OT : Australian intervention in Solomon Islands

[Krsqk]

I see (I think). You were looking at Islamic culture/Middle Eastern culture as a whole, whereas I see fundamentalist/terrorist factions as a separate culture. To the best of my knowledge, most Muslims have a healthy respect for human life, something terrorists definitely do not have. I think an important characteristic like this shared by a widespread, reasonably organized group of people is enough to define it as a culture of its own. IMO, of course.

And you're right--this is well off topic.

[Erax]

Once again... you cannot target the terrorists directly because they (and those who support them) are in hiding. This applies to cultural warfare (nice phrase, Will) as well. What you CAN do is target the population as a whole and bring them closer to your position, so that it becomes harder and harder for the extremist factions to find new recruits and get funding.

Post-war Japan is an example of this process. Their unique culture has not died out, but it has become intermingled with Western culture (and Western culture has received a contribution from them). The example is not perfect because Japan is an industrialized nation and that has an impact.

Thermo : I was trying to be funny, and I was referring to Robert Heinlein. I know you are not him because he is no longer alive. But you do sound a lot like him.

[deccan]

Originally posted by Q:
[QB]Deccan thank you for your information about a political situation I almost completely missed.
May I ask you two questions:

1.) Is this plannend Australian intervention somehow backed by the UN? If not do you know why this situation is ignored by the UN?
2.) Do the Solomons have any natural resources of relevance?
[QB]

1) No. I don't believe that the current problem is pressing enough to be worth the time of the UN Security Council. As crises go, this one is pretty small in the grand scheme of things.

2) Tropical timber, some gold deposits (not terribly rich), fish. That's about it.

[deccan]

Originally posted by Loser:

quote:

---

Originally posted by deccan:
There are lots of rather fundamentalist Christians, but they aren't violent, just ... wonky.

"Wonky"?

What is this "wonky"?

You should tell us about "wonky".

---

Well, they're really weird. For example, there's this clan that goes around calling themselves the lost tribe of Israel, or something, complete with silly justifications on how they ended up in this part of the world and are black.

There are also only two t.v. channels here. One is the BBC, the other is some evangelical Christian station using American programming.

I don't think that they're prone to terrorism because they seem to have an infinite capacity to absorb / assimilate other beliefs into their own, essentially making one big super-pantheon of gods etc., even though Christianity is supposed to be monotheistic.

[Loser]

Originally posted by deccan:
I don't think that they're prone to terrorism because they seem to have an infinite capacity to absorb / assimilate other beliefs into their own, essentially making one big super-pantheon of gods etc., even though Christianity is supposed to be monotheistic.

Originally posted by Paul
When in Rome, do as the Romans.

This seems to have served them very well in the past, I have no doubt that it will continue to do so for wome time to come.

[ July 14, 2003, 12:30: Message edited by: Loser ]

[deccan]

The S.I. Parliament unanimously passed a "policy statement" stating their support in principle to the intervention, but the actual 'enabling" bill has yet to be passed.

The S.I. Prime Minister has also requested that the Australians only investigate and prosecute crimes that occur after the intervention and not before. He was widely booed. Looks like someone's trying to cover their behinds.

[Wardad]

Originally posted by deccan:
...I don't think that they're prone to terrorism because they seem to have an infinite capacity to absorb / assimilate other beliefs into their own, essentially making one big super-pantheon of gods etc., even though Christianity is supposed to be monotheistic.

BURN THE WITCHES!!!!