Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Some Interesting Facts about Muslims.

OK. So I addressed religion in my last post.
And It stated a interesting discussion.
It was on Muslims. Or rather the way most people think about them.
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So I Decided to make a nice little list of interesting facts about Muslim country's.
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Geography.
#1. There are 47 Nations in the world that have a population that is at least 50% Muslim.
#2. There are give or take about a Billion and a half Muslims in the world.
#3. Most Muslim Nations are in fact no in the Middle east. With a little over a dozen being in the middle east. (Depending on your idle of middle east) About a dozen in Asia Major. And the rest. (Most of them) Being in Africa.
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People.
I already addressed that there are about a billion and a half Muslims.
#1: out of that 1.5 billion about 20% are Arab. Thats about the same % of Africans that are Christian. So when people use the word interchangeably there a little off base.
#2: Out of 140 million arabs. About 14-15 million are Christian's. That more Arab Christians then Jews.... Like all the Jews.. Put Together... In the world.
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So stuff people mess up ALLOT.

#1. Women.
A: Burqas and Niqabs. (Those are the viels some Muslim Women were)
The fact of the matter is that there are only two Nations in the world that require women to were these. Many more Muslim Nations Actually ban them. They are in fact not even part of Muslim Culture. Rather part of the Culture of a few nations around the world.
B: France a nation that has made a big deal about Burqas Did a study were they found that there were about three million muslim women in France and out of those less then 500 were a burqas.
C: Of the five largest Muslim Nations. (By population) In the world Four have had Female Leaders. And in all five Muslim Nations have had six females leaders. (Bangladesh twice)

Indonesia. Megawati Sukarnoputri
Pakistan. Benazir Bhutto
Bangladesh. Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina.
Turkey. Tansu Çiller
Kyrgyzstan. Roza Otunbayeva

So really it seams that the big offender in womens rights have been.

Iran.
Saudi Arabia.
And Afghanistan under Taliban Rule.
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And there are some christians groups that dictate what there women were as well.
_______________________
Tomas Jefferson taught himself how to read Arabic by reading the Quran.
And held Ifrar on Ramadan in the WHITE HOUSE. Now I am by no means saying he was a Muslim, My point was that allot of the founding fathers had a good deal of admiration for the Muslim world.
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And why wouldn't they?
For a good deal of history the Muslim world has been advanced. Welthy and Humane.
Muslims and Persians were pretty famously good hosts for a good portion of history. And In the Crusades treated captured prisoners and civilians MUCH better the Christian Army,s.
And Muslims advanced many disciplines wile the Christians were in the dark ages.

In fact the renaissance was largely started because A: Priests had kept good in monistanys for a long time. B: Crusading knights brought back knowledge from the Muslim world. Much of it having been forgotten by European.
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The... trouble we see in the Muslim world right now only started after Europians "Colonized" The middle easy and then left. And can kind of be seen as a violent backlash to western influence starting in the 1930-50's.

Lets just agree to agree on at least some things?

OK so I continue to blog... Despite the fact that almost no one reads what I am writing.
But I am cool with that. This blog if for three things.

#1. Practice Writing. I am.. as you might have noticed a horrible speller. But I would like to think I am actually pretty good at Articulating my thoughts both in words both written and spoken.

#2. Because I like doing it. I really enjoy putting my thoughts into text.

#3. And this is the most important one. I REALLY think that not enough people are good at debate. And wile there is... As of yet no one returning my thoughts, I think it helps to practice putting your idles into words.

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And on that thought I would like to point out a problem with the world.
People can not disagree with out being disagreeable.

A good example of this is..... Religion. No no. I don't mean agreeing on what religion is right. I mean people can't even disagree with out getting ripe with one another.

So I... Made a list of things I think that people should be able to agree with just to be able to talk.
In short if you can't agree on these things... There is no hope for you and you can not talk to people.... ever again. You need to go live in a cave some were.

#1. Any one can do bad things in the name of ANYTHING.
That is to say that Evil Things can be done in the name of. God. (Any of them)
Nations, Love, Science. Anything. People can and will use anything as justification for there evil deeds. And allot of times people will point to them as a example of why the other side is wrong.

