Israel president Shimon Peres accuses Britain of pro-Arab bias

[Anubis]

I wonder which Lib Dem minister tried to take out the cat.

 

I reckon Vince Cable. He looks a bit like Leyland's answer to Dr Crippen, cat poisoner Donald Waterworth.

 

 

[Strontium]

Do you think its true that democracy in large parts of the Middle East is just too difficult to implement.

 

Yeah, there's a reason for that - it's called "Islam".

[dennis tooth]

Yeah, there's a reason for that - it's called "Islam".

There is a reason for everything isnt there? Glad you've delved into this very interesting topic, normally summed up in one word, which makes things easier for dim bigotted people like you who prefer the world in black and white form, the reason you wrote that for example is called 'islamophobia'.

 

You should write a book 'reasons for things' for us all to save us all a lot of time and research you big fuckin genius.

 

Not the west's interference in propping up dictators and preventing any democratic choice from springing up, see Hamas.

Its all the muslims in North Korea and china preventing democracy there too.

[ZonkoVille77]

Yeah, there's a reason for that - it's called "Islam".

Aside from the obvious bias you have against Islam, I actually agree with this to a certain extent. Democracy has never really taken hold in Islamic countries has it? It doesn't really fit well sadly. But maybe it suits them for it not to and for the West not to force it upon them - which has caused great pain in the region. Do you think Islamic states could ever successfully implement the west's version of democracy?

 

Although they could argue that the US isn't really democratic either with their messed up voting system. You can lose after getting a majority vote. Which is a bit shit innit..

[dennis tooth]

Aside from the obvious bias you have against Islam, I actually agree with this to a certain extent. Democracy has never really taken hold in Islamic countries has it? It doesn't really fit well sadly. But maybe it suits them for it not to and for the West not to force it upon them - which has caused great pain in the region. Do you think Islamic states could ever successfully implement the west's version of democracy?

 

Although they could argue that the US isn't really democratic either with their messed up voting system. You can lose after getting a majority vote. Which is a bit shit innit..

Try Palestine, try the arab spring, try us helping arm isreal and arab dictators to repress democracy and stop being racist, the west is repressing it

[dennis tooth]

Not many druze democracies or jedi democracies is there, must be them religions. Hey you know what, isnt any single religion dominating as country anti democratic? 

If everyone is happy with one religion then it cant really be a free society in the first place, surely? Something must be wrong, the very terms are not compatible, people claim we are a christian country but thats not a living phenomenon thats history and the people like the kween and some bishops on BBC holding candles in some cathedral with a bunch of old farts whiling away like a bunch of Jedis on a thursday night meeting up in in a leisure hall in some non descript place, this really is an atheist country, even if we like to pretend otherwise cos our leaders like to portray us this way. Our connections with the past say its part of our identity but reality in the physical its an atheist country and when it was more religious it was less free, less democratic, less accountable more hierarchal, more of the concept of respect for this concept authority it was.

Our christianity is identified with the queen, democracy is more toward our MP's which are not related to Christianity, thats not top of our list of questions we'd like to ask our MP's, what religion, its almost a bit rude to pose it to one. Thats a good thing.

[stringvest]

Try Palestine, try the arab spring, try us helping arm isreal and arab dictators to repress democracy and stop being racist, the west is repressing it

 

The west helps to represses it where it can't control it, and corrupts it where it can.  

[dennis tooth]

I think we should allow the term Jew to refer only to a persons religion, such as every other religion enjoys, so calling someone names for being  jew is not racist its religious bigotry. This idea they are a separate peoples, somehow genetically distinct is not at all useful and a total myth, because your God tells you you are chosen peoples doesnt mean you get to say you are a whole new group, if you didnt wear them silly hats no one would think anything.

Even the nazis with all their interest in doing so couldnt make a scientific case for what constituted this notion. 

[stringvest]

A jew is a religious term.  It's certainly no more a racial term than Muslim.  

[Strontium]

Aside from the obvious bias you have against Islam, I actually agree with this to a certain extent. Democracy has never really taken hold in Islamic countries has it? It doesn't really fit well sadly. But maybe it suits them for it not to and for the West not to force it upon them - which has caused great pain in the region. Do you think Islamic states could ever successfully implement the west's version of democracy?

 

Although they could argue that the US isn't really democratic either with their messed up voting system. You can lose after getting a majority vote. Which is a bit shit innit..

 

I have a bias against all religions, not sure why Islam should be any more or less special in that regard.

 

You can't impose anything from above and expect it to be a roaring success, not even democracy.

 

I don't think democracy can take hold in any place where it is predetermined that absolute authority rests with a deity.

 

I guess we just need to sit tight until the Middle East goes through an enlightenment like Europe did so many centuries ago.

[Section_31]

I think people aren't arsed about democracy, they just want the same thing, they want peace, safety, food and shelter, anything else is a bonus. When democracy can't provide that they'll turn elsewhere, to a Hitler or a Putin.

 

Democracy sort of works for us because we're kept fed and watered, if that stopped working for us we'd have no problem putting Nigel Farage and some Imperial Stormtroopers in charge.

 

The idea of getting farmers in Afghanistan to go to a voting booth and give a shit is almost Monty Python esque.

 

Also, Iran is a democracy isn't it? Didn't they just radically change their policy towards the west following free and fair elections? I've also read their society is, despite what the yanks would have us believe, is pretty open with quite an urbane middle class.

 

Muslims are probably like Christians, some are mental Louis Theroux fodder lunes and others probably only put it down on doctors forms out of habit.

 

I don't think there's anything inherent about religion that makes them prone to these types of regimes. If so. How do you explain the 'godless' Soviet Union and modern China?

