Kanastrous wrote:
I'm more afraid of people who turn out in large numbers to publicly demonstrate their willingness - well, eagerness - to die, who are led by a government whose policy statements seem to frequently invoke the national eagerness-to-die for what they perceive as their religion's advancement.
If Americans in any significant numbers held to the same kind of practices, they'd worry me equally.
It's true that American citizens probably have less to fear in terms of immediate consequences for, say, lobbing a nuke at someone. But then again American citizens in large numbers don't appear to display any real eagerness, to do that.
When's the last time Americans came out into the street to sing and dance and demand the obliteration of other countries? Around fountains spouting water dyed red, to evoke the blood of American martyrs?
I'm not going to claim that it's never happened, but I can't think off-hand of any good examples - at least, not within the last 100 years or so.
When's the last time Iranians invaded another nation based on deceitful pretenses regarding non-existent weapons of mass destruction, launching an unwarranted war of aggression and nearly a decade's worth of botched up occupation that's caused untold suffering on the poor population of said invaded nation? Around 'MISSION ACCOMPLISHED' banners dyed red white and blue to evoke the successful invasion and conquest of other nations?
It's true that Iranian citizens have probably more to fear in terms of consequences for, say, getting invaded by a rogue superpower armed with WMDs and that's already in a warpath of aggressive invasions. But then again, Iranians in large numbers haven't displayed any previous incidents of aggressive deceit-wars, to do that.
If Iranians in any significant numbers held those same invasion/warmaking practices, they'd worry me equally.
I'm more afraid of people who turn out in large numbers to publicly demonstrate their willingness - well, eagerness - to invade and bomb other countries illegally based on lies about non-existent WMDs, who are led by a government whose policy seems to frequently invoke the national eagerness to invade other nations for what they perceive as non-existent WMDs.
I expect that you're right. But as you noted the USA is not a Christian theocracy, while in fact Iran is a Shi'a one...
...that said, I'm not really sure that any mainstream Christian sects seriously approach the lust for death and martyrdom that seems ingrained in Shi'ism. But then again I'm not enough of a scholar on the subject, to be sure.
I expect that you're right. But as you noted the Iran has not launched any aggressive invasion-wars of deceit, and its authorities have in fact stated that they don't intend to develop nuclear weapons...
...that said, I'm not really sure that any mainstream Iranian sects seriously approach the lust for illegal invasions and occupations that seems ingrained in Americanism. But then again I'm not enough of a scholar on the subject, to be sure.
That said, that Iranian cleric guy can get fucked.
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- PeZook