[AtLast]

Originally Posted by dreadgeek

I have to split the difference with you here. I think we have to be prepared to say "this is wrong, I don't care that it's a different culture but mutilating the genitals of young girls is wrong, full-stop". I think we MUST be prepared to do this and it concerns me that perhaps, we are not and, quite honestly, it scares me and makes me a little sad. Can you imagine, for instance, someone saying that Jim Crow was just part of Southern Culture and that while they are glad they don't have to live under that system in, say, Boston we cannot and should not be involved in trying to change that belief system? I can. I can very well imagine it and imagine how different my life could have been. That is why, although I may be called a Western Imperialist for this, I believe that there ARE truly universal human rights and that HUMAN rights trump CULTURES every time. So if some culture X engages in some behavior Y that, if my own culture did the same thing I would be out screaming in the streets (think honor killing, think female genital mutilation), then to be at all consistent I must condemn it in that other culture and take the heat that someone may call me an imperialist. That doesn't mean we invade other nations over their cultural practices but it *does* mean that don't make apologies for it either.

This analogy (Jim Crow), does bring me to another level with this.

I think that will work for the people who aren't interested in attacking us. I think it might even dissuade some people from joining the camp of those who want to attack us. I don't think it will do *anything* for the people who already want to attack us.

And I think what you said earlier about no promises of an enemy (used loosly) being stupid or insane applies.



Here I would agree. It's not the entire answer but we should be prepared for those situations where it *is* the answer and when it is, we should admit that it will be messy, ugly and painful.



I would agree with you again although, honestly, I think that hatred of the West in the Muslim world has more to do with US foreign policy and with our rather libertine culture than with how individual Westerners treat individual Muslims in their midst.

Cheers
Aj

Yes, good distinction.

There are so many new posts that go at the subject, I need to go back over all of them. A lot to digest ... a multi-faceted subject. Complex, to say the least! I appreciate all of the views being expressed.