Too much information.

[unbibium]

Every so often, lately, I've been seeing articles on the Internet, written or linked by opinionated, but not quite "kookish" sources, that say the thing which it seems the American media has been suggesting for months but bending over backwards to avoid saying outright: that Islam is fucked. So how am I to respond to a controversial article like this?

As an American, key points of my education have been geared towards avoiding the statement "$RELIGION is fucked" by many many many factors.

• The Nazis said "Judaism is fucked" and that prompted them to do that Final Solution thing. Well, actually, they said "all non-Germans are fucked and we will rule the world," and the anti-Semitism was just the specific brand of racism they exploited to rise to power.
• One of the underlying principles of American awesomeness is that our government is required by our Constitution to respect the rights of every religion. Even, technically, Satanism. But we can still make laws against things that are Just Wrong, like human sacrifices. And... ahem... and gay marriages.
• The Great Politically Correct Movement. Sure, we make fun of the verbose hyphenated-American language that cropped up in the 1990's, which was also the height Andrew Dice Clay's career though I'm sure there's no connection. But, many many memes survive that center around how evil all the rich old white Christian men of the world are, and that criticizing non-Western cultures is more deeply offensive than, for exampe, making inbreeding jokes about Alabama, or saying that the French smell bad, or believing that Germans in 2002 are as racist as the fascists that ruled them in 1939.

So when I read an article like this, I have to wonder how we can determine the difference between racist ramblings and a well-thought-out argument. After all, everytime I hear someone go off on the Jews, I find that I eventually set the Bozo Bit on them and cease to take them seriously because I bet they're going to go beat up some shopkeeper somewhere, or that if enough people do this at once, the whole idea might get twisted into another fascist movement.

There's the rub. When we perceive the problem as a religion or race, some people perceive the solution as to eliminate that religion or race. And that's a whole problem unto itself. The enraged villain beating mercilessly on a defenseless, innocent shopkeeper is probably imagining himself to be like one of the heroes of Flight 93. In ESR's latest post on the subject, he details a multi-tiered solution which includes our current government's campaign against Iraq, and perhaps promoting a kind of reformed watered-down Islam that won't be so likely to flare up in the future, but not before stating that homeland defense "must also include a revival of the role of the unincorporated militia and the armed citizen." I can't help but be afraid that those playing this role might skew towards the overly trigger-happy, which we have a hard enough time taming in our state-run police agencies. I shudder to think of the kind of domino-effect escalation that might happen in our own cities, were that to happen.

See, even though I just said that American culture puts up many blocks to racism, these blocks are very porous. And even with World War II in our history, events around the world today have led me to believe that nobody has learned jack squat from the Holocaust. And let us not forget what Christian fundamentalists have been capable of in the past; ask anyone at an abortion clinic.

On the other hand, we can't let our liberal doctrines leave us impotent. The people who are fighting us have no such concept of mercy. I'd like someone to prove me wrong by pointing out any documentation whatsoever of liberal organizations in the high schools and colleges of Islamic countries that have as much influence as they do here. When is the young Iranian ever exposed to the meme that perhaps blowing up a planeload of Americans might violate our rights? Who in Saudi Arabia is saying, early and often in a student's life, that statements such as "$RELIGION is fucked", or even "All non-$US are fucked", should raise big red flags?

I think the problem will only go away when the meme of jihad is fought by an equally virulent counter-meme. And I suspect that it will be born in the aftermath of Afghanistan. Our success in rebuilding that country will determine the course of the region. And we have the advantage that the Taliban regime was so draconian and oppressive that practically anything will be seen as an improvement. In a few years' time, if poverty declines, and the government stabilizes, people might remember the American invasion as the best thing that happened to them, as a liberation.

But all of my ideas can easily be based on faulty information. I've read articles that tell me that many Palestinians believe that it is a fact that Jews drink the blood of children. Suppose some of what I've been told about what the Koran says is just as fallacious? Suppose that seventy-virgins-afterlife thing isn't in there? Do I have to go out to the library and find the Koran and check these facts? Do I have to learn Arabic and study Middle-Eastern culture so I can see for myself whether the translator was either full of shit or misunderstood an idiomatic expression? I've heard more than three people on television tell me that Islam is a religion of peace, and read more than three people on the Internet tell me that Islam is a religion of war. Who should I take seriously?

