Kashmir Quake

[Inquartata]

your first post mentions Bin Laden, "recruiting opportunities" and "pernicious madrases churn out future radicals to be aimed at us"- What has this got to do with an Earthquake?

Again, this is political topics forum. What do you expect?

Events illustrate what they illustrate. I see no point in pretending not to see them.

[Inquartata]

I see. So in the case of Katrina, it was ok to use that disaster to display the hatred of the current adminstration, contempt for people of faith, good-ole-boys, and those who feel a welfare state causes more problems than it solves?

I am waiting for Kanye West to make a pronouncement that "Bush doesn't care about Blackistani people".

[Slim]

I am waiting for Kanye West to make a pronouncement that "Bush doesn't care about Blackistani people".

Thanks for making me blow my coffee all over the monitor.

Gav, give ALL my rep points to this gentleman.

[keith]

Again, this is political topics forum. What do you expect?

Events illustrate what they illustrate. I see no point in pretending not to see them.

Sorry but the events don't illustrate what Slim claims - he has yet to provide any evidence (beside his own prejudices) for the claim of a woeful response to the Kasmir earthquake by 'muslim' nations.

[Inquartata]

Sorry but the events don't illustrate what Slim claims - he has yet to provide any evidence (beside his own prejudices) for the claim of a woeful response to the Kasmir earthquake by 'muslim' nations.

No, that wasn't my argument. There are ( at least ) two parallel debates going on here, I think...

[keith]

No, that wasn't my argument. There are ( at least ) two parallel debates going on here, I think...

Same arguement - after all if you have no basis to claim a differing interpretation the theoretical arguement that should such data exist the opinion would be valid is beside the point.

[Inquartata]

Same arguement - after all if you have no basis to claim a differing interpretation the theoretical arguement that should such data exist the opinion would be valid is beside the point.

No. I was pursuing Army Fencer's initial reflection that being a good friend to the Pakistani people affected by the earthquake and its aftermath could also be helpful in ameliorating terrorism...and defending that point of view from Esskreemr's criticism about "acts of humanity" being best performed without thought of other effects. Slim's argument about why Muslim countries aren't seen to be doing more with more verve was IMO a detour, albeit it has in the end sparked the more energetic debate of the two...

[ReverseLunge]

Not every disaster is an act of God. Some are rightly called natural disasters. This, however, is not one of them.

God has once again turned his wrath on the towel-heads of Pakistan. A 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck near Islamabad, which is its capital city. Also affected was the northern Indian province of Kashmir, which is just Muslims under the control of the Hindus anyway. An estimated 30,000 blasphemers are dead.

The Lord has once again become reminiscent of Old Testament times, and it fills my heart with righteous glee every time He does so. Those Moon-worshipping homers thought it was awful funny when a satanic hurricane tried to drown the people of Lousianna, but are they laughing now? Praise Jesus!

I think that God has punished those sexually deviant heathens in Pakistan and India for not giving our Godly charities enough money for our hurricane victims.

I'm curious if anyone else has thought this through?

[Zilverzmurfen]

I'm curious if anyone else has thought this through?

The question is rather if you have thought this through..?

[ReverseLunge]

The question is rather if you have thought this through..?

Just great. The pure blonde woman is questioning the black mans ability to think and form thoughts. Thank you for trying to keep a black man down.

[Zilverzmurfen]

Thank you for trying to keep a black man down.

You're welcome.

[ReverseLunge]

Atleast you admit that you are racist. Thank you again.

[pigeonmeister]

Zilv-Don't rise to RL, it just makes him happy.

The sad thing is that, amongst Slim's dogma, obvious prejudice and extreemly poor analytical skills, there is a point to be made that I think Inquartata brushed upon. I think it is made quite well in this piece from (shock horror that liberal enemy: the Observer) The author points to the role of radical Islamic groups filling the vacuum left, in times of crisis, by the state's inability to take responsibility for key parts of civil society. It's a shame that the electronic version seems to be an edited version of the more extended article I read in the actual paper. But here it is anyway.

Why Musharraf had to eat humble pie

[PeterGustafsson]

Hi!

Actually, the main thrust of my question was why the muslim nations don't respond immediately to a situation effecting a huge number of fellow muslims and display to the world more self reliance. Why are they not leading the pack in response time and $$ ? I see the west as the only one critisized for "too little, too late". Saudi Arabia, Syria, Egypt, Qatar, Iran....where are they? Even with token contributions?

Saudi Arabia has now announced an aid package of 133 million $. Link:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4344332.stm
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exer...588B9E4C59.htm


Best of luck to those affected.

Peter Gustafsson

[telkanuru]

It seems vaguely like Slim and Inq. are shouting "apples!" while everyone else counters with "oranges!"

I agree that there is a serious tendancy for the US to be damned if it does, damned if it dosn't when it comes to anything in the Middle East or thereabouts. I don't particularly feel that this means we shouldn't contribute aid because of this, and I don't think that aid given is completely disconnected from politics. Both things are reprehensable, but there's the world...

[umbrella]

I am waiting for Kanye West to make a pronouncement that "Bush doesn't care about Blackistani people".

Race should have nothing to do with this thread or the issue at hand. My countrymen are also dark complected. We have roots that go back to Northern Africa, but have sustained a catholic tradition for many centuries.

Giving aid and support to disaster areas is a old as history itself. Good people have traditionally tried to assist others. I think it was a mistake for the Muslim population to have left India and create their own country called Pakistan, based on religion. It may be wrong, but building a country that includes everybody is probably the best course of action; because it literally forces us to try to get along. If we can't then we have to take the kind of corrective actions necessary to make the country work. Such as:

1. leadership needs to be better able to assess and address social problems before they get out of hand;
2. leadership should be able to surround themselves with knowledgeable professionals who can assist government develop plans for cities that include siuch things as: medical provisions for people, educational plans for the population, ecological planning for the population; and so forth.

Recently our mayor offered this for a disaster: store water and have a flashlight. He's probably right, there is no plan. People want to stay in their homes to protect their property, so they stay and take their chances, that's the law of averages!