A brief post to get one more picture of my laptop and online…
It’s one thing to have fun, and it’s another to piss off the locals and create enemies. When Dan of TDAXP and I disagree on the impact of “just having fun” videos, like the Hadji-girl (see previous post on this and comments here), I’m sure we’ll disagree on Infidel t-shirts. A hot topic on a private security contractor forum last year with many eager to get theirs, (& others looking for the Arabic for devil for new tattoos) I’m sure it was just out of fun. After all, when I look at one version of the shirt, see picture above, at first glance I don’t even notice any text, Arabic or otherwise. Right? No one notices these things…
Category: Counterinsurgency, Public Diplomacy
dan tdaxp says:
For Iraq in particular, our public diplomacy efforts seem to be focused on condemning an elected government and apologizing for terrorist cells.
For much of Islam in general, we need to wonder if appeasing a world view that reacts to humor with violence is wise.
MountainRunner says:
I think you give our public diplomacy efforts in Iraq too much credit: “focused” ? Is there really any focus, rational or otherwise, of American public diplomacy as conducted in Iraq or elsewhere?
To your point of Islam being violent, I thought you were getting close to reality in your Shiite & Sunni analysis.
I’d suggest reading Mark Juergensmeyer’s … While the Christians haven’t threatened you, Dan, they do threaten.
dan tdaxp says:
I don’t think I said Islam is violent. Islam is a religion that is dead with practioners. However, I think it’s fair to say that much of Islam — that Islam as it is often practiced — is violent. And that this is true to an extent that is not true of other religions.