All opinions posted. None too pathetic or contrived. Everyone gets their say.

"...even the wicked get worse than they deserve." - Willa Cather, One of Ours

Thursday, July 01, 2004

Communism vs Talibanism

Tech Central Station
What's an Insurgent? What's a Terrorist? by Steven Taylor
The classic understanding of an insurgency is a situation in which some subset of the overall population seeks to overthrow the existing government due to a severe disagreement that makes other means of settling political disputes untenable. However, the terrorist operating in Iraq are seeking chaos, not revolution, and as such they seek not a better life for Iraqis, or even Muslims writ large. Rather their only earthly goal appears to be death for anyone with whom they do not agree. It is this fact that makes our conflict with these types of groups a war, whether we like it or not.

In comparing the utopian dreams of Marxist rebels to the cult of death that men like al-Zarqawi seem to revel in, I would prefer any day to live in Castro’s Cuba than in the dystopia that the jihadists would bring. While hardly the kind of choice I would ever want to make in real life, it is starkly chilling, however, to note the obvious conclusions that one would reach if one were ever confronted with such a decision.
In a theocratic state dissent is punished by the 'will of God', not the dictates of the state. [shudder] This is the kind of nightmare that even a facsict would fear. So yes, I would likely choose the same as Taylor: one-party facsism is preferable to one-faith facsism.

I would highly reccomend the Afghan film "Osama". This is a brilliant look at the inherrently corrupting influence of a theocratic society.

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