What a jewel.

Even better:

Because Osama bin Laden supports Arsenal, we can assume that Arsenal supports Osama bin Laden.

You are quite right to choose the ground you want to stand on. I was only joking about the poker, or poking about the joker, I forget which. And that was supposed to be light hearted too

“Ah………how about the protests today in several major cities around the world. If they got want they want, it would result in a victory of head-hacking fascists in Iraq. I do not remember any parsing except for us so-called “jingos.”

If you dont want the head-hacking fascist to have a victory in Iraq you can always return Saddam back to power. He was far more successful at keeping those types out of power, influence, oppurtunity in his country. This is way Islam discourages rebellion and revolution in an attempt to rid people of the evil above them, i.e. Saddam, because what may take its place can be something far worse.

Because of him being deposed they are in Iraq now creating all kinds of wicked acts and the people of Iraq, the worlds biggest victims of Islamist terrorism (I use the word Islamist flippantly) have to live a life of violent insecurity. Lets hope they dont blame the teachings Islam. LOL….

The global Jihad has got the Wahhabis and the Shittes aligned? Ha Ha Ha. Take it from this Wahhabi, you are a little confused.

‘you only play with 5p coins as a laugh’

If losing doesn’t hurt, it ain’t poker.

what does that have to do with using the cartoons as some sort of marker of freedom of speech?

The problem with arguments like the kind you put forward Ted is that its not nuanced. Everything is part of this so-called global jihad and therefore any issue with Muslims being involved becomes part of that equation, and thus to be resisted.

Douglas – heh, c’mon mate poker isn’t all that bad! Specially when you only play with 5p coins as a laugh

I don’t disagree with the broad thrust of your argument. FoS should be protected at all costs and I’ve previously argued for allowing the BNP to say what they want, against the religious hatred bill, and more. In fact I’m planning another article on the issue. But that doesn’t mean I’m willing to be dragged into other people’s agendas.

I’ve never accepted the argument that the Danish cartoons controversy was purely about being pro-freedom of speech. I’ve said that numerously that people like j0nz have a biased view that does not accept all freedom of speech, only the agendas they want to promote. So while I support FoS, I don’t want to be dragged into the anti-Muslim agenda in this instance.

Assuming you were commenting on my post rather than Sunnys’ lead, you would be right about the prejudice. However you view it too narrowly. I think you could reasonably read into my post a disgust with all religions. If that can be described as racist, bring it on!

Cheers.

/hysterical leftist

I was a bit depressed by your post. To think that you play poker, disgraceful!

There are folk in this world who view ‘offence’ as the greatest insult. They are, generally to be despised, whether they are Sicilian mafia or Islamic scholars..

One of the few things I admire about the US, probably the only thing in fact, is that ideas and insults are a marketplace. You can say anything you want, more or less. That is a true melting pot of ideas. It also strikes me as quite Darwinian, in the sense that if your ideas are crap, they won’t survive. Which, for instance, explains why the gun nuts are so vociferous, they recognise that they are under pressure.

Wherever and whenever religion has been given a platform, for instance in Europe in the Middle Ages, it has been a force for backwardness and unenlightenment. I am thinking about Galileo.

These, Christian, thugs would have had you believe that their view of the Universe was correct., when it transparently is not. So which side are you on? Theocratic morons, whose only version of their existence is defined by adherence to outmoded texts and an immutable belief that anything that challenges them are the work of the devil or people that think for themselves? I do believe in civility, but it is the former who are being incivil, not the latter.

I am less than impressed by the agenda that Muslims are following right now. If their religion must not be criticised, what does that say about it’s fragility? When folk resort to violence, it is generally the case that they have lost the arguement.

There are few people in the Western world – perhaps Yvonne Ridley and Madeliene Bunting could argue otherwise – who find the intolerance, and, frankly Victorian attitudes, of Muslim clerics as anything other than deeply offensive.

Freedom of expression has been hard won. If I was a marcher or rallyist, which I’m not, I’d not be playing poker.

I didn’t realise being against American cluster bombing in Iraq meant I was advocating head-hacking fascists in the same country. thanks for t enlightening me Rob.

Could you specify any ‘left-wing, fascist hugging demos ‘ that haven taken place during the life-time of this blog and not been parsed?

And I realise that coming up with a chant is not easy ( Ho Ho Ho Chin Min was a gift to some of my generation) but make an effort.

As it happens, I’m inclined to think people should show up, but chant less and talk more. Amongst themselves.
Isn’t comunication the point? The opposition ain’t listening; forget about making a noise, talk to the person next to you. Get some perspective out there.

As Christopher Hitchens recently said in Washington DC in front of the Danish Embassy, “Solidarity with Denmark and death to fascism.”
Here…here….See you in Traflagar Square!!