[Phoenix]

Thats a good post by Section on priorities of people. The constant corrupt nature of of some elected governments means that quite a few people dont give a crap about democracy. 

[PestiRed]

I reckon there's a fair chance that some of these "pre-enlightenment" countries, that seem to be regarded as behind us, are taking a good long look at the West, watching our politics, examining our culture and thinking "fuck that for a legacy to our children"

[VladimirIlyich]

Yeah, there's a reason for that - it's called "Islam".

And here's the person who calls everybody else out for their biases.

 

I wish you were as hard on Christianity and Judaism so you can get rid of the bigoted view you seem to have against this particular branch of several fairytales.

[Skidfingers McGonical]

I think people aren't arsed about democracy, they just want the same thing, they want peace, safety, food and shelter, anything else is a bonus. When democracy can't provide that they'll turn elsewhere, to a Hitler or a Putin.

 

Democracy sort of works for us because we're kept fed and watered, if that stopped working for us we'd have no problem putting Nigel Farage and some Imperial Stormtroopers in charge.

 

The idea of getting farmers in Afghanistan to go to a voting booth and give a shit is almost Monty Python esque.

 

Also, Iran is a democracy isn't it? Didn't they just radically change their policy towards the west following free and fair elections? I've also read their society is, despite what the yanks would have us believe, is pretty open with quite an urbane middle class.

 

Muslims are probably like Christians, some are mental Louis Theroux fodder lunes and others probably only put it down on doctors forms out of habit.

 

I don't think there's anything inherent about religion that makes them prone to these types of regimes. If so. How do you explain the 'godless' Soviet Union and modern China?

My mate is part Iranian, and he's a cunt. Big headed cunt. Must be the British in him.

 

I often speak to him about Iran and how they are portrayed by the media and what is Iranian society like. He says pretty much what you have said, and his arl fella who is Iranian said the same thing, he wasn't fully complimentary about his home country like but he put a lot of concerns/news fed thoughts I had about the country to bed.

[Strontium]

I think people aren't arsed about democracy, they just want the same thing, they want peace, safety, food and shelter, anything else is a bonus. When democracy can't provide that they'll turn elsewhere, to a Hitler or a Putin.

 

You make it sound like peace, safety etc and democracy are independent of each other.

 

There's a reason that democracies are the safest, wealthiest, most peaceful countries on the planet.

 

It's because people who have the essentials for life want to have some measure of control over their society.

 

In turn, democracy helps to maintain the essentials of life; the government has to look after its people if the people have control over who the government is.

 

It's certainly true in this country that a lot of people don't realise how lucky they are to live in a wealthy liberal democracy.

 

Also, Iran is a democracy isn't it? Didn't they just radically change their policy towards the west following free and fair elections? I've also read their society is, despite what the yanks would have us believe, is pretty open with quite an urbane middle class.

 

Iran is a theocracy, make no bones about that.

 

Political parties in Iran are only allowed if they accept that ultimate power resides with the clerics.

 

Iran isn't really like anywhere else on Earth, though.

 

And yes, many Iranian people are educated and liberal, which makes their tolerance of such a repressive and unfree regime deeply puzzling.

[stringvest]

UK is a plutocracy, make no bones about that.

Political parties in the UK are only allowed if they accept that ultimate power resides with the rich corporations

UK isn't really like anywhere else on Earth, though, apart from the US.

And yes, many UK people are educated and liberal, which makes their tolerance of such a damaging and unfair regime deeply puzzling.

[Stu Monty]

I have a bias against all religions, not sure why Islam should be any more or less special in that regard.

 

You can't impose anything from above and expect it to be a roaring success, not even democracy.

 

I don't think democracy can take hold in any place where it is predetermined that absolute authority rests with a deity.

 

I guess we just need to sit tight until the Middle East goes through an enlightenment like Europe did so many centuries ago.

Are you claiming that your above description doesn't apply to the US? Or are you claiming that due to the electoral fraud they now have democracy hasn't taken hold?

 

Just so you know. The word you're looking for is Plutocracy, not Democracy.

[xerxes]

UK isn't really like anywhere else on Earth, though, apart from the US.

You are usually spot on Stringy, but not in this. There are few similarities between the US and UK, we have far more in common with Western Europe.

[Strontium]

Nobody's forcing either of you to stick around. Might have to wait a few weeks to get a passport though.

 

Or you could always put your money where your mouth is and start your own grassroots party with the aim to end our "plutocracy".

[Jairzinho]

Seems unlikely they'd have enough money, which is kind of the point.

[stringvest]

You are usually spot on Stringy, but not in this. There are few similarities between the US and UK, we have far more in common with Western Europe.

 

not in terms of 'Democracy' we ain't.  We are on a path to convergence with the US.  

[stringvest]

Nobody's forcing either of you to stick around. Might have to wait a few weeks to get a passport though.

 

Or you could always put your money where your mouth is and start your own grassroots party with the aim to end our "plutocracy".

 

I was here before Cameron.  HE can fuck off.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

Nobody's forcing either of you to stick around. Might have to wait a few weeks to get a passport though.

 

Or you could always put your money where your mouth is and start your own grassroots party with the aim to end our "plutocracy".

*scratches head*

 

Good idea, of course. The issue is that he probably isn't going to be able to match the billionaire-funded parties without themselves being corrupted by money. That said, I don't think the UK is a plutocracy, but it does have the whiff of it.

[stringvest]

*scratches head*

 

Good idea, of course. The issue is that he probably isn't going to be able to match the billionaire-funded parties without themselves being corrupted by money. That said, I don't think the UK is a plutocracy, but it does have the whiff of it.

 

I'm incorruptible, me.  And I'm paid good money to keep it that way.