Take.... Hitler... Ya Hitler I have seen both sides. (And by that I mean atheists and theists) Say that it was all the other sides faults.
Blindly Ignoring that Hitler acknowledge god. (The word was even part of the oath you had to take to Hitler) And that he used the idle for is own ends. And thats just it. People are do horrible things are going to do them regardless. And they will use what ever they want to justify there deeds.

Think of it this way.
A: "Kill them all, god will knock his own." Pope Innocent III.
And by the way. He was talking about killing French Cathars. And if you don't know Cathars Are Christians... That's right. First Crusade ever launched. Was launched by the pope against god fearing Christians.

B: Stalin was in fact a Atheist.

The thing is both of them were in fact horrible people apart from being ether pope or a atheist.
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#2. The VAST Majority of people in fact. hold there beliefs completely separate to what you think.
Don't know what I mean?
OK follow me on this.
If you hear some one say. "Only the saved go to heaven" Do you think they.
A: Are trying to save your immortal soul. Or. B: Want you to go to hell.

And if you hear some one say "I'm sorry but from what I have seen there is no reason for be to believe in a higher power" Do you Automatically think. "This is just a childish rebellion against god"

Well the thing is. If you agree with that or agree with B.
You need help.

These people believe in what they are saying they are not just being jerks to mess with you.
And the other thing is the other side finds your idles Legitimately offensive. There not just saying that to be rude.
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And the thing is that there are good and bad people on both sides. The other side is not out to get you. (for the most part)
I also see allot of people who focus on negative examples of the other side. And point at it to say how stupid the other side is... Now to be fair Atheists do this WAY more. As to Liberals.

But also to be fair The religious crowd and Conservatives do seam to provide more examples. Not that ether group is has more crazy people. It just seams like there crazy people are WAY LOUDER!

Case and point.
Theists and Conservatives.
A: Theists. The westboro baptist church and there leader Phelps. Thats the "God Hates Fags" Group.
B: Jerry Falwell. States that 9-11 was punish for women working and gay people being in America.
C: Glen Beck. Claimed that 10% of all Muslims are terrorists.
Im just going to throw in Rush Limbaugh and Ann Colter.

That all stupid people that can be used as examples on why Religious / Conservative people are nuts.

And on the other side we have.... .Nothing. I can't think of anything.
I actually think that this is why these groups clame there is a media bias going on. Because they need some way to counter the (Often Unfair) Media attention these fringe groups give them.
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The point I'm trying to make here is this.

Some one is not a bad person because they don't agree with you.
And you will never Annoy / Berate them out of exsistance.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Is not hitting women sexist?

OK so this question came up in a conversation I was having with some Army Buddies of mine.
To be most specific a female 1St Lt. Friend of mine from Basic Training now Serving in a U.N. Peace Keeping force in Kosovo.
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So the question is.
Is not hitting a women in a Situation were you would hit a man Sexist?

Now all of people have a knee Jerk reaction that "No it's just good up bringing" Ya well people said pretty much the same thing about African American's being inferior to Whites Not long ago ether.
Just because it's how you were brought up does not make it right or fair.

I really see people taking three sides on this question. (So of coarse I am going to make a list)
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Side #1: Hitting a Women is wrong.

OK so this entire idle comes from the idle of Knightly Virtues, Honor and Courtly Love. I.E. Chivalry. Now the problem with using this. "Good Upbringing" or "Chivalry" Argument. Is that Chivarly's idles on how to treat a women is based on the idle that women are inferior. At least on the physical level. And to a great extent on a Mental level.

The idle that you don't hit a women was in fact based on a few concepts that are with out argument sexist. And with some argument just down right stupid.
A: Women are physically inferior to men so attacking them would be like attacking a child.
Now I don't need to point out the problem with this. A average women weights in at about the same as a short or lightly built man. And larger women can weight in as much or more as a average man. So using the Argument that. "The Average man is much stronger then the Average women" Is a big lop sided.
Because by that argument you should never hit a SMALL PERSON. Regardless of sex.

