----- Original Message -----
From: "Elaine" <lizral@OZEMAIL.COM.AU>
To: <CYBERMIND@LISTSERV.AOL.COM>
Sent: Saturday, September 14, 2002 12:28 AM
Subject: Re: taliban's dark ages
> > Certainly there is no evidence that further invasions of countries in
the
> middle east will do anything to remove fundamentalism. And indeed,
everyone
> in that part of the world must be wondering if the US will stop
> with Afghanistan and Iraq, and wondering whether it will thsn invade Iran,
> or Syria, and attempt to occupy th whole middle east. I'm not saying this
is
> Bush's plan, but people in the are must have these kinds of questions.
>
> As educated as i am, and while i believe every human being is my brother
and
> sister regardless of race, religion and culture, Bush's continual threats
of
> war are overwhelming. Regardless of anything else, i am a Mother of four
> teenage children, my eldest two, a daughter 18 and a son almost 17. I have
> never forgotten Vietnam. Although only 15/16 at the time, i had many
friends
> who were called up, against their will, for National Service, just because
> America wanted to fight a war. Now my heart is filled with dread. America
> wants another war. Australian officials have already stated that we do not
> have the numbers to support America. For God sake, there are only 19
million
> people in total in this country. I am terrified that National Service will
> be implimented again. I am terrified that my son and daughter will be
called
> to fight in a war America insist they want, as a form of revenge. American
> hatred? Take my son and daughter, allow them to be murdered for American
> revenge and yes i will hate America and all it stands for. If National
> Service is implimented and if i can get my hands on a gun (which goodness
> knows how i could), i would rather shoot my own children in the foot than
> allow them to be sacrificed for American pride.
>
> Love & Hugs
> Elaine
> >
> > I suspect that part of the reason for fundamentalisms is that the world
> > is extremly complex, it is impossible to avoid contact with other
> > ideologies and other people, and so that people are stating their own
> > position and identity in opposition to this other.
> >
> > It might also be because the most wide spread powerful fundamentalism is
> > global capitalism, and the requirement that everything be run according
> > to its laws. In general people seem to want to have morals which
> > transcend money, perhaps because reducing everything to money reduces
> > everything that is fundamental to human being. And the West has been
> > amazingly succesful in promulgating this particular fundamentalism.
> >
> > There is also the question of what promulgates a belief, and it might be
> > that fundamentalisms which allow everything to be reduced to a set of
> > rules, are actually very effective in promulgating themselves, as they
> > lead people to try and wipe out contrary evidence, and those who hold
> > contrary positions. They also tend to make people feel that they are an
> > important part of the cosmos, as their rules are not merely social rules
> > but natural or divine. Also humans often seem to find certainty
> > persuasive in itself.
> >
> > jon
> >
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