India's "Saddam Hussein" village

[Lorizael]

Eh. This is a discussion forum, not an action forum. While we may certainly deepen our understanding of issues here, how many of us are going to take our newfound knowledge and help the world with it? What we talk about here does not directly translate into our actions irl.

Arrian is apathetic in that as much as he may discuss politics and religion and world affairs on Apolyton, he probably doesn't dedicate too much of his life into realizing the things he discusses here.

On the other hand, while he may laugh things off in the OT, he may genuinely care about these issues and respond appropriately when prompted to irl.

[Aeson]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
You know, aeson, nobody likes a preacher.

Then don't preach if your popularity is a driving concern.

I quite understand the response my posts will get when I post them. No worries there for me.

[Arrian]

Aeson,

The best most of us can really do is try to avoid this sort of things ourselves, and speak against it when we encounter it. I'm not going to India anytime soon, and I doubt you are either, so we'll have to hope somebody else talks sense to these folks.

Do you believe that I'm "looking down on" Indians when I laugh at this? I laugh partly in despair. Not despair because Sunni Muslim Indians are teh stoopid, but despair because humans in general are stupid. And ignorant. And self-centered. And lotsa other stuff.

-Arrian

[KrazyHorse]

They also don't mke a difference, son...

What's lorizael supposed to do? Come up with an action plan to explain to Indian villagers that the US isn't so bad?

[aneeshm]

Originally posted by Arrian

Do you believe that I'm "looking down on" Indians when I laugh at this? I laugh partly in despair. Not despair because Sunni Muslim Indians are teh stoopid, but despair because humans in general are stupid. And ignorant. And self-centered. And lotsa other stuff.

-Arrian

Sunni Muslims in India are very definitely not stupid. These people are simply isolated villagers. These people have enough exposure to have a TV set, but not enough to realise what Saddam represents. That may happen because their ONLY access to the outside world is a TV set, and maybe religious propaganda from their leaders. But no way can someone call Sunnis in India stupid.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
They also don't mke a difference, son...

What's lorizael supposed to do? Come up with an action plan to explain to Indian villagers that the US isn't so bad?

I think Aeson wants the US to not hang guys like Saddam, in order to avoid being hated like this. Conveniently ignoring that the US didnt hang Saddam, the Iraqis did (and before someone goes on about the "puppet govt" the more independent they are the more likely they are to hang guys like this)

[KrazyHorse]

I'm assuming you got that from previous posts and not the current exchange.

[Arrian]

I'm sure Aeson can answer for himself, but I'm fairly certain that Aeson isn't against the hanging of Saddam, per se, LotM.

...

As for my apathy, I'm as apathetic as the next guy. I do at least manage to vote, and I've occasionally written to representatives (heh, my email to George Dubya in 2001 would probably be worth a laugh if I could find it). Beyond that, my impact is limited to discussions with friends, family and co-workers.

That's true of most of us. Some are more politically active, others are active in their church/etc, but by and large nobody here is going to have a noticeable impact on a national, let alone global, level.

-Arrian

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by aneeshm


Sunni Muslims in India are very definitely not stupid. These people are simply isolated villagers. These people have enough exposure to have a TV set, but not enough to realise what Saddam represents. That may happen because their ONLY access to the outside world is a TV set, and maybe religious propaganda from their leaders. But no way can someone call Sunnis in India stupid.

Do you suppose they have any idea how Iraqi shiites feell about Saddam, or do they not care?

[Aeson]

Originally posted by Lorizael
Eh. This is a discussion forum, not an action forum. While we may certainly deepen our understanding of issues here, how many of us are going to take our newfound knowledge and help the world with it?

So what you are saying is that nothing said here matters. Then why bother to address what I have said? Nothing you can say will matter.

Arrian is apathetic in that as much as he may discuss politics and religion and world affairs on Apolyton, he probably doesn't dedicate too much of his life into realizing the things he discusses here.

On the other hand, while he may laugh things off in the OT, he may genuinely care about these issues and respond appropriately when prompted to irl.

What we take/leave/whatever from a discussion and apply in our own lifes is our own choice. Your claim that all poly posters are apathetic to the issue is completely baseless speculation.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
I'm assuming you got that from previous posts and not the current exchange.

Thats how I read the following

"We can learn from it and not contribute to it in the future. We could also stop looking down on the rest of the world and instead start taking people seriously. Laughing things off is one way to ignore problems and not actually address them."

Not contribute to it. Start taking people seriously. I presume this means start taking seriously the sense of persecution these guys feel connected to the hanging of Saddam. And then not contributing to it, by not hanging more Saddams. I apologize if I misread it.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Arrian
by and large nobody here is going to have a noticeable impact on a national, let alone global, level

Speak for yourself. T - 4359 days, gentlemen. I suggest you prepare yourselves.

[Arrian]

LotM,

There is no talk here of the former Iraqi leader's appalling human rights record, no mention of the people he murdered and no references to his numerous "miscalculations". All that is brushed aside by the Saddam Hussein personality cult.

Close to the village is the only private school, Dini Academy, where almost 100 Saddam Husseins come to read, write and know more about the former Iraqi leader.

"It was during the Gulf War we came to know about the bravery and valour of the Iraqi president who mustered courage to defy American diktats," Mr Nizamuddin said.

From the article in the OP. That pretty much says it all - they are not exposed to anything other than propoganda, and the basis for their hero worship is that Saddam "stood up to America." Which of course is pretty much a prerequisite for hero status in the Muslim world.

-Arrian

[Arrian]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse


Speak for yourself. T - 4359 days, gentlemen. I suggest you prepare yourselves.

I KNEW you'd pounce on that, KH, you arrogant SOB.

Just don't blow us all up, ok?

-Arrian

[KrazyHorse]

I suggest you prepare yourselves.