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| Afghanistan |
| Our Mistaken Ideas About Human Rights Failed Us in Afghanistan |
| 2021-08-26 |
| by Daniel Greenfield [FrontPage] America was founded on that simple premise. The Declaration of Independence’s conviction in the equality of men, individual rights, and governments gaining their authority from the consent of the governed was based on “self-evident” truths. These truths are “self-evident” to Americans in the way that they’re not self-evident to the average Afghan, Pakistani, Iraqi, Russian, South African or Chinese citizen. They have their own truths that are equally “self-evident” to them based on their own worldview and culture. The Taliban, like the vast majority of Muslims, assert that believers in Allah are superior to infidels, that men must have supreme authority over women, and leaders over people. This hierarchical model governs a lot more of the world than anything we’ve come up with. And even in America there are voices that favor tearing up the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution and reverting to a hierarchical model. From the Marxists on the Left to the Neo-Reactionaries on the Right, there are those who would turn back the clock to feudalism with enlightened philosopher-kings imposing an “ideal society” on the inferior class of men. When we say that something is self-evident, it flows naturally from our values and our beliefs. Consider the two radically different worldviews inherent in Benjamin Franklin writing that, “the rain which descends from heaven upon our vineyards" is "a constant proof that God loves us, and loves to see us happy” and the Ayatollah Khomeini proclaiming “Allah did not create man so that he could have fun" and thus there "is no fun in Islam.” Both Franklin and Khomeini were expressing a worldview that was self-evident to them. “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” came from people who believed that God loves us and wants us to enjoy life. Beheadings, butchery, and the burka came from Islamists who believe that Allah does not like us very much and that we deserve to be miserable. Read the rest at the link |
| Posted by:badanov |
| #7 keep the rubes in line and the sentimental ones singing. And many are. |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2021-08-26 20:13 |
| #6 Violence is the only 'self evident' truth of the cosmos. The lofty things firmament, the mountains and rivers and even intelligent life... all are gifts of epic violence. And violence alone can keep chaos at bay, if we wish to keep these things. Making up your own truths, thought up by self-righteous types is in-conducive to survival. At best, such words should be used to keep the rubes in line and the sentimental ones singing. But one shuns the language of violence to his detriment. |
| Posted by: Dron66046 2021-08-26 14:32 |
| #5 You can't negotiate with |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2021-08-26 12:18 |
| #4 I'll believe that the left is concerned about "human rights" the moment they begin to display kindness and respect to Christians and conservatives. Until then, just "no" to anything they propose. You can't negotiate with enemies. |
| Posted by: Crusader 2021-08-26 11:07 |
| #3 ^Trust me that shit called Quran seems to be a personal diary written by a teenage boy who was high on meth, failed his math test, scolded by his mom and rejected by his crush; all in one day. |
| Posted by: Wren 2021-08-26 00:48 |
| #2 The Taliban, like the vast majority of Muslims, assert that believers in Allah are superior to infidels, that men must have supreme authority over women, and leaders over people. I managed to read 24 pages of that piece of shit book called the Quran. I got real sick real fast of being called kufr, which is NOT an unbeliever but a 'denier of truth'. That's world class fucking arrogance right there and they can eat a bag of dicks for all I care. Badanov, feel free to ban this comment for its offensive comment. Or does that depend on whose direction it's pointed at? |
| Posted by: Raj 2021-08-26 00:30 |
| #1 What is this "our" he's referring to? |
| Posted by: Rex Mundi 2021-08-26 00:12 |