But let me restate that is not the real problem here. In fact the West, both left & right, needs to own up to the fact that much of the world does not share its ideals or think or operate along the same lines.
One can look at Arabs dressed in jeans and rapping and make the error that the share western values but it’s better to know what they are saying and who they are saying it to.
Probably it comes as no surprise but this here is more often than not a social weapon wielded towards the very group I identify with. But I’m gonna figure that’s not what you meant there.
Why? Why even fucking bother? If people had any sense of epistemic responsibility we wouldn’t be having these problems in the first fucking place. People are doing an excellent job of turning a Huntington essay into everyone’s personal fucking nightmare. And why? Because making the problem simple means never having to reflect on your role in it. It means not having to consider difficult compromises and complex solutions. How does knowledge compete with ignorance that fucking convenient?
And this notion is imperialist, in my view. Assuming that there is a singular way of existing and insisting that everyone be that way is indeed the problem.
I don’t disagree here. People employ hip hop because it gives them a language that speaks to their condition, not because they are on board with American culture/values - hip hop was developed in the heart of American oppression. They embrace it, because it’s a criticism from within, a criticism of what they see as a racist force in the world.
When Huntington died, one prof I had that semester said “Bye-bye” in class. No love lost for that fucker. But he now is going to be seen as a genius by some.
Human beings have problems with complexity, especially when it comes to thinking criticially about their own thought processes. I’m with you on the drinks…
Thankyou for the benefit of the doubt there.
Yes, I am painfully aware that this sort of “but I’m right” attitude is itself one of the most toxic parts of the whole evangelism trip. 
My own boundaries therefore include “is it hurting other people (yes, including your own children) or the environment” and “is it scientifically, demonstrably wrong”.
It’s not perfect, but the world this year has come to the point where I believe it’s sometimes better to speak up than let certain shit continue to spread.
People employ hip hop because it gives them a language that speaks to their condition
Horse hockey. Damn near every culture has its long standing version of “blues music”. Rap is just another kind of western pop that ports well to some other languages. Arabs rapping about killing western crusaders and Jews is just that.
To be fair, simply identifying that folk have different world views does not necessarily contain a value-judgement call.
And acknowledging that folk are different is an important step towards co-existence.
But that tight there is the stuff people use against traditional Jews.
Who?
(reads Wiki)
Oh, that guy.
I only just twigged that he was the inspiration for this Jared Diamond piece: http://bama.ua.edu/~sprentic/607%20Diamond%201987.htm
Huh. Interesting.
OK, if that’s so, then we stand on different sides of that line. And I simply don’t think that “but it’s traditional” is an acceptable defence.
I’ll take that debate if someone threw it at me in person. Though probably not in this particular news thread.
I can assure you Arabs have other things to write blues music about and that we are capable of finding catharsis without resort to homicidal screeds.
Understood. However the rap videos I refer to before do exist.
Also traditional Lebanese “blues” is some beautiful stuff!
This is exactly the plan. They want to make things worse for Muslims everywhere, so that they will feel they have no choice but to turn to IS.
So far it’s been working like gangbusters.
And if by neutralized you mean “killed.” That’s a strange place to resort to euphemism.
Islamic state is seeking to create tension between communities, and to extend the ‘fight’ into a war. They want the west to position against Islam, which would bring moderate Islamic communities into an anti-west stance and activities.
It’s hard to find the right words for these instances. “Killed” is pretty neutral, but still carries a slight connotation of victimhood on the part of the… well, victim. I suppose the impulse was to find a term conveying that this taking of life was just and necessary.
Which is fine. I wouldn’t even consider trying to impose my values on you, all I ask of anyone in this regard is they neither impose nor claim superiority of their values to my face nor to or of my family.
With apologies, to myself especially, as I’m an optimist:
Good luck with that.
