[lit-ideas] Re: How many are the Jihadists, and shall we worry about them?

Lawrence, you're coming across like a sullen fourteen year-old. You complain 
about foolish insults being levelled at you forgetting that you've already 
labelled people idiots. 

Pipes said: "If Islamists constitute 10 percent to 15 percent of the Muslim 
population worldwide, they number some 125 to 200 million persons, or a far 
greater total than all the fascists and communists, combined, who ever lived."

Given that, we must assume that Pipes has calculated the number of fascists and 
communists, combined, who ever lived. How many is that, Lawrence? You can 
restrict it to committed individuals if you like, but we still need to know how 
many that is - how many who ever lived. And would that include communists 
outside the Soviet Union and Fascists outside Nazi Germany? Who get's to label 
the fascists? 

Conversely, wht consititutes an Islamist? Somebody who is willing to kill 
themselves for that cause or someone who thinks the Jihadists have a case but 
wouldn't put their lives on the line. In other words, how many represent a 
valid threat and how many might support that threat without being part of it. 

This isn't quibbling, it's Pipes being facile, and you, Lawrence, leaping on 
board with nary a look. 

Simon


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Lawrence Helm 
  To: Lit-Ideas 
  Sent: Friday, September 28, 2007 6:43 PM
  Subject: [lit-ideas] How many are the Jihadists, and shall we worry about 
them?



  Gad, here I go getting roped into another really really stupid quibble.  Are 
Communists party members?  Were Fascists members of Fascists parties.  I 
assumed so and said so in the note Simon quoted and then didn't read.  

  Simon assumes not.  He assumes everyone who ever lived in the Soviet Union 
was a Communist and everyone who ever lived in Nazi Germany was a Nazi, as 
apparently Judy does in support of Simon, and gloms onto this invented quibble 
rather than the common sense of what is being said.  

  What is Pipes point and what is mine?  I shouldn't have to spell it out for 
you, but I will.  We are worried about the committed fanatics today.  How many 
are there?  These are the Jihadists, the people we have to worry about.  How 
many notes did I write speculating about their number.  Were 30% of the total 
number of Muslims, Islamists?  Was it some lesser number?  Pipes says 10-15%.  
Does that mean we have less to worry about?  No, Pipes tells us, these 
fanatical Jihadists comprise a greater number than the equivalently committed 
Fascists and Communists.  I assume "party members."  Simon foolishly assumes 
entire populations and then scoffs at me for not making his mistaken numbers 
add up.


  Lawrence  

  PS:  My server is acting up this morning.  It is bouncing all the messages 
being sent me.  I can apparently send messages out but not receive them.  I 
logged onto the lit-ideas web site to verify that messages were being sent out 
that I didn't receive.  How anxious I shall be to log onto 
www.freelists.org/archives/lit-ideas/ to see what new ludicrous and foolish 
insults are being leveled against me?  

  They happily quibble or speak of a manufactured war organized by Exxon rather 
than confront the fact that a huge number of fanatical Jihadists have declared 
war against us and are doing their level best to kill and defeat us. How many 
times should I yell "get out of the river!  Get out of the river!  There are 
crocs there!  There are crocs!"?    Seven times?  They are laughing and 
scoffing at the idea that crocs are dangerous.  

  Seventy times Seven?

  Lawrence

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