Politics and the Other

Throughout the history of the modern nation state, politicians and agenda-driven media personalities, have maligned ethnic and religious minority communities.  In most cases, race has been the trigger used in marginalization.  During times of economic prosperity, calls to politically disenfranchise or define minorities as “unworthy” of equal protection under the law are reduced to a murmur and occasionally being in association with such views even become a political liability.  When an economic or political downturn begins to spiral, however, the murmurs hovering just below the surface gradually begin to fester and amass sympathetic listeners.  As the audience grows, the frequency of these messages begins to reverberate and zero in on those persons, who for some reason or other, are viewed outside acceptability.  Distrust can be aroused from something as minor as a foreign tongue.  Suspicions about what the other believes turn to fear, and fear to animosity; in its most insidious manifestation: hate.

"Christopher Hitchens Destroys Another Terrorism Apologist" −Not exactly.

Rencently, I was spurred into watching a "debate"  between Christopher Hitchens and Chris Hedges, as posted within this entry.  I am familiar with the participants and have gleaned useful information from each of their works on occasion.  The editing is rather choppy and it is evident any rebuttal has been deleted so I am not in a position to defend Mr. Hedges, however, Mr. Hitchens' understanding of Islam and what it represents reduces him to the level of an ignoramus, insofar as his knowledge of Shari’ah and jihad are concerned...