Reply to Frank
Reader comment on item: [William Blum and] Al-Qaeda's Leftist Brigade
in response to reader comment: The correct way to combat terrorism

Submitted by Sidda (United States), Jan 26, 2006 at 09:34

I've has this very same thought myself. I see what you mean about Communism being concentrated in the Soviet Union vs. Islamists being all throughout the world. However, those who agree with Communist ideology are also spread throughout the world (like Blum) even though their beloved U.S.S.R. has crumbled. The difference, as I see it, is that Communism is a PROVEN failure as an economic system. All you have to do is look at any country that implements it. Look at Cuba; leaky boats filled with people risking their lives in the open sea to come to America--no leaky boats going the other way, though. Notice the marked difference between North Korea and South Korea. And finally, even China is becoming (at least economically if not politically) a capitalist economy. As the older guys die off, the younger are taking over and if they stay on their present course, the leftists are going to have a new "boogey man" because China is going to kick our arses in about 10 or 15 years.

So, anyone who pays attention, has any brains whatsoever, can see that Capitalism as an economic system works while Communism does not. It is self-evident. Yes, too much of a good thing can get out of hand; that's why there needs to be good oversight to make sure that the rules are followed (which I do think we could do a better job in) so people don't get hurt (as in ENRON).

Islam, on the other hand, is a religious, political, and social ideology 1600 years old. I agree with you that part of the West's problem is that we are so committed to respecting all different religious beliefs. I mean, that is generally a good thing; that's what many of our forefathers fought and died for. However, we are in a funny position because there is an ideology which states that it is just fine to treat non-believers as second class citizens, must dominate and not be dominated, gives people the choice of conversion, living as second class citizens, or death, calls non-believers animals, says it is every Muslims' duty to wage jihad, and we can't seem to bring ourselves to outright condemn this ideology because it has the label of "religion." I don't know how to solve that dilemma.

If anyone were to form an organization that had those beliefs as its guiding tenets, it would be denounced as bigoted or hateful ideology like the KKK or Aryan Nations and such.

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