No 9/11

Wouldn't it have been nice if the imperialists treated people in the Middle East like civilized men and not animals? I'm not apologizing for terrorists acts, just that, if you were in the same place as a westerner, can you say for sure you wouldn't do the same?

Can you clarify here what your talking about? Seems to be rather confused? Guessing your talking about former European rulers or current US economic influence by imperialists although it fits more for groups such as Al-Qaeda, who treat their victims with total contempt. If I presumed you meant that I guess you mean "if you were in the same place as an easterner"? Not sure I agree on that. The west has been far more tolerant of Islamic excesses than vice-versa, albeit I think partly reaction against the European colonial period, WWII and the dangers of the cold war. Basically western culture in large part has learnt to limit its actions and deliberate excesses. [Ignoring for the moment the danger we're causing environmentally by irresponsibility]. Not saying this will last, especially considering the continued aggression by extremists groups against the west. The main limitation on groups like Al Qaeda is their capacity to destroy, not their desire.


There's really no difference between "The West" and "Islam" like you're saying. The issue is much more complicated and not nearly so black-and-white.

I think a lot depends on what you define Islam. There are many decent Muslims as with Christians, Jews, British, Chinese, or any other political, religious, national or other groups. All however have their evil scumbags. The problem with the Islamic world is that a sizeable fraction of it, like many Christians in the middle ages, seem to give at least lip service to the idea that they are a people apart and anything they do to others is justified because of this. As such you get the idiotic situation that many Muslims seem to view Al Qaeda as 'liberators' for mass murdering Muslims and the western forces in Iraq and Afghanistan as evil for trying to protect those same Muslims. The best solution would be if the Islamic community got its house in order by clearing out its own degenerates but until that happens, as they are willing to attack us we have to defend ourselves against them.

Steve
 
View Al Quieda as being an Arab equivalent of the Baader Meinhof gang i.e effectively on their own ego trip and from their perspective it makes sense.

They want the War on Terror and the invasion of Iraq in the hopes of polarising the world and triggering a war between Islam and the West. Most Moslems don't nor do any non Moslems. I doubt that flying planeloads of passengers not involved in any conflict into buildings including cleaners security guards and others not involved in any American economic interests can be justified in the Koran. At least the Palestinians have a genuinine grievance, Al Quieda is merely looking for excusesThe economic collapse would have come anyway.

What I am not clear about is whther the question is strictly speaking Alternate History
 
View Al Quieda as being an Arab equivalent of the Baader Meinhof gang i.e effectively on their own ego trip and from their perspective it makes sense.

Is it reasonable to add a bit neo-nazi thug to it? They seems to dislike the very presence of westerners in their countries.
 
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