Thursday, March 17, 2016

Bluntness and Abuse

Supporters of Trump and like-minded say that they like "blunt talk about Islam." For example, "Islam hate [America]" or "thousands of Muslims celebrated 9/11." Blunt talk, eh? Let's talk blunt for a bit.

Islam carried on the Greco-Roman cultures and traditions. Without them, classics of antiquity would burn in the Christian fire. Without them, we have only kings, emperors, popes, and cardinals, and Democracy (of Athenian fame) or Republicanism (of Roman fame) would die in the Inquisition.

Islam is the largest religion on the face of the planet. While a tiny minority of them are quite deadly, most of them seem to like USA just fine. Wait, here is a blunt twist, USA has better favorable rating among Middle Eastern Muslims than Trump does among his own countrymen and women.

While I always condemn violence against bystander in Paris, let's be reminded that France did pass laws that hinder Muslim culture expression. Such laws can be (actually, they may very well be intended to be) viewed as provocation against Islam of all stripes and forms.

USA, for all of its crying and condemnations, ruined 2 countries (Afghanistan and Iraq), killed millions of bystanders, failed to support Muslim democracy (i.e. Arab Spring). Together with Russia, she turned Syria into full-fledge civil war. American army, navy, and airforce killed more innocent bystanders in Iraq alone than whatever ISIS have done in the whole Europe.

How about those "blunt talks"?

I am sorry, but Trump and his kinks ain't about "blunt." Blunt means frankness even when truth hurts. That does not mean the truth always hurts. More importantly, it does not always demean other people. Finally, if it does hurt, it probably hurt all sides more or less equally.

When a "truth" seems to hurt only one side, i.e. Trump style "bluntness" about Islam, it's usually not "truth." It's simply abuse hurled at other people.

Dear Americans: please stop abusing other people.