quote:

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Originally posted by ML

Not bad!

A bit tough on Shah Pahlavi. Benevolent dictators are not all things to all people. And rarely are they ALL bad! Pahlavi brought suffrage to women, education to the masses, and he recognized Israel, which got him in hot water with the right wing religious nutjobs (NO, not the US Republican Party), lead by Khomeni.

Furthermore, the US has ALWAYS opted to side with the IRON FISTED Dictator, rather than the Social Democrat (as long as they were on our side). Dictators are far more predictable and easier to deal with once their price is established!

I knew a lot of Iranian ex-pats at SU in the 70's. They were methodically cashing out and leaving the country back then, as they could see the writing on the wall!

How many guys on your college soccer team drove Lamborghinni Miuras and Maserati Meraks while in college?

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quote:

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Originally posted by homebroker@sbcglobal.net

What Ron Paul fails to acknowledge, is the threats of radical Islam. That is the fuel that fires the violent "jihadist" mentality.

These Islamist fundamentalists oppose U.S. support of Middle Eastern governments, because these governments are not Islamic enough for them. They consider any secular government an aberration and an offense to God, because it is created by man's arrogance to supplant Sharia Law. The salafists and wahabbists prey upon the feelings of injustice and oppression by the governments upon their people to sell them the snake oil of Islamic fundamentalism as the cure to their ailments.

Osama bin Laden and Ayman Zawahiri have made it clear that their endgame plan is to create a a pan-Islamic Super-State.

The creation of a new Islamic Caliphate as a launching pad for a final showdown against all infidels isn't the dream of just al-Qaeda Qtubists; the Shia-branch of militant Islam in Iran awaits the coming of the 12th imam. Ron Paul's foreign policy does not take into account Ahmadinejad's claim that he was “directed by Allah to pave the way for the glorious appearance of the Mahdi”, who endorses a violent path to conquering the world.

Dr. Tawfik Hamid, a former Al-Qaeda terrorist and associate of Ayman al-Zawahiri, also disagrees that American policy is what caused 9/11. In his book, he describes how he was taught not to think, how all misery was blamed on the infidels, and how 72 virgins awaited him in heaven, which was a treasure because sex before marriage, masturbation, and even looking at a woman in certain ways were strictly forbidden. Dr. Hamid describes how verses of the Koran are used to teach their students to kill the infidel, arguing that these verses are what cause terrorism, not current events. He also describes the history of violent political Islam, highlighting how it goes back to before the establishment of either the state of Israel or the United States. Hamid’s thesis is that all Islamic terrorism emanates from “purists” who forcefully took control of the Arabian Peninsula, thus controlling the heart of Islam (and able to shape it to their mold), and then during the 20th century, they exported this form of Islam using the oil wealth. He also notes that more Muslims have been killed by Islamic terrorism than Americans or Israelis, so the idea that the Israel issue is the primary motivator is false.

My recommended reading list for Ron Paul and his followers? Lawrence Wright's The Looming Tower. In there, you will find that the source of Osama bin Laden's hirabah against the West and against America in particular, isn't American foreign policy, but the radical, Qutbist ideology of a hateful, intolerant fundamentalist practice of Islam. It is the writings of Sayyid Qutb, among others, that is the source of al-Qaeda ideology; one which excuses violence against innocents. And yes, it's because that ideology hates America for its freedoms. Because of America's "decadence", "corruption", and because it is not governed by strict, Islamic Law. Not because of our "entangling alliances" and interactions with foreign nations

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quote:

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Originally posted by LoanPro71


You have a recommended reading list for Ron Paul?

What are you a comedian?

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quote:

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Originally posted by homebroker@sbcglobal.net

Such an open mind you have, try reading the book then come back and tell us how bad it is. At a minimum read some of the 350 comments from people that read the book. $20 from Amazon!

http://www.amazon.com/Looming-Tower-Qaeda-Road-Vintage/dp/1400030846/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257314557&sr=8-1

quote:

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Originally posted by LoanPro71


You have a recommended reading list for Ron Paul?

What are you a comedian?

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---

quote:

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Yes, I do have an open mind ... and I've already read the book.
Have you read any of the books Ron Paul recommended to Giuliani?
Here they are on Amazon, also with comments ... http://tiny.cc/C795i
Check them out.
Get both sides of the argument before you make up your mind.
I already have.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Oracles

quote:

---

Yes, I do have an open mind ... and I've already read the book.
Have you read any of the books Ron Paul recommended to Giuliani?
Here they are on Amazon, also with comments ... http://tiny.cc/C795i
Check them out.
Get both sides of the argument before you make up your mind.
I already have.

---

LP,

In your opinion, why media and chicken hawks have branded/ignored
Ron Paul, who is most patriotic if not THE MOST patriotic Congressman
in past 3 decades who has nothing but best of interest of America at heart?