B: Women Are incapable of posing a real threat to men.
OK so back in the day this had some validity i suppose, most women had no martial training and I is most likely hard to attack somebody when you have trouble breathing because of your corset. And these are rules that came about for Knights.... The Midevil Eqivilent to Special Forces in the Military. So You could say this is allot like the Military stance on using force against Civilian Populations.

But today this is just a stupid idle. Women can be Trained in Martial arts, Women can be in the Military. And ANY ONE can hurt you with they hit you with the right thing. So Saying women can't hurt a man is just a dangerous idle.
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OK so the next side of the argument is from the other end of the field.
"Not hitting a women is unfair."

I have to say as terrible as this sounds. It's true.

Hear is a point.

If a man came up to you and your wife and started calling your wife terrible names. Then I can Conformationally say that no one would think less of you for nailing the guy in the face.
But if a women did it, Then most people would be horrified if you hit her.
WHY? Why can a women get away with it when a guy cant? Its not fair.

It's no fairer then saying a women can't be president. Both are built on the idle that women can't handle the same kind of thing a man does.

It would be like saying a women can't be put to death for killing three people when a man can, because killing a women is wrong. (By the way, Men are like.... 9 times more likely to get the death penalty)

No all that being said, there are so many Double Standards against women, that i almost can't besmirch them this.... And is, I might not be able to if it were not for Bitchy women who think they can do what ever they want and get away with it.

I am going to use my Best friend as a example. We will call him.... Derp.

I don't know what it is about poor Derp but it just seams that allot of females I know think they can threaten him with physical harm, or hit him in a semi-playing manor and get away with it.
I have also noticed that allot of females have a VASTLY inflated opinion of how tough they are.

Now the point to this train of thought is this.

#1. If a guy threatened another guy with physical harm. There is a good chance that the threatened guy is going to preempt the aforementioned attack with one of this own.
But not if a female does it.

#2. If one guy haled off and hits another on the shoulder you had better be sure he is REALLY a good friend. Or you might as well just go ahead and Aim a little higher for a good fight starting sucker punch.
But I have noticed the women get away with this all the time.

#3. You will see allot of Women hall off and hit a guy when she is mad and the guy DOES NOTHING. If the position was turned some one would call the cops. (Which i have done in the female on male violence situation)

#4. Allot and I allot of women think they are much tougher then they are. (This goes for some guys as well) Because... They have simply never been in a real fight before.

Why because when they pick fights with guys, the guys don't try to hurt them.

Using Derp as the example. I have at this point taken about..... 2 years of various martial arts. But I am no means a master or even that tough, but I am very sure that I can Defense myself. Because I have what most Combatants Lack. (Which I Contribute to The Military more then Martial Arts)

I have the Will to hurt some one. If I get into a fight I am Aiming for a Broken Bone. A Knocked out or maybe even dead opponent, I am aiming for a Opponent who is no longer capable of fighting back.

Derp on the other hand has none of this. What he has is weighting 230lbs despite not being overweight and only 5'11" Simply Put he is made of something tougher then normal people.

And if the two of use were to fight. I would give each of us 50/50 odds. And I can Assure you that one of use would be Dead/Crippled.

But ALLOT of women think they can hurt this guy. Why? Because he is TO NICE. And they have never been in a fight with some one is much larger / stronger then them.

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So here is the point.
#1:If guys would simply hit a women in the same instant that they would a man.
#2:If a guy would simply say..... I don't know. "Outch! Don't fucking hit me you symphonic Bitch!"
#3: Call the Damn Police and Say. "There is a women hitting a man, please come stop them."

In short if Guy would simple do what they are suppose to and Treat Women like they would men. This would not a issue.

So really... It's men's fault.
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So I go with what I was Trained growing up.

"NEVER HIT A LADY!"
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And to take It a step farther.
"Be a gentleman... What is a gentleman.... A Gentle Man."

