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2005-10-23 Arabia

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Posted by tipper 2005-10-23 13:13|| || Front Page|| [8 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Albert Einstein defined insanity as repeating the same experiment while expecting a different result. I think the USA has truely lost its mind.

Posted by SR-71 2005-10-23 13:23|| 2005-10-23 13:23|| Front Page Top

#2 Have the Saudis managed to correct all the text books and state sponsored television programming that contain anti-American propaganda? No? Then screw them and the camel they rode in on. Twice.

It is no longer a matter of "those who do not learn from history ...". It is now a matter of those who steadfastly refuse to learn from history. Willful ignorance is one of the single greatest intellectual crimes. If this administration is walking on eggshells with the Saudis, there is little hope for the rest of our Middle East policy.

This festering inability to connect the dots between 9-11 and Saudi Arabia represents one of America's greatest failures of State in recent history. We have just admitted another 10,000 potential Mohammed Attas onto our soil. I weep for my country.

Posted by Zenster 2005-10-23 13:51|| 2005-10-23 13:51|| Front Page Top

#3 the number of applicants who hope to attend US universities has reached 15,000 thousand, with the majority studying for B.A degrees.

Bachelor of Arts? Subjects like Medieval French Literature or History of Mathematics? With a Senior Thesis topic of literary analysis of the lyrics of 1968-1972 Top Ten Rock songs? I worry much more about B.S. candidates, whose professors require them to get the right answer in a way that won't cause something to accidently poison a city, and a logically explicable personal opinion can't change the outcome.

Posted by trailing wife 2005-10-23 14:03|| 2005-10-23 14:03|| Front Page Top

#4 My grandfather used to describe three types of ignorance.

Simple ignorance: you don't know. The most common and forgiveable type.

Compound ignorance: you don't know that you don't know. A much more dangerous situation.

Medievil ignorance: you know you don't know, and you don't care.

Where we appear to have come to in our country. PS gone wild.

Posted by SR-71 2005-10-23 15:34|| 2005-10-23 15:34|| Front Page Top

#5 Old Arabic Saying:

Happy is he who knows and knows that he knows.

Less happier, though wise, is he who does not know and knows that he does not know.

But preserve us from the fool of ignorance who does not know and does not know that he does not know.

Another version:

He who does not know and does not know that he does not know is a fool, shun him.

He who does not know and knows that he does not know is a child, teach him.

He who knows and does not know that he knows is asleep, wake him.

He who knows and knows that he knows is a wise man, follow him.

I learned both versions of this saying back in high school. How have these simple concepts eluded our politicians and electorate alike?

Posted by Zenster 2005-10-23 15:53|| 2005-10-23 15:53|| Front Page Top

#6 Maybe Luther, SMU, Trinity and other Christian schools should offer full scholarships and sic some aggressive campus ministries on them.

Posted by Danielle 2005-10-23 16:30|| 2005-10-23 16:30|| Front Page Top

#7 I think we take the long view. That is, the vast majority of these students are legitimate. They will come to the US and be exposed to all sorts of influences they couldn't find at home. Democracy, liberty, no slavery, fairness, a lack of corruption, empowered women, etc., etc.

They will return to Arabia no longer able to embrace the injustice they have been awakened to. They may not change it, but they will be far less inclined to support it, or oppose its being changed. They will also learn that Americans as a people are not fundamentalist Xtians, bent on conquering and enslaving Moslems.

The few who come over planning mischief will be monitored, and dossiered for future reference in ways they wouldn't have been had they stayed home. By networking them to all their associates, we create a database that allows us to wipe out whole networks of baddies.

Certainly we expose ourselves to danger in allowing Saudis into our country. But what we hazard to gain in the long run not only benefits their nation, but improves our long-term security as well.

World War II taught us that isolationism is no longer a valid foreign policy, despite what Pat Buchanan thinks. It just no longer works in a world with ballistic missiles, extensive international trade, and linkages with everything we do in every corner of the planet.

The best defense we can ever hope for is to spread real democracy around the globe. Democracy and freedom are anti-ethical to everything terrorists stand for.

Posted by Anonymoose 2005-10-23 19:05|| 2005-10-23 19:05|| Front Page Top

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