NYT: U.S. Soldiers Told to Ignore Sexual Abuse of Boys by Afghan Allies

[Kidlicious]

So keeping women from education is culturally wrong, but raping boys is OK?

Yeah. Incredible.

[My Wife Hates CIV]

the church is the evil that keeps a state weak and a handful with the powers of god.

[Elok]

Fascinating, never would have thought this
(despite the fact that muslim countries in medieval times seem to have been generally more tolerant than most muslim countries today are)

Well, that's the thing: Islam in the middle ages was generally not under a significant external threat, militarily, culturally, economically or otherwise. It was on the top of the heap, and in the two places I listed it was at the VERY top. Historians will generally list Umayyad Spain and Abbasid Baghdad as high points in Islamic wealth, power, and culture. That kind of prominence naturally breeds decadence and laxity, while harsh circumstances favor a more fervent, even rabid, mentality. Like in Europe next door, though there it wasn't really possible for the Church to impose all that much discipline for the first half of the medieval era.

But I'm reading a book right now about the boundary between the two worlds, where they tended to be surprisingly practical and easygoing no matter which religion was in charge. In Norman Sicily, for example, the Catholic kings were careful to keep their hands off their Muslim subjects, since they depended on same to run the foreign trade routes and bureaucracy that made the island worth ruling. In fact, kings tended to actively promote infidels in the civil service (this author says) because as members of a despised culture they were dependent on the king's patronage, and therefore much more reliable than good faithful Christians or Muslims or whatever. Also they made valuable scapegoats, and if the king ever needed a quick heap of cash he could simply arrest an infidel minister, confiscate his crap and win points with the local zealots. Which encouraged them to stockpile loot while they could, and to not PO the king. The looting in turn made them less popular with the zealots, which made them more dependent on the king. And so on.

Nowadays, of course, the Islamic world is culturally stagnant, militarily irrelevant, and will have absolutely nothing of material value to offer the world once we run out of oil or we find a better fuel source.

[Al B. Sure!]

Nowadays, of course, the Islamic world is culturally stagnant, militarily irrelevant, and will have absolutely nothing of material value to offer the world once we run out of oil or we find a better fuel source.

That's funny because far more Islamic countries lack oil than have oil.

[Elok]

And most of the ones that don't have oil are ****ing useless. Not sure about the SE Asian ones.

EDIT: actually, I suppose it's more the reverse. I'm not clear on which of the 'stans, if any, have oil.

EDIT: Should probably shut up, as modern geopolitical stuff is far from my strong point. Al is probably typing a massive rebuttal full of facts as I type this.

[My Wife Hates CIV]

Elok - MWHC's take at it.

ELOK is smart. ELOK lives in a small apartment. ELOK is poor. ELOK interacts well with his neighbors. ELOK is single. ELOK rides a bike. ELOK is likable.

[My Wife Hates CIV]

mwhc be drinkin