---

quote:

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Originally posted by LoanPro71

quote:

---

Originally posted by Oracles

quote:

---

Yes, I do have an open mind ... and I've already read the book.
Have you read any of the books Ron Paul recommended to Giuliani?
Here they are on Amazon, also with comments ... http://tiny.cc/C795i
Check them out.
Get both sides of the argument before you make up your mind.
I already have.

---

LP,

In your opinion, why media and chicken hawks have branded/ignored
Ron Paul, who is most patriotic if not THE MOST patriotic Congressman
in past 3 decades who has nothing but best of interest of America at heart?

---

Because the media and the chicken hawks don't give a sh*t about America ... they only care about themselves.

They don't see themselves as part of something bigger.

They don't think about the other 300 million people who live in the USA.

In their minds, the means to their power and profits are justified regardless of the consequences, even if it destroys the American Republic.

Put simply ... it comes down to human greed and simple-minded selfishness.

It's that simple, that shallow, and that disgusting.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by LoanPro71


Yes, I do have an open mind ... and I've already read the book.

Have you read any of the books Ron Paul recommended to Giuliani?

Here they are on Amazon, also with comments ... http://tiny.cc/C795i

Check them out.

Get both sides of the argument before you make up your mind.

I already have.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by LoanPro71

Because the media and the chicken hawks don't give a sh*t about America ... they only care about themselves.

They don't see themselves as part of something bigger.

They don't think about the other 300 million people who live in the USA.

In their minds, the means to their power and profits are justified regardless of the consequences, even if it destroys the American Republic.

Put simply ... it comes down to human greed and simple-minded selfishness.

It's that simple, that shallow, and that disgusting.

---

quote:

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Originally posted by homebroker@sbcglobal.net

I have not read Ron Paul recommend book, I will. Not to sound rude, but I somewhat doubt if you really read this book or not. The Author sources his info quite detailed including names, times, events well before this regime change in Iran blow-back theory. It would be hard to support Ron Paul theory after reading this very detailed book (over 500 pgs).

If you have not read the book do yourself that favor, I will look up Ron recommendations as well. I believe there is some blow-back, but it is not the root problem here, maybe 5% at most.

quote:

---

Originally posted by LoanPro71


Yes, I do have an open mind ... and I've already read the book.

Have you read any of the books Ron Paul recommended to Giuliani?

Here they are on Amazon, also with comments ... http://tiny.cc/C795i

Check them out.

Get both sides of the argument before you make up your mind.

I already have.

---

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by homebroker@sbcglobal.net

What Ron Paul fails to acknowledge, is the threats of radical Islam. That is the fuel that fires the violent "jihadist" mentality.

These Islamist fundamentalists oppose U.S. support of Middle Eastern governments, because these governments are not Islamic enough for them. They consider any secular government an aberration and an offense to God, because it is created by man's arrogance to supplant Sharia Law. The salafists and wahabbists prey upon the feelings of injustice and oppression by the governments upon their people to sell them the snake oil of Islamic fundamentalism as the cure to their ailments.

Osama bin Laden and Ayman Zawahiri have made it clear that their endgame plan is to create a a pan-Islamic Super-State.

The creation of a new Islamic Caliphate as a launching pad for a final showdown against all infidels isn't the dream of just al-Qaeda Qtubists; the Shia-branch of militant Islam in Iran awaits the coming of the 12th imam. Ron Paul's foreign policy does not take into account Ahmadinejad's claim that he was “directed by Allah to pave the way for the glorious appearance of the Mahdi”, who endorses a violent path to conquering the world.

Dr. Tawfik Hamid, a former Al-Qaeda terrorist and associate of Ayman al-Zawahiri, also disagrees that American policy is what caused 9/11. In his book, he describes how he was taught not to think, how all misery was blamed on the infidels, and how 72 virgins awaited him in heaven, which was a treasure because sex before marriage, masturbation, and even looking at a woman in certain ways were strictly forbidden. Dr. Hamid describes how verses of the Koran are used to teach their students to kill the infidel, arguing that these verses are what cause terrorism, not current events. He also describes the history of violent political Islam, highlighting how it goes back to before the establishment of either the state of Israel or the United States. Hamid’s thesis is that all Islamic terrorism emanates from “purists” who forcefully took control of the Arabian Peninsula, thus controlling the heart of Islam (and able to shape it to their mold), and then during the 20th century, they exported this form of Islam using the oil wealth. He also notes that more Muslims have been killed by Islamic terrorism than Americans or Israelis, so the idea that the Israel issue is the primary motivator is false.

My recommended reading list for Ron Paul and his followers? Lawrence Wright's The Looming Tower. In there, you will find that the source of Osama bin Laden's hirabah against the West and against America in particular, isn't American foreign policy, but the radical, Qutbist ideology of a hateful, intolerant fundamentalist practice of Islam. It is the writings of Sayyid Qutb, among others, that is the source of al-Qaeda ideology; one which excuses violence against innocents. And yes, it's because that ideology hates America for its freedoms. Because of America's "decadence", "corruption", and because it is not governed by strict, Islamic Law. Not because of our "entangling alliances" and interactions with foreign nations

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