Simple put.
You should for the most part avoid hitting anyone.
And if a man is acting as a gentlemen then he is not going to give you a reason to hit him.
If a women is being a Lady she's not going to give you a reason to have to hit her.

But if a women is doing something that would make you hit a man.... She's not being a lady. And in my book is fair game.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Holidays 101: Thanksgiving.

OK so the next Holiday on the chopping block is Thanksgiving.

OK so my run down of this holiday is pretty cut and dry, and it might sound like I don't have as big a problem with this one as with others... But I do I dislike it more then Halloween Anyways, It's just that my Problem is with One or Two Really big Issues.

So let me brake it down for you.

History.
One issue I have with this Holiday is that No one has a good grasp on it's history. And by that I mean NO ONE. Historians can't really agree on this for the most part. We do know a few things.

#1. It was originally a harvest festival. (And thus was NEVER in November!)
#2. It was... Kind of Religious when it started, but was still a very Secular Holiday by the standards of its Day.
#3. The First One we would Recognize as a thanksgiving was in 1621. At Plymouth MS. And is the Pilgrim / Native American thing most people think about.

So other then that, every thin else is kind of fuzzy. Like we know there were Natives There but, there is some disagreement as to Which ones? But it can be Narrowed to the Patuxet Tribe. Or the Wampanoag Trip. (Maybe Both, Or Maybe both on two separate occasions)

We also know that there were celebrations before this date in other places that were called Thanksgiving Celebrations but didn't really stick around.

The Date Jumped Around allot until 1941 When my Favorite President FDR Finally set the Date. He picked the date to give the Economy a little bump at that time of year. (Or it was a Economic Decision, And i can forgive him for that)

It was Celebrated widely in the United States sense the mid-1800's. So it had been around about a hundred years by that time.

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Food.
OK so you hear this allot from would be know it alls. "Turkey was't even served at the first thanksgiving! Because the Natives would not have hunted such a docile bird, they would have thought it was Dishonorable."

Right. So I don't never know were to start with this. So I will do what I always do... Make a list. (I swear I should have called my self the magic list man)

Stupid loop holes in the above statement.
#1. The Natives Hunted Turkey... And Pretty much everything else in the area.
#2. Wile Honer might have played a part in Native Culture.. These are not Klingon's People.
#3. Wild Turkeys Are not THAT docile. And Despite Populate belief will not drowned by looking up into the rain with there mouths open. That is a Domesticated Turkey. And pretty much All domesticated Animals are Mentally Impaired compared to wild members of there species. Think about Buffalo in Comparison to Domestic Cattle.
#4. The statement ignored the fact that the English Settlers Also Provided part of the food. Most of it in fact, because they had invited the Natives as a thank you for giving them food when they were starving.
#5. This completely ignores the fact that letters of the day Clearly State there was a "Multitude of wild turkey and waterfowl served" That's pretty much a qout from a document written a few days after the feast.

There were in fact a bunch of food served that seam a little odd now.
Like. (Some of this is Redundant)
Waterfowl, Turkey, Venison (Deer), Fish, Lobster, Clams, Squash, Fruit, Berries and pumpkin.
(Yes i know that Both Berries and Pumpkin are fruits) Also the Pumpkin was roasted and not in Pie Form at the time. Umm... Pumpkin pie....

Now that being stated the Turkey was not the focal point of the meal until the late 1800's when allot of the others foods had become very hard or expensive to find. Some people contest with both Thanksgiving and Christmas that Goose or Duck was the Original Main Corse. But no.. That is more of a European thing.
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Stupid Stuff.

OK so then why do i dislike this holiday?
Well really the big reason is this. It's like most of the holiday season just feels so superficial now. Like is required.. And like it's just there to make you spend money. Yes i dig the Get together and spend some time with your family thing. But really why do you need thanksgiving for that?

The other thing is.... It just feels like a Dry Run For Christmas now days. And with the added annoyance of "Black Friday" And the Fact that the will REALLY start playing Christmas songs after Thanksgiving. (But now they have started after Halloween!) It just adds to my dislike for the holiday season.