Wait a minute... I think I have the answer. The Internet and television are my sources. Neither of them are credible, therefore I will ignore them both.

I'm a doughy programmer. What good could this information possibly do me, anyway? There doesn't seem to be anything I can do for the cause of ending the crisis anyway, if there even is one. And since terrorism is such a low statistical threat, there doesn't seem to be anything I need to do to protect myself, above and beyond what I "should" already be doing, like taking martial arts classes or giving blood. All these vague warnings and speculation the media is flooding me with is only giving me tha nagging feeling that I'm not alert enough, I "should" be more alert, by, well, keeping on my toes and being "heads-up" and having increased awareness. So far, every indication is that time I spend thinking about this issue is time wasted, mindpower wasted in a mind already crowded with too much information funneled into it by all manner of sources, with only a small, fixed amount of attention to divide among it all.

September 11 taught me already that humans have an infinite capacity for evil. Now that I have that information, what the hell am I supposed to do with it?

Comments

[vyus.livejournal.com]

Wow.

My impression is that many old-world religions are closer to superstition rather than modern, useful philosophies. Christianity had the benefit of the new testament, which uses the word "peace" a whole lot. It was a new twist on the old religion, the old testament, and it brought it out of the superstitious mode.

Judaism and Islam both fall into the "old world" category. Those Jewish and Muslim folks that say their religion is about peace are able to reinterpret their written codes in a more modern, pluralistic fashion.

Any religion which does not accomodate new truths is "fucked," IMO, but yeah, my answer to that is not genocide.

Altho the Israelites and Palestinians seemed to have agreed that the other is fucked and seem to like the genocide idea.

One of the neat contributions of western civilization is an appreciation of other cultures, or at least an attempt at the appreciation of pluralism and tolerance. We can say something is fucked and yet see there are more answers than genocide (if genocide is really an answer, which it isn't). I'd happily say that, in that respect, we're better than a culture that would go out and rape/kill others in the name of their beliefs.

Not to say we don't need to work on some of that, ourselves, but on the whole.. ;)

[jecook]

So when I read an article like this, I have to wonder how we can determine the difference between racist ramblings and a well-thought-out argument. After all, everytime I hear someone go off on the Jews, I find that I eventually set the Bozo Bit on them and cease to take them seriously because I bet they're going to go beat up some shopkeeper somewhere, or that if enough people do this at once, the whole idea might get twisted into another fascist movement.

The Jews have taken a lot of heat over the past century for the simple fact that about 2 thosand years ago, they nailed some guy up to a cross for think that change would be a good idea. They have since figured out that Jesus was at the very least, another profit. It's a long story, and not everyone would agree to that veiwpoint. Most people that start ranting about the Jews need the bozo bit set anyway.

In ESR's latest post on the subject, he details a multi-tiered solution which includes our current government's campaign against Iraq, and perhaps promoting a kind of reformed watered-down Islam that won't be so likely to flare up in the future, but not before stating that...
That may not work. people would remember the old stuff, and want that kind of power back. oh wait, that what the Taliban and Bin-Laden was after in the first place. to recreate the Grand Olde Ottoman empire of the 1600's.

...homeland defense "must also include a revival of the role of the unincorporated militia and the armed citizen." I can't help but be afraid that those playing this role might skew towards the overly trigger-happy, which we have a hard enough time taming in our state-run police agencies. I shudder to think of the kind of domino-effect escalation that might happen in our own cities, were that to happen.

If the above were to happen, anyone who even looks like an islamic fudie would be better serve by wearing a large, red target on their backs, and a bright neon sign saying "SHOOT ME NOW!!". THis is not a good idea, IMHO. I can deal with weapons for defense, and following the Zero Law, but not to shoot people before they've done anything bad.

And let us not forget what Christian fundamentalists have been capable of in the past; ask anyone at an abortion clinic.

I'll mearly quote Carlin: "But it grows up to be a doctor, they just might have to kill it? They arent pro life. they are anti women!"


But all of my ideas can easily be based on faulty information.
uh, not according to some of my sources. Your info looks to be dead on. except for the 72 virgins thing. that was never put in the Koran.


September 11 taught me already that humans have an infinite capacity for evil. Now that I have that information, what the hell am I supposed to do with it?

Put it aside and move on with your life. Maybe be a bit more wary of people on the street.