[MD] Theocracy, Secularism, and Democracy

[Platt Holden]

Dave:

No doubt many interests are involved in the proposed mosque --
religious, architectural, city planning, insurance, commercial, political
etc, etc. But I think the driving force is sympathy for the feelings of
those who lost family or friends as a result of the 9/11 attack. Or liberal
friends have always emphasized the goodness of being sensitive to the
feelings of others. After all, that's the justification for limits on free
speech by advocates of political correctness. As Adam Smith argued, humans
have a natural tendency to care about the well-being others. I think that's
really what's behind objections to the mosque. Or, as Pirsig might put it,
"caring." But, other motives are at work, for sure.

Platt

On Thu, Aug 19, 2010 at 10:46 AM, David Thomas <
combinedefforts at earthlink.net> wrote:

> Platt:
>
> > If the Russians proposed to place a monument to Russian Communism on the
> > grounds of Chartwell, you might think it  inappropriate. Not a perfect
> > analogy, but perhaps helpful in understanding the reaction of many
> Americans
> > to the proposed  mosque near the 9/11 site.
>
> The use of the word "mosque" is the divisive element. When you say "mosque"
> in America now it means a tile covered, domed building with cryers
> broadcasting gibberish from minarets at all hours of the day. In fact the
> building is an existing office building, vacant, and damaged from the
> blast.
> It is to be remodeled into a community center (yes with Muslim prayer
> rooms)
> that from the outside without some closer understanding or inspection I
> doubt most Americans walking by would distinguish from any other office
> building in the area. The "wisdom" issue still remains though but my guess
> that it was good All- American entrepreneurial spirit that got them in
> trouble. Bombed out vacant building in New York City (one of the priciest
> real estate markets in the world) available with little down and almost no
> interest from an insurance company wanting to get it off there books at the
> bottom of the worst real estate depression in recent times. Go for it!
> Whoops, our planning approval just happened to fall right in the startup of
> mid-term national elections. Didn't plan that very well, did we. Oh shit.
>
> Or it could be a jihadist plot to take over first New York, then the world.
>
> Dave
>
>
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