The assumption of sanity may not hold with Sunni Arabs who have shown capabilities of treachery and duplicity and insanity rivaling even the Catholics at the time of the Inquisition. Look how they call westerners 'crusaders' when the most successful 'crusaders' against Moslems was Ghengis Khan. Khan and his heirs sought to root out and destroy the Moslems totally. Khan was a Nestorian Christian, not a pagan as some believed, and blamed the Moslems for destroying the seat of his faith in Esfahan and other cities in where modern Iran is now. Were it not for the Moslems, a third great center of Christianity would exist where Iran and Iraq is now. Even now the moslems live in mortal fear of any incursion from the East.
Standing Bear On Saturday 12 November 2005 03:20, Wesley Bruce wrote: > Well said Jed. > > Jed Rothwell wrote: > > Wesley Bruce wrote: > >> We can't rule out a collapse of communism in China or a shattering of > >> the peoples republic, both would be messy, very messy. > > > > Not necessarily. The collapse of communism in Russia and Eastern > > Europe was calm and orderly, with practically no casualties. Of course > > Russia still has a long way to go before it achieves Western European > > standards, but it is improving and it is far better than it was under > > communism. I expect that China will gradually evolve away from > > communism, until the government is overthrown in a "velvet revolution." > > > > Doomsday scenarios seldom come true, because most people are sane, and > > they want to live in peace. In the 1950s, many people assumed that the > > US and the Soviet Union would eventually launch a nuclear Armageddon, > > but it never happened. It turned out we could live with them and they > > could live with us. I am 110% confident that we can reach the same > > kind of accommodation with China and also with Muslim nations such as > > Saudi Arabia. See Kennedy's speech at American University, June 1963: > > > > http://usa.usembassy.de/etexts/speeches/rhetoric/jfkuniv.htm > > > > QUOTE > > > > "Some say that it is useless to speak of world peace or world law or > > world disarmament - and that it will be useless until the leaders of > > the Soviet Union adopt a more enlightened attitude. I hope they do. I > > believe we can help them do it. But I also believe that we must > > reexamine our own attitude - as individuals and as a Nation - for our > > attitude is as essential as theirs. . . . > > > > First: Let us examine our attitude toward peace itself. Too many of us > > think it is impossible. Too many think it unreal. But that is a > > dangerous, defeatist belief. It leads to the conclusion that war is > > inevitable - that mankind is doomed - that we are gripped by forces we > > cannot control. > > > > We need not accept that view. Our problems are manmade - therefore, > > they can be solved by man. And man can be as big as he wants. No > > problem of human destiny is beyond human beings. Man's reason and > > spirit have often solved the seemingly unsolvable - and we believe > > they can do it again." > > > > Remember that! If you have any doubts, look around and see what we > > have accomplished already. Read history, and try to realize how > > difficult it was to build civilization. You will see that our present > > problems are small in comparison. > > > > Also, the notion that France is going to be taken over by Muslim > > civilization is nonsense. No trend lasts forever. If anything, over > > the next few hundred years I expect Western values and science will > > permeate Muslim nations even more than it has already, despite their > > opposition. Science and democracy, which are two sides of the same > > coin, are the most powerful ideas in human history. They outweigh even > > religion, nationalism, capitalism and communism. I think they will > > continue to move mountains and change civilizations for many centuries > > to come. Long after capitalism has been replaced by a system in which > > we will produce all the goods we want for free, and people do no work, > > and long after nation states have withered away and international > > borders no longer exist, science will still be progressing. Today's > > news offers hope. Science and rationality have triumphed in Dover, PA: > > > > "All eight members of the Pennsylvania school board that had been sued > > for introducing the teaching of intelligent design as an alternative > > to evolution in biology class were swept out of office Tuesday by a > > slate of challengers who campaigned against the intelligent-design > > policy." > > > > - Jed
