From: "Andreas Johansson" <andjo@...>
Subject: Re: Mormons (was Re: Survey)
> I thought I'd made it clear that I wasn't reporting my own opinions, but
> condensing, in extreme form, prejudices I've heard others express.
Glad to see that. I hadn't realized how much was reporting and how much was
your own opinion.
> The similarlities between American Republicans and the Taliban have been
pointed
> out repeatedly in Swedish media the last year and a half, sometimes quite
> seriously. I think it's a quite worthless comparison (other than for
> entertainment value), but for the kind of Cultural Radicals to whom anyone
who
> is a religious believer and/or a social conservative* is an enemy, lumping
the
> GOP and the Taliban together with the Roman Catholic Church as enemies of
> humanity makes a certain kind of logic.
I suppose if you thought that religious believers and social conservatives
were all enemies of humanity, then these would all be in the same category.
But you might as well say that people who use telephones and those who drink
beer are enemies of humanity. There'd be about as much justification.
> The former leader of Sweden's Left Party
> said not too long ago that the difference between the repression of women
in
> Afghanistan under the Taliban and in Sweden was merely one of degree; I'm
sure
> she'd deny that there is any difference in kind in what goes on in
America.
Difference of degree is a substantial difference. I don't think we should
allow businesses to do whatever they want, or else we're back to the robber
barons of the oil and railroad companies. But it's only a difference of
degree leading to complete state control of all business and production.
Quite a substantial difference. (As I'm sure you'd agree.)
> * It could, of course be argued that the Taliban were not conservatives
but
> reactionaries, but the point would be quite lost on the kind of people I'm
> speaking about.
I could see an argument for that. And yes, I'm sure the people in question
wouldn't get the difference.
> BTW, I'm sure both Nazis and the Taliban would take insult at the
suggestion
> that the later continued the former's work.
I'll bet they would. So if you happen to meet any, please tell them I said
it.
Joe