From: Jonas Oberg (jonas@jonasoberg.com)
Date: Wed Sep 26 2001 - 06:03:40 MDT
I must say that the the terror attacks agains the US are very tragic and I
was appalled. However, I don't see that this list should be a discussion
forum for it, since it's not the aim of this list to discuss such current
affairs.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Hubert Mania" <mania@welfen-netz.com>
To: <extropians@extropy.org>
Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2001 12:21 PM
Subject: Re: Raisin Bombers over Afghanistan
> Jeff Davis wrote:
>
> > >Call me a cynic, but I just don't see it happening.
> > >Cheney, Powell, Rumsfeld, Ashcroft, Bush--they're all
> > >intelligent enough to see the possibilities in a
> > >"meta-Ghandian" approach. And despite my left-wing
> > >political bias, I don't really believe that they are
> > >so coldly reptilian that they don't care about the
> > >welfare of the Afghan innocents. Just reptilian
> > >enough so that it can't happen.
>
> At first glance a Ghandian approach may have the taste of "deep 20 th
> century". It may remind you of a remote peaceful hippy resistance and
sound
> awkward to our future loving ears but it could be successfull in a
> country that is far away from 21th century way of life. Choosing the
> humanitarian raisin bomber option may cause laughter, but even if the
> Taliban fascists steal some of the food and clothes away from the poor,
they
> cannot take it all, there should be enough hidden raisin bomb craters
left.
>
> and Joe Dees answered:
>
> >This analysis seems to proceed as if THE LUCIFER PRINCIPLE was never
> >written; such largesse, reminding the recipients about who is currently
on
> >top in the pecking order, engenders jealousy, resentment and envy, not
> >gratitude. It is likely that such a move could be counterproductive, and
> >cause even more children (even if the same percentage indulged in the
> >practice but more survived) to be programmed, by their parents, mullahs
and
> >teachers, to become faith-based missiles of sui/homicidal martyrdom,
> >directed against those who, by means of such largesse, had incindiarily
> >humiliated the programmers.
>
> Even if it seems counterproductive right now and even if more children
> might develop the way you describe it, there should be a force
> who shows mercy first. You cannot expect anything from a people that is so
> badly suppressed like the Afghan poor. A couple of days ago I saw a BBC
> report by an Afghan born British journalist. She secretly filmed daily
> live in Afghanistan in June 2001. It`s breaking your heart. Besides
children
> dying of starvation, men, women and children being slaughtered in villages
> where bases of the Northern alliance fighters are suspected, it is the
> permanent suppression that makes you sick. No woman is allowed to work and
> every girl at the age of 12 must definitely quit classes in school. Friday
> afternoon a blood thirsty crowd gathers in a football stadium, built from
> international funds, and watches thiefs being hanged on the goal posts and
a
> woman accused of adultery being shot kneeling down at the penalty line of
> the footbal field, men whose throats are cut, kneeling down there, too.
And
> the people are watching - it`s Friday afternoon - and yelling with
> approval. And all these scenes were secretely filmed. This is real. What a
> brutalization. They must see some signs that man can feel and act
different.
>
> humania
>
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