A HairHair On the Tail of the Dog

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   Doug Hughesposted 13 years ago

   There's an expression "The Tail wagging the dog.." it refers to an item of minor importance controlling a situation and hints at misplaced priorities.
   
   That's particularly true with advocates of religious bigotry thing to turn mainstream Americans against mainstream Muslim-Americans. But this isn't a case of the Tail wagging the dog. It's more like a hair on the tail is wagging the dog.
   
   The paranoid story is that Muslim-Americans will 'impose' Sharia Law on our judicial system, forcing mainstream America to conform to the rigid code of some Mid-east countries. That these countries are and have been Islamic countries for centuries doesn't seem to matter.
   
   So lets look at the numbers. Muslims make up seven tenths of one percent of the US population. The vast majority are quite moderate, head scarves, not the traditional full face covering. But suppose one in fourteen Muslims is radicalized to the point they would advocate that US civil law should give way to Sharia Law.
   
   You are defending against a legal onslaught which (supposedly) threatens the US legal system brought on by one half of one tenth of one percent of the population. A fraction of a fraction of a fraction. When you ask for examples of how this threat could materialize, the argument always goes overseas to a country with a huge Muslim influence.
   
   So why this rumormongering a decade after the Sept 11 attacks? Making a scapegoat of a religious minority has worked well for fascist groups in the past. I don't see any legitimate reason for the demonization of Muslim-Americans but the paranoia comes  from one political faction alone. That should make you cautious.

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      Mighty Momposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Well don't leave us in suspense, Doug.
      Which political faction is leading this xenophobic paranoid charge?
      Should I guess?

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         Doug Hughesposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         I had high hopes that some of our resident teabaggers would join the discussion. I wanted to ask for specific American examples of how they are taking over.
         
         The theories I have heard so far are to weak to make the grade on an episode of "Pinky and the Brain".

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            John Holdenposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            And what ever evidence you present is never enough to overcome the paranoia.
            I suppose you meed another enemy now there are no reds left under your beds.

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               Mighty Momposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               LOL, John.
               The "reds" under our beds these days are the extreme Republibaggers.
               Instead of the Boogeyman we should be afraid of the Baggerman.
               

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                  John Holdenposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                  But too many do not recognise them!

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                     Mighty Momposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                     The majority do.
                     All Dems plus more than 50% Republicans.
                     It's just that being the bullies, the baggers are getting all the attention.

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                        John Holdenposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                        But they don't have that frisson, they are an actual entity that you may well be afraid of.
                        Muslims aren't.

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   lovemychrisposted 13 years ago

   "So why this rumormongering a decade after the Sept 11 attacks?"
   
   Maybe they're planning another attack, and they want to make sure when they blame the muslims again, we will be softened and ready for it.
   Or actually, I should say hardened.
   Hardened and ready to hate.

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   Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

   Good point (as always).
   We may think we can identify Muslims, but that's like saying we can identify Catholics or Buddhists (by religion) or Italians, Spaniards or Swedes (by ethnicity).
   We can work off stereotypes. But we will be wrong as often as we're right -- and I'm only taking about identifying, not taking action against.
   
   Assuming for one nanosecond that the Muslims ARE planning to take over, wouldn't you think they's start with the "low hanging fruit" rather than targeting the USA?
   I dunno. Maybe I'm being too logical -- and as we all know, we can't use logic against Muslims because they are irrational and evil.*
   
   *NOT my personal opinion!

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