What are your thoughts on Egypt?

[Jonathan Scott]

What are your thoughts on Egypt?
So far, I believe I'm in favor of what the protesters are doing...if
it leads to a democracy (or even better, a Constitutional Republic
like ours).

Your opinions?

[Chet]

The protesters, like many protesters, are using violence and looting - which hurts their cause tremendously. The real problem is that we're faced with the fact that something worse is going to be the new leadership of Egypt.

Countries such as the USA have often been faced with the problem of dealing with, and officially befriending, wicked people because they ARE the heads of their states. And then we're accused of "being in bed with" them, though we'd have been about as supportive of any head of their state, short of an anti-American one.

The situation in Egypt looks like a lose/lose one.
-
*jeep! and God Bless
  --Grandpa Chet, MM, DM 
"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;"

--Join the Magic Land at http://magiclandofallakazam.com/ a free fan club for those of us who loved and love  Nani Darnell, Rebo the Magic Clown, and Mark Wilson!

--Mind Over Matter, How to Develop Your ESP Abilities - new from Richard Osterlind at http://osterlindpublications.com/

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[Jonathan Scott]

I like your opinion.  It seems a little better thought out than mine.  Still, if it leads to Democracy or a Constitutional Republic, I would be very pleased, even if for a time, the democratic government was somewhat anti-american for a time.  In time, problems would work themselves out and we could become friends again...just as much as we are friends with France or Japan.  It used to be like that.  I think a democracy there would make that a possibility again.

Why do muslims tend to hate the US so much?  Is it solely because of our support of Israel?

[Chet]

There are several reasons why Muslims hate America and Israel so much.

1. They are taught to hate us. The Koran does teach that Jews and Christians - indeed, all non-Muslims - are not human. Attitudes towards us range from the out-and-out hate taught by the most "fundamental" sects of Islam to seeing us as non-humans who could become human if we would accept and live Islam. 

2. America has treated and negotiated with heads of state who, let's face it, were and are really evil people. If we're to deal with other countries (and since the idea of a global community began to emerge in the early 20th century, it's seemed necessary by most parties) then we will invariably be dealing with evil leaders. The current president of Egypt is an example of a real rotter, but we dealt with him because we're not SUPPOSED to overthrow other countries unless they are a clear danger to us. (i.e. - the self-defense plea)

3. When the British reorganized the Middle East, the caliphate - which had kept the various (again, let's face it - barbaric) groups in order (or at least stasis) was abolished. And many of the people set up to rule the areas and tribes were not "really" rulers of lineage or anything else. Thomas E. Lawrence may have done much more harm than any good.

4. The Koran contradicts the Bible on many key points - Abraham's legacy was supposed to go to Ishmael, who was "really" the one that Abraham almost sacrificed before the angel intervened. That sort of thing. The corrupters of the "real" scriptures were, supposedly, the children of the birthright stealer - Isaac.

5. The Koran states that in the last days, the person we see (or most Protestants see) as "the antichrist" is the coming messiah for Islam. They'll celebrate the prophesied things which we and the Jews will consider abominations. Yikes!

6. I'm convinced that most Muslims don't study the Koran, in the same way that I'm positive most Christians don't study the Bible. In the Islamic case, it's probably why most Muslims aren't warlike and ready to kill all infidels. 

There's more, but I'm out of time....which is perhaps an appropriate thing to say, these days.

-
*jeep! and God Bless
  --Grandpa Chet, MM, DM 
"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;"

--Join the Magic Land at http://magiclandofallakazam.com/ a free fan club for those of us who loved and love  Nani Darnell, Rebo the Magic Clown, and Mark Wilson!

--Mind Over Matter, How to Develop Your ESP Abilities - new from Richard Osterlind at http://osterlindpublications.com/