I assume you mean excepting but one’s personal peccadilloes have nothing to do with accusations of ignorance. One may or may not be ignorant of the subject at hand depending on one’s breadth. I agree that accusing one of ignorance is often an ad hominem device used to distract from a weak argument.

The reality is the following. Islamic Extremism is a serious threat to the United States and the stability of world economies.

This is a reality you create and to which you choose to subscribe. It is an opinion based on FEAR of certain people who are: Extremists (fanatics) in your estimation, and a serious threat to the US and economic stability (again FEAR) and if it were a fact, (it’s not – it’s a belief) denial would be ignorant.

That doesn’t mean I think you are ignorant. May be you are just simple wrong.

Why would you think that gainsaying that opinion is wrong? Right and wrong are personal value judgments and not absolutes, the simple part is that this in the subjunctive (not real) and is merely academic to anyone not involved directly.

I am afraid of a new Dark Age. A world where Islamic extremists are free to spread their destruction and ideology at will. Again it’s FEAR ( I’m afraid says it all) (BTW How will they get past all those PA deer hunters to spread that destruction?) and who but the naive and fearful would subscribe to such a misguided ideology?

So what I think you are saying is that the Islamic extremists will stop craving world domination onlly if Western Civilization just leaves them alone.

The stated goal of Islam is one world under Islamic dogma and theoretically could be ushered in democratically (spreading democracy to Iraq is just the 1st step)

You obviously lack knowledge on the history of the Middle East.

So you do think I’m ignorant!!!

It funny how liberals always say this war is really about oil. Did you ever think that is what Bin Laden wants? In his world, oil is power and the quickest way to restore an Islamic Empire.

I am an ultra-liberal (true political and social liberal/libertarian) and I believe the war was about personal vendetta and fear of a bogeyman primarily and secondarily about fulfilling a neo-con empirical fantasy with the added bonus of repaying cronies (like Halliburton). It wasn’t about spreading democracy or WsMD or humanitarianism, the oil was a red herring to assuage taxpayers fears by claiming the oil would pay for the war. By deposing Saddam Hussein, an avowed secularist and no friend of Islam (he brutally suppressed it) if anything opened the door to the viability of Iraqi oil funding the Empire you so fear.

Peace thru no fear,

Jazzman

Everyone is ignorant about the majority of the SET of knowledge. The volume of each of our subsets varies in a NORMAL (Gaussian) distribution. The subset variation is potentially lessened due to the internet as our virtual set of knowledge is vastly extensible but a hyperbolic discriminator is needed. ALL people are “blinded” (tunnel-vision would be a more apt analogy for your “narrow view”) by the precepts (filters) of their belief systems (your packaging analogy) which are chosen by how they well comport to their worldview (pre-conceptions)(many beliefs are accepted by default due to lack of questioning or critical analysis that would cause them to be rejected or supplanted by another choice.)

Ignorance is the lack of knowledge. Whether it is internalized (reflected upon) or externalized (broadcasting or blogging) it has nothing to do with a narrow view or education. Some of the most educated people have the narrowest view. In this age of specialization the Liberal Arts education is a modern dinosaur and the narrow view is quickly becoming the rule. The Renaissance man (person) ala Jefferson and Franklin and the generalist are becoming as rare as the true Liberal (not the straw bogeyman manufactured by the conservative right.)

From the American Heritage Dictionary: A Liberal is a person who is:

1a) Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas; free from bigotry.

1b) Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded.

i.e., Not FEARFUL of new ideas, people, or change.

Contrast to Conservative: (Same Source) A person who is:

1. Favoring traditional views and values; tending to oppose change.

2. Traditional or restrained in style: a conservative dark suit.

3. Moderate; cautious: a conservative estimate.

i.e., FEARFUL of new ideas, people, and change.

The self-serving part is true of ALL humans except when altruism holds sway.

Everyone is ignorant about the majority of the SET of knowledge. The volume of each of our subsets varies in a (Gaussian) distribution. The subset variation is potentially lessened due to the internet as our virtual set of knowledge is vastly extensible but a hyperbolic discriminator is needed. ALL people are “blinded” (tunnel-vision would be a more apt analogy for your “narrow view”) by the precepts (filters) of their belief systems (your packaging analogy) which are chosen by how they well comport to their worldview (pre-conceptions)(many beliefs are accepted by default due to lack of questioning or critical analysis that would cause them to be rejected or supplanted by another choice.)

Accusing someone of being ignorant is accepting your own short comings.

The reality is the following. Islamic Extremism is a serious threat to the United States and the stability of world economies. You can choose to deny that fact and I’ll respect your opinions. That doesn’t mean I think you are ignorant. May be you are just simple wrong.

I am afraid of a new Dark Age. A world where Islamic extremists are free to spread their destruction and ideology at will. So what I think you are saying is that the Islamic extremists will stop craving world domination onlly if Western Civilization just leaves them alone. You obviously lack knowledge on the history of the Middle East.

It funny how liberals always say this war is really about oil. Did you ever think that is what Bin Laden wants? In his world, oil is power and the quickest way to restore an Islamic Empire.

Ignorance is the basis of all fear that is a function of secondary information. The human brain reacts to 2 types of information. Primary information is that which originates from and is experienced in one’s current environment such as sensory data, face to face communication, and imminent danger. Fear which is derived from these primary sources while possibly may be due to ignorance, unwarranted, and usually an overreaction, is at least a natural fight or flight response.

Secondary information originates outside of one’s primary experience such as news reports, hearsay, and many times imagined out of whole cloth. Fear in response to this information is harmful to one physically (and to others as a result) as the fight or flight chemicals that are generated have no outlet. They may manifest mildly as elevated blood pressure or grouchiness, or intensely as violence, bellicosity and many times disease (Stress Related Syndrome, ulcers, or worse).

The biggest problem with ignorance and inappropriate response to secondary information is way it affects one’s worldview and belief system. Uncritical acceptance of one’s beliefs about “reality” results in fear based decisions and the bartering of anything one possesses, abstract or concrete, for putative safety which can never be guaranteed much less delivered.

In case lovers of American military intervention wish to take me to task for not loving America enough, I will graciously admit that yes, suiciders are bad and I don’t like them at all and wish they would stop. (Did anyone notice that invasions of Middle Eastern countries by the US tends to cause the result of INCREASING suicide bombers?)

I’m sorry, Chris, but you let the show deteriorate to a faux-Limbaux rant-fest. Thank you Billmon for snippets of cogent thought.

In other words their worldview (like most conservatives) is FEAR based.

Fear of Islam, fear of liberal ideology which will tax and spend their money in ways of which they disapprove, fear that liberal teachers and professors will brainwash their children, fear that homosexual marriage will destroy the institution of heterosexual marriage and family values, fear of pissing off God, fear that godless (viz. Ann Coulter) left wing moonbats will bring down religion (Their God is too helpless to counter the attack.)

It’s ironic that when paying for abstract SAFETY by borrowing from China and Mexico and running up a debt burden for their children to figure out how to pay down, they don’t mind. It’s the price of freedom spend what ever it takes as along as they don’t increase taxes to pay for it. What about the family value of not passing a huge financial burden to their children? We are paying $4 billion/week (borrowed) to fight them there so we don’t have to fight them here and who knows how much else is wasted building symbolic border barriers, funding the TSA, and enforcing the Patriot Act. ALL of this is born out of FEAR.The present administration has increased the size of government and the debt more than previous administration which should cause alarm to a true conservative.

Jazzman