An interesting read

[gridlore]

What if the United States was like Iraq?

President Bush said Tuesday that the Iraqis are refuting the pessimists and implied that things are improving in that country.

What would America look like if it were in Iraq's current situation? The population of the US is over 11 times that of Iraq, so a lot of statistics would have to be multiplied by that number.

Thus, violence killed 300 Iraqis last week, the equivalent proportionately of 3,300 Americans. What if 3,300 Americans had died in car bombings, grenade and rocket attacks, machine gun spray, and aerial bombardment in the last week? That is a number greater than the deaths on September 11, and if America were Iraq, it would be an ongoing, weekly or monthly toll.

Comments

Re: Since this is my party..

[dekarch.livejournal.com]

See Battle of Badr, one of the formative points in the history of Islam. Attack by Mohammed and followers on an escorted trade caravan. Detailed discussion of division of the spoils, a significant part of which was assigned to Mohammed. Significant portion of spoils were camels, hence Mohammed can at least be said to have conspired to commit theft and to have recieved stolen goods. 8th Sura of the Koran discusses this point, as well as the secondary issue of taking the prisioners hostage and requiring them to pay a ransom. Hence camel thief is as honest a descriptor as "Judean radical agitator" is of Jesus Christ.

Regarding my "stereotypical" attitudes regarding Muslims, one has to ask precisely how much time you have spent in a Muslim country? A year was enough for me, thank you.

Re: Since this is my party..

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

So you won't mind me referring to Jesus as Whip Boy? After all, he did go postal on a group of legitimate businessmen.. an act that would have resulted in his arrest and imprisonment in our society.

I have Muslim friends, know the history, and spent enough time in Georgia to have interesting attitudes about some Southern Baptists.

Oh, and speaking of history. Taking of spoils was an accepted part of war up until the 20th Century. See the Crusader's sack of Constantinople for a great example of Christian troops doing this (Or the Boxer Rebellion for a more modern example.)