The other half of "it's looking a lot like 1933 again"

[hedgehog]

All through the 30's, people of Jewish descent fought to prove that they, too were first of all Germans or Americans or whatever. Today I see more and more reports of Americans trying to prove that even though they follow Islam, they too, are loyal Americans.

When do we all start wearing a star and crescent?


Case in point: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027432118

[valerief]

1. If everyone gave up their religions, religion couldn't be used as a PTB tool of division. nt

[hedgehog]

2. Kind of missing the point there.

[valerief]

3. No, I got the point. I'm just so sick of religion. It's like wearing a bullseye

in field of hunters.

[hedgehog]

4. As it happens, so is going to school, going to a movie, going to a party, etc.

[valerief]

7. I haven't heard Trump's demands about schools, movies, or parties yet. Maybe you can

enlighten us.

[pampango]

5. If we gave up the concept of countries, the PTB would have one less tool of division.

In the real world, neither religion nor national identity are going to disappear anytime soon. We need to have viable ideas for battling the PTB using other means. FDR and modern progressive countries have figured that out.

RW politicians like Trump should not be allowed to use existing religious, or national, divisions to scapegoat religions or countries for problems that are actually caused by our own 1%.

[valerief]

6. Religion is based on magic thinking. Countries are not. nt

[pampango]

8. The concept of countries is very much a creation of the human imagination, as is religion.

You just accept one and not the other.

[valerief]

9. A measurable boundary is based in reality. nt

[pampango]

10. A "measurable boundary" is a construct of the human imagination.

That the 'boundary' is written in a book (and millions of people believe in its existence) does not make it less of a product of human beliefs.

One day - long in to the future - we will no longer divide people by race, ethnicity, religion or national boundaries. We will manage our home planet together. Today, unfortunately, we still divide them up in all those ways and more - making life much easier for the PTB.

[a la izquierda]

12. You should read Imagined Communities

by Benedict Anderson.

[valerief]

13. Thanks. Just an FYI--I didn't bring up countries. I was responding to the poster who had. nt

[LanternWaste]

14. Pretending the imaginary is real does not make it any less imaginary.

Pretending the imaginary is real does not make it any less imaginary, though I certainly understand how a bias may compel one to hold that measurable, though duplicitous sentiment.

[panader0]

15. like gerrymandering?

[Oneironaut]

11. Proof that ISIS is winning.

I always thought their real goal is to make us rip each other apart from the inside. They don't need powerful weapons to do that. They're already making progress.

A few more terrorists attacks, and the idea of internment camps will be commonplace in the MSM.

They're trying to get us to both marginalize Muslims and destroy ourselves.