[mburbank]

Kev; well, now I have a clearer idea what you're saying , I don't think we disagree very much.

Heres the problem I see.

"A Muslim ran into coffee shop and blew it up because he was Muslim! All Muslims, if they have not blown up a coffee shop yet are liable too soon enough!"

I agree, this is a problem that needs a Muslim solution. One could wish for a Muslim Gandhi, and I'm sujre lots of Muslims do.

As far as relatavism goes, I think you miss me. I'm not saying the Inquisition justifies suicide bombing. All I'm saying is pride goeth before the fall. If you want to say Christianity currently has fewer fundamentalists who are generally less a savage then Islam, we don't disagree. But I don't think that has anything to do with the superiority of our good book, and I don't have any faith that history is linear. History is littered with the wreckage of people who thought their worst behavior was in the past.

"Oh, come on Max. This isn't fair, it doesn't even belong in a conversation about the Koran being used to codify law in the Middle East. "

I think it does. Islam has been hijacked. Christianity is ripe for hijack. You are comfortable it can't happen here. I'm not. We have a President who believes God speaks to him who looses no sleep over the death and destruction he's involved in. The administration is actively testing the waters of removing habeus corpus, instatutionalizing torture and the removal of separation of powers. We are about to have a justice on the court who believes in unified executive power. We have a Republican party in control and the core of it's leadship have publicly stated they want as close to a one party system as they are able to get. Do you see a resistance forming? Do you think if George Bush, Dick Chenney, Grover Norquist, Pat Robertson saw the chance to achieve the power of a mullah they'd scruple over it? Don't you think there were probably lots of Muslims who at one point or another said "Hey, I'm devout, but what the fuck is going on here?" along the way?

The time to wake up to encroaching fundamentalism is before it takes root. Sure, we'd never let ol' W do anything silly like declare martial law or round up the intellectuals. We have a really great constitution that keeps that from happening. But what if you add a little fear into the mix, say a big terrorist strike? And the Fundamentalists on the other side of the fence would be happy to help.

I think these cats are seriously dangerous to America. I truly do. And I think they'd like to use some sickening blend of ultra simple minded Christianity and nationalism to back of their version of the 'law' just exactly the way the Koran is currently being abused. I just think we're earlier in the process and lacking a few key ingredients that unfortunately the 'shadowy war against a shadowy enemy' provides.

I hope you're right and I'm wrong, I hope the really serious threats are all on the outside but I think some very powerful interests are trying to make fundamental changes to America on a scale that would have shamed Nixon. I keep waiting for the pendulum to swing the other way like it did when McCarthy fell part, but I don't see it yet.