Thursday, November 16, 2006

Trying to figure it all out redux


Ok, if you recall there was an extremely long post yesterday regarding the media and propaganda. I wanted to know if anyone could provide me an opposing perspective of the article I found. I took the post you saw and provided it as a link to my University course. Keep in mind this a course in the study of propaganda and how media was used during the 1930's to kill and gas millions of Jews, Homosexuals, Roma, people who didn't tow the party line...you get the jist. There is a motley crew of academicians, teachers, and people who are generally open to critical thought in the course.

Here is a response I received from someone in the class (This is not my diatribe but a student in my course on propaganda and the Holocaust). Brace yourself.


Lost in translation/Not required reading
10-30-2006 12:23 - Session 3 -- Choices: The Nazis in Power, 1933-1938

I served as an Russian interpreter and I visited and inspected missile bases pursuant to the INF and START I treaties in the countries of the former SU. So I know how things get translated or mistranslated. Here´s what I can´t figure out: How come people refuse to see the violence in the Koran? Is it bad translation? Is there mitigating context for ´slaying infidels´? Are things mistranslated when they call the Jews apes or monkeys? Do you think it´s unimportant? Does the good outweigh the bad? Is a dhimmi on par with believer? Why not?

As far as the link you referred me to: does Iran want to live in peace with Israel? If so, why don´t they recognize them? Why can´t other religions be practiced in some Muslim countries? I was in the 1st Gulf War in the magic kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Boy, was I conflicted!! Democracy? Freedom?? Oil???

Couldn´t a case be made that Islam is a failed religion? It won´t let its people modernize and adjust to the times. People serve the religion rather than the religion serving the people. For the sake of a good argument, I promise not to get mad, but I´d like to see these questions answered.



Whoooooaaaa? Did I just touch a nerve or what? If you note the person does not address my question but suddenly goes in rabid dog mode. One may assume that he also doesn't associate with too many of those errrr 'other people' also known as Muslims? I was a bit dismayed. Here is a person in class questioning how the Germans could hate so many Jews and suddenly posts something like this. He doesn't see the gross irony. I wish it was a joke...but sadly it's not. I thought long and hard and even wrote a response to this 'joker'...but in the end I am just going to send him this link....http://www.odemagazine.com/article.php?aID=4374. He may need the name of a shrink in the US as well if anybody knows one with less problems than this fella.

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