tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post8319657478428873493..comments2024-03-28T23:57:50.103-05:00Comments on Bayou Renaissance Man: The chaotic situation in Syria and the Islamic worldPeterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10595089829300831372noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-31191228892556492782015-11-21T22:29:11.068-06:002015-11-21T22:29:11.068-06:00If only there were some historical precedent for h...If only there were some historical precedent for how tribal societies develop into civil societies capable of sustaining democratic institutions. Wishing really hard doesn't seem to be working out very well. :-/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-10887914624593696572015-11-21T15:20:35.280-06:002015-11-21T15:20:35.280-06:00SiGraybeard, even if it were true that U.S. presid...SiGraybeard, even if it were true that U.S. presidents are "self-interested despots who'll rule for their own benefit and that of their cronies", still the U.S. standard of living, quality of life, human rights, civil liberties etc. etc. are incomparably higher than in any Muslim country you care to mention, let alone the countries named above.<br /><br />Chalk it up to separation of powers and the foresight of the Founders, if you want to, but the difference is real and lasting.<br /><br />Islam's "business model" of intimidation and poll-tax extraction from infidels (essentially the Mafia writ large), on the other hand, cannot survive in the modern, hyperglobalized world, except by imposing itself by force everywhere. It's going to be a bloody 21st century to get them to abandon this dream and either completely transform themselves or abandon the political (jihad) and juridical (sharia) components of their religion entirely.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-25606590698115048442015-11-21T12:14:57.597-06:002015-11-21T12:14:57.597-06:00for every enlightened 'dictator', one gets...<i> for every enlightened 'dictator', one gets a dozen self-interested despots who'll rule for their own benefit and that of their cronies, rather than the nation as a whole. </i> You mean like the US? <br /><br />SiGraybeardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00280583031339062059noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-59526886038959102752015-11-21T11:16:19.068-06:002015-11-21T11:16:19.068-06:001 Samuel 8:19-20 The people would not listen to Sa...1 Samuel 8:19-20 The people would not listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want to be like other nations. We want a king to rule us and lead us in battle.”<br /><br />Despot or colonialism is both form of absolute rule. And for many culture, it probably is better for them as majority of the population do not have the capability to make informed decision. we can't apply first world solution to third world and expect successes.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-41294354179563377492015-11-21T10:00:28.422-06:002015-11-21T10:00:28.422-06:00Great video!Great video!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-2603092627792972992015-11-21T09:43:01.923-06:002015-11-21T09:43:01.923-06:00They can't rule themselves. The two solutions ...They can't rule themselves. The two solutions that seem to work in the case of muslim populations are the strongman solution, in which a despot rules with an iron fist, the despotism only as enlightened as the despot himself; or the White Man's Burden solution, colonialism, in which an enlightened country dominates a weaker country and attempts to civilize it. Your own South African homeland is an example of this, as is Zimbabwe and India; two of the three promptly descended to crime and chaos when the enlightened minority left, one (India) eventually prospered. Egypt is another example, the period under British colonialism was probably the most peaceful and tolerant of that country's history. Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11402651457453813639noreply@blogger.com