https://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/pinker07/pinker07_index.html

This doctrine, "the idea that humans are peaceable by nature and corrupted by modern institutions—pops up frequently in the writing of public intellectuals like José Ortega y Gasset ("War is not an instinct but an invention"), Stephen Jay Gould ("Homo sapiens is not an evil or destructive species"), and Ashley Montagu ("Biological studies lend support to the ethic of universal brotherhood")," he writes. "But, now that social scientists have started to count bodies in different historical periods, they have discovered that the romantic theory gets it backward: Far from causing us to become more violent, something in modernity and its cultural institutions has made us nobler."

 

https://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/pinker07/pinker07_index.html

Excellent note, thanks for sharing... I've always thought that people should stop being so romantic, dreaming of a better past that never existed, and focus instead in the here and the now, by learning what history has been trying to teach us all along...

 

Inter-tribal warfare on the Plains of American was going on long before any Mayflower landed.

Yep.
Anyone who thinks the indians were simple peaceful people needs to read the full history of the greater tribes like the Comanche. They were at war with every other tribe around them and lived and breathed all out warfare for over 200 years. Until the white man with superior technological and inadvertent biological warfare came on the scene nobody messed with them.

https://www.google.com/search?q=mos...me..69i57j0.7260j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

And to the Comanche were not the only badasses of the North American indian tribe either. Back in their time most every tribal nation could hold it own in battle well beyond any modern person imagination.

To be honest there are countless landmarks and geographical points named after fierce indian battles and wars to this day. Battles that make most of our modern hand to hand warfare skirmishes look pretty mild.

 

We sure have changed.........

http://www.eastbaytimes.com/2017/05/24/berkeley-college-professor-arrested-as-assault-suspect/

 

We sure have changed.........

http://www.eastbaytimes.com/2017/05/24/berkeley-college-professor-arrested-as-assault-suspect/

It's about time these small time criminals who are using terror tactics get taken down.
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/201...pporter-bike-lock-identified-professor-video/

 

We sure have changed.........

http://www.eastbaytimes.com/2017/05/24/berkeley-college-professor-arrested-as-assault-suspect/

He taught philosophy.

Wanna bet he's no fan of Ayn Rand?

 

 

View attachment 127594

Will get that printed for my Vegas birthday pool party this summer.

http://www.wxyz.com/news/sign-being-called-sexist-and-racist-found-on-harsens-island

 

It was very clear, they started the war and we finished it by destroying their manufacturing capacity. Very clean and simple. Kokura was the initial target but Nagasaki was a major shipbuilding city and a large military port that had been bombed before. I've taken the train past Nagasaki before to Sasebo. It was and still is a giant industrial area.

Largest terrorist bombings ever. Worked good. 15 days later the war was over.

 

Largest terrorist bombings ever. Worked good. 15 days later the war was over.

The Japanese were bastards during the war with us but they weren't terrorist. We treated them with proper military respect and protoco l(at times the protocol was a fight to the death with no prisoners). Illegal behaviors during war makes you a military war criminal not a terrorist. Use the right nomenclature because there is a difference between official state actions and non-state actors.

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/japanese-war-criminals-hanged-in-tokyo

 

Welcome to joeys world. If he isn't made "king" he'll never be happy. You're wasting your time trying to change his mind or to get him to understand.

joey isn't half bad
I like to believe the best in people.
I think he has bad information.
I am not trying to change him. A person can only change if he wants to. I just want to clear the confusion he has on a true Muslim.
The saying is, "God will not change your way, unless you change it your self". This sounds funny to some but you cannot actually change by your self. We do not have any power over anything. It's his will that we do what we do. The meaning is that if one wants to change, God opens up the doors for him/her and shows him/her the way. It is up to you to chose. As in, be a killer, a drug addict or Good person. It's our free will to choose. And in the end you will get what you earned from what you chose. So goes the saying, "Choose wisely".
I can go on but .....

I have been told that most of the "infidels" that are mentioned in English translations, are not the real meaning of the Arab word. The real meaning is more accurately, "idol worshipers" not "unbelievers". Is this correct?

Infidels could mean idol worshipers, and also be said to a non-believer at certain times. Like I sad Arab words can take a lot of meaning when used to describe incidents and personality
To me the word "infidel" is dirty and should not be aimed at any human. I think it is used in wars to show hatred.
Like ....before blowing your self up, he says, and I quote, " Die you infidels". But one think the guy does know is that he is doing the act of an infidel himself. Cause he is taking his own life. Which is by the way a one way ticket to hell. But at times I have seen the word "Infidelity" used for adultery. Might be same. Cause adultery is not allowed and so doings things no allowed is some what disbelieving.
You see my point here ? How Arabic words can be apply to a lot of things. It is context of the sentence that holds the true meaning.

A more better word is the Arabic word "Kuffar", or "Kafir". It applies to a group or a person, and means "One who rejects the truth" or " One who ignores the truth" as in a non-believer, " or at times to "idol worshipers".
The thing here is if one is to Worship objects and idols, that person has to be an unbeliever or one who rejects the truth.
Unbeliever and a to reject the truth has only one meaning. That is he who denies the Real Creator in other word One who do not believe in the "Oneness of God".

