What the heck are they so scared of?

[wookie72]

I had an argument with someone who couldn't believe that I was more afraid of Glenn Beck than radical Islam. For me, it's simple: Beck (by which I mean the entire right wing) has more of an influence over our actual rights and laws.

I got answered back that the radical Islamists are much more intolerant, sexist, homophobic, etc. But here's what I don't understand. The Islamist countries do not have huge armies, and none of them have nuclear weapons. The most threatening is Iran, but as Shi'ites they're diametrically opposed to the Sunnis who make up Al Qaeda.

So what are these people really scared of? I have my own ideas, but I'm wondering.

[NoNothing]

1. Minor point - maybe - but

Pakistan is an Islamic republic and most definitely does have nuclear weapons.

[izquierdista]

2. Much more intolerant, sexist, homophobic

So they DO think of those as bad things, then......never would have suspected it from their diatribes.

[JuniperLea]

4. Exactly...

Does that not make a connection in their pea brains?

:shrug:

[wookie72]

10. this was a fairly progressive person I was talking to

or at least I thought they were.

[valerief]

3. Whatever Fox tells them to be afraid of. The Fear du Jour. nt

[unpossibles]

5. they truly are afraid of a lot

I think they were already afraid and FOX just played into it and made it worse. They are constantly afraid of getting mugged (lock and load!) they are afraid of pissing off their local deity, they are afraid of illegal aliens (the brown ones of course), they are afraid of taxes and of government, and they are afraid we liberal progressives are truly evil and ruining "their" country.

The sad part is the things they do out of fear are far worse than the things they are afraid of. They speak of unity, yet at the same time call us baby-killing nazi-sympathizers (or worse). They speak of freedom of religion and private property rights while fighting to stop an Islamic center. They speak of government intrusion while trying to prevent loving couples from being able to marry or adopt. They accuse us of being brainwashed yet refuse to entertain the idea of reading/watching anything which challenges their views.

It's scary because it's right here at home and in our faces every day. It's scary because they not only do not see the hypocrisy, but will attack you even if you try to gently lead them toward being able to question the information and to make their own minds up.

[Warpy]

6. Weak minded people will obligingly hate anyone

they've been given permission to hate from any quasi official source, even if that source is a liar on right wing radio or an anonymous, spam email.

That's where it's coming from. They're terrified and full of hate because they don't like being terrified and woop-de-do, the people who are keeping them terrified have supplied them with a convenient target to focus hate on.

The terrorists we need to defeat are all on right wing radio, IMO. The kill crazy Wahabs are a lot more remote and are only a distant threat. Right wing radio is keeping a lot more of our fellow citizens in terror than Al Qaeda ever dreamed of.

[wookie72]

11. The thing is, these aren't neccessarily weak-minded people

Some of the strongest anti-Muslim comments I've heard are on commondreams.

[Nihil]

13. Who says so?

> The thing is, these aren't neccessarily weak-minded people
> Some of the strongest anti-Muslim comments I've heard are on commondreams.

So what is special about "commondreams" that automatically filters out
weak-minded people?

You'll find them everywhere (DU included) as they *are* everywhere (DU included).
The location of their comment doesn't preclude them being weak-minded.

:shrug:

[Jim__]

7. A repeat of 9/11 or something similar.

People often choose security over freedom.

[jwirr]

8. They are afraid of whatever their leaders tell them to be afraid of.

What always amazes me is that these people calling themselves christian are more motivated by fear than faith. I wonder if when they are told to pray they even think that God is going to hear it? They certainly do not act like they have faith in the strength of their God. Apparently their god is a weak individual who cannot protect them from the source of their fears? Not like any christians of the past, that is for sure.

[wookie72]

9. But the people I've talked to aren't all Christians..

Thatt's part of what troubles me.

[dimbear]

12. I've only known educated Muslims, at least so far.

They had shrugged off that ancient crap and viewed it as barbaric. Beck and his pals had a chance to do shrug off the ancient evil crap, didn't take it.

You're correct. He's the one to fear.