrow the various Egyptian dictatorships throughout the 20th century. The thing is, that they're not very good in areas with law and order - they thrive on lawlessness, which is why they're in Iraq, Somalia, Yemen, North Waziristan and Afghanistan.

KABOBfest : Al-Azhar Supports Israeli Apartheid

Tue, 5 Jan 2010 22:20:16 +0000

It's obvious that Arab nationalism is a joke and has always been that way. Apart from brief flickers of Arab 'unity', you're constantly at each others' throats. But I don't see how the constant accusations of hypocrisy (most of which are true) are relevant. You've made your point, it's either been addressed by the people you are accusing, or ignored.

KABOBfest : Al-Azhar Supports Israeli Apartheid

Tue, 5 Jan 2010 22:14:12 +0000

Woah, calm down Mojo. Do you really think that hypocrisy is confined to the Arab world? (I'm speaking in my capacity as a non-Arab here). Why only point out apparent Arab hypocrisy, which by the way, I don't think is anywhere near the levels you imply. I'm pretty sure there were Arabs out there who did denounce the Saudi Fatwa - it does take quite a big leap of logic to deduce that Kabobers implicitly support the Fatwa because they haven't denounced it. As for your Starbucks in Egypt example, could it be because there's a state with functioning and stable institutions in Egypt, whereas Iraq isn't that fortunate? If you get rid of a government without an effective replacement plan, then its obvious the country is going to fall to bits. Just look at New Orleans in the immediate aftermath of Katrina.

KABOBfest : Santa vs. Israeli Soldiers

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 09:55:59 +0000

Sorry I don't have time to respond in more detail but I think we've both come to the conclusion we aren't ever going to agree on this one, anyway :) Yes, I agree. That seems to happen quite often, doesn't it?

KABOBfest : South Asia Has a New Gender

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 23:05:16 +0000

You kinda implied otherwise when you mention Christian-Muslim relations in the other thread! Not really. Amongst those that are religious (and those that aren't), there is little animosity between them and Muslims. I do think continental Europeans are more religious than Brits, especially the further south you go. Scandinavia, not so much, but southern Germany, France, Spain - definitely. A 50% increase in prevalence is "not significant" in your view? lol. I hope you aren't a scientist! And you are comparing to France, probably the most sexually liberal country on earth! I'm an economist - As someone who understands the nature of social statistics and I know how flawed they are. If you take into account the time difference (and the trend of homosexuality rates increasing over time), the difference in rates can easily be explained. In 2003, 12% of Norwegians had homosexual sex. In 1988, that percentage was 3.5%. I don't know if that's true or not, but if it is then I'd say it was routine homosexuality at Princeton as well. It could be, but researchers seem to think that it isn't just routine homosexuality, but pedastry.

KABOBfest : Santa vs. Israeli Soldiers

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 22:55:18 +0000

Where I live, the Muslim population is close to 50% and there still isn't any animosity between Muslims and Christians. Our relationship is quite close, in fact. State-side Christians also happen to be more extreme and political than their European counterparts. Since when did Osama bin Laden represent the opinion of the Muslim world? It seems you like blaming all Muslims for the actions of the few. I have criticised Bin Laden on many occasions and since when have I criticised his victims? Yes. It isn't Muslims who have a problem with "the other". It's Christians who have the problem. That's totally obvious from facts on the ground, right? Yes, in the West it totally is. Have I just imagined articles by prominent American Christians and Jews calling for the expulsion of Muslims, restrictions on their entry, freedom to worship, or even all out war against them? Your statement is a bit of an oxymoron. Jesus was a Jewish rabbi and Christianity is based entirely upon Judaism, yet you are making some kind of distinction between the two. From a Christian perspective, Christianity is Judaism 2.0 and Jews are merely the people who didn't upgrade. Yes, and Islam is meant to be Judaism 3.0, but that does not mean Jewish and Muslim history is intertwined, does it? Islamic history as a concept didn't exist before Muhammed, the same way Christian history didn't exist before the advent of Christianity. With the advent of Christianity, Judaism and Christianity went their separate ways. Western cultural institutions evolved as a reaction to religion. Enlightenment writers rarely if ever, mentioned Christianity as their motivation for their ideals, never mind Judaism. Christianity and Judaism were definitely not the inspiration for the founding fathers' concept of freedom of religion and freedom of conscience. Any way you put it, Judeo-Christian history is a false notion. Again, you blame the victims of aggression for the aggression. What's up with that? Again, I'm not blaming the victims (as if Christians as a whole are the victims). Your statement implies that there is a 'clash of civilisations/religions', which is exactly what I'm criticising - attempts by extremists on both sides to make it so.

KABOBfest : South Asia Has a New Gender

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 22:29:20 +0000

When I say secular, I mean areligious - Most Brits simply don't care much about religion. I checked the statistics on homosexuality - it seems 6% (2005) of Brits confess to be gay compared with 4% (1992) of French people. Taking into account the dates the surveys were taken and the studies that suggest France is slightly more homophobic than Britain, I don't think the difference is that significant. I don't think the Oxford system was routine homosexuality seeing as it was quite prevalent, and was similar to what went on in places like Princeton

KABOBfest : South Asia Has a New Gender

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 21:42:41 +0000

I don't think Britain has an unusually high rate of homosexuality, it's just that the secular nature of British society means that it's just accepted. We're even having major sports stars 'come-out' and being given standing ovations for doing so. The practise that I mentioned, was common before the acceptance of homosexuality. They din't practise full on male sex, but instead the non-penetrative type common in Germany, which was seen as more 'acceptable'

KABOBfest : Santa vs. Israeli Soldiers

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 21:33:47 +0000

Ermm....hello! Palestinian Christians? There isn't any animosity between Christians and Muslims in the area where I live and in Britain in gerneral, but it seems that there are people, especially state-side who want to form a 'Judeo-Chrisian alliance' against the Moslems. It's a good way to portray Muslims as the 'other'. Christianity didn't exist pre-Jesus' death, so to say their history was one and the same is a false notion. The term Judeo-Christian is regularly used to describe Western history, which is false. Its proponents usually claim that Muslims are a threat and must be opposed no matter what the costs.

KABOBfest : Santa vs. Israeli Soldiers

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 20:54:06 +0000

Yes, you mean all the times Christians expelled Jews from their countries? And when they weren't doing that, they were busy killing them. Great shared history!

KABOBfest : South Asia Has a New Gender

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 20:23:20 +0000

Your last paragraph relates to pedastry, very common in Ancient Greece. Not exactly related to a third gender, rather it was seen as an acceptable form of homosexuality. It was also practised in the Universities of Princeton and Oxford (between older and younger students) as a means of emulating the likes of Plato and Socrates.

KABOBfest : Santa vs. Israeli Soldiers

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 20:19:13 +0000

Really? Because it seems to met, it seems it's the other way round. How many times do I hear the meaningless phrase Judeo-Christian, as if they've shared some kind of history together? How many times do I hear it as a means of forming an alliance against the 'Mozlemz' or 'A-rabs'?

KABOBfest : Shame on ADC's racism against Nigerians

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 16:51:01 +0000

In that case, it would be relevant, but it isn't in this case.

KABOBfest : Shame on ADC's racism against Nigerians

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 16:30:10 +0000

What if he was motivated by something other than Kashmir, yet people jumped to conclusions based on which country he was born in. My Mum's Zimbabwean. If she was to blow herself up (God forbid), would her nationality be relevant?