 

http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/26/africa/egypt-shooting-coptic-christians/index.html

Cairo, Egypt (CNN)Twenty-six people have been killed in Egypt after unidentified gunmen opened fire on a bus carrying Coptic Christians in what officials are calling a terror attack.
...
Twenty-five others were also injured, some of whom are now in critical condition, Health Ministry spokesman Khaled Mugahed told state-run TV al-Masriya.Men, women and children are among the dead and injured, and 50 ambulances are now at the scene, he said.
...
The attack comes as the country is still under a three-month state of emergency period following twin attacks on Coptic churches on Palm Sunday last month that killed dozens of people, in attacks claimed by ISIS.
...
Persecution and discrimination against Egypt's Coptic Christians has spiked since the toppling of Hosni Mubarak's regime in 2011.

The fear is rational and is unfortunately reinforced frequently. Governments under Islamic rule or influence look the other way or sometimes don't even try to protect religious minorities.

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/n...d-in-string-of-deadly-attacks-in-north-sinai/

The government has failed to take action to protect Christians in North Sinai who have increasingly faced kidnapping and assassinations by armed groups over the past three years. The authorities have also failed to prosecute those responsible for sectarian attacks against Christians elsewhere in Egypt, resorting instead to state-sponsored reconciliation agreements which, at times, have involved the forced eviction of Christian families from their homes.
...
“The government must also end the prevailing impunity for attacks against Christians elsewhere around the country and end its reliance on customary reconciliation deals which further fuel a cycle of violence against Christian communities.”

 

Top of Drudge:

DHS chief: If you knew what I knew about terror, you’d ‘never leave the house’

Rif@@, I understand -- completely -- that you have your own personal interpretation of the Koran, an interpretation that you likely share with a majority of other Muslims.

This is irrelevant.

There are enough Muslims who believe that unconscionable violence against innocents is an acceptable means to an end -- an end that their Allah desires (no, requires) of them according to their interpretation of the Koran.

This makes Islam a problem for Western Civilization.

Europe will succumb -- eventually. It's what they do. The US will bend -- but at some point we will fight back mercilessly. There will be no "play nice" ROE.

Many innocent Muslims will be killed.

It would be best for all if the "moderates" among you find a way take control and purge the extremists from your ranks. And then demonstrate the peacefulness of your religion.

 

@R!f@@, unlike others in the thread I try to understand the normal everyday people be it religion, or nationality. What you have said many times about Islam pretty much agrees with what I have been told by others, others that are true believers, not radicals. Too think like joey said,"why don't you (Muslims) just take care of the radicals your self(paraphrasing his words here) is so unbelievable it's beyond my comprehension.

They haven't talked or even care to talk to people that have lived through the 'hell' that people of good faith have gone through. And most of them, their bluster not withstanding, would never be able to. They would be cowering in a corner hiding if it ever happened.

Thank you R!f@@, for helping me to understand better.

 

The Japanese were bastards during the war with us but they weren't terrorist. We treated them with proper military respect and protoco l(at times the protocol was a fight to the death with no prisoners). Illegal behaviors during war makes you a military war criminal not a terrorist. Use the right nomenclature because there is a difference between official state actions and non-state actors.

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/japanese-war-criminals-hanged-in-tokyo

Maybe wrong, but think you missed completely what Ron said in his post.

 

There was even a horrible conflict between the northern american natives and the Inuits!

Inter-tribal warfare on the Plains of American was going on long before any Mayflower landed.

Both of you took my post wrong. I never said there wasn't warfare between tribe, there was. But unlike european immigrants, the natives didn't war to wipe out a whole tribe or people, for monetary gain. That was the doing and rational of people from europe.

 

Maybe wrong, but think you missed completely what Ron said in his post.

You are wrong. Ron was playing the smart ass.. .It's a role that some play but others, are.

 

Rif@@, I understand -- completely -- that you have your own personal interpretation of the Koran, an interpretation that you likely share with a majority of other Muslims.

It's not my personal interpretation but the only interpretation.
And yes I like to share but few listens.

There are enough Muslims who believe that unconscionable violence against innocents is an acceptable means to an end -- an end that their Allah desires (no, requires) of them according to their interpretation of the Koran.

I agree totally.

This makes Islam a problem for Western Civilization.

Europe will succumb -- eventually. It's what they do. The US will bend -- but at some point we will fight back mercilessly. There will be no "play nice" ROE.

Many innocent Muslims will be killed.

Sad but true.

It would be best for all if the "moderates" among you find a way take control and purge the extremists from your ranks. And then demonstrate the peacefulness of your religion.

You are right about speaking out loud. But you know this small place has no value.
It's the leaders that needs to be deleted. They are the one making this happen.
With them there will be no peace.
edit : Post corrected cause I made a mistake in reading it..Sorry

I think we agree on somethings at least @joeyd999

Thank you R!f@@, for helping me to understand better.

Any time

 

You are wrong. Ron was playing the smart ass.. .It's a role that some play but others, are.

No, you miss the point. There have been a couple hundred thousand Iraqi civilians killed since the start of the Iraq war. Do you not think they have felt terrorized?

create and maintain a state of extreme fear and distress in (someone); fill with terror.

Our methods may be different, but the results are the same. Innocent people are killed.
No, it's just war with no state behind it.

 

It' the moderators that needs to be deleted.

Please elaborate.