The Logic of Sectarian Violence
One of the most dismaying aspects of the sectarian slaughter in Iraq is that the perpetrators usually have nothing personal against the victims. They are slaughtered simply for their group membership.
Humans in hunter gatherer societies tend to break up into small bands which often compete violently with each other. Sectarian violence likely stems from an instinct that had a certain function in such a world, but is catastrophic when it is internal to a civilized society. Osama bin Laden and his fellow sociopaths openly promote their "war of civilizations," but it's really a war that destroys civilizations. Similarly, the racial extremists of the American right want their members to join the army so they will be prepared for the coming race war in America.
The man who shot six women (killing one) at a Seattle Jewish center announced that:
Hacks like Newt Gingrich and Sean Hannity help create that climate when they proclaim that the US is entering "World War III." Muslims, including Muslims who are not crazy, quite plausibly see themselves as the target of this planned war.
It doesn't help that our President is an incoherent fool who mouths such absurd rationales for our Middle Eastern policies that everyone knows that he is lying.
Humans in hunter gatherer societies tend to break up into small bands which often compete violently with each other. Sectarian violence likely stems from an instinct that had a certain function in such a world, but is catastrophic when it is internal to a civilized society. Osama bin Laden and his fellow sociopaths openly promote their "war of civilizations," but it's really a war that destroys civilizations. Similarly, the racial extremists of the American right want their members to join the army so they will be prepared for the coming race war in America.
The man who shot six women (killing one) at a Seattle Jewish center announced that:
"I'm a Muslim American; I'm angry at Israel,"He could equally logically have said "I'm angry at a guy with blue socks, so I will kill some people wearing blue socks." Logic is not what powers such people though, but rather a climate of hatred and fear.
Hacks like Newt Gingrich and Sean Hannity help create that climate when they proclaim that the US is entering "World War III." Muslims, including Muslims who are not crazy, quite plausibly see themselves as the target of this planned war.
It doesn't help that our President is an incoherent fool who mouths such absurd rationales for our Middle Eastern policies that everyone knows that he is lying.
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