tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3650193.post112304762614583739..comments2023-11-02T23:12:22.758+11:00Comments on Planet Irf: MEDIA: Bolted To bin-LadinIrfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12032825228704836828noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3650193.post-1123490097280701472005-08-08T18:34:00.000+10:002005-08-08T18:34:00.000+10:00I don't know whether we should do away with the st...I don't know whether we should do away with the states, but clearly the federal government is taking on many extravagant functions. <BR/><BR/>It would be nice if Iraq could follow the Swiss model, but I'm afraid that country is too far gone. To talk meaningfully of "Iraq" is highly misguided as once the occupation ends, the uniting factor of the external enemy will give way to internal grievancesAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3650193.post-1123422537629965272005-08-07T23:48:00.000+10:002005-08-07T23:48:00.000+10:00Hmm, comments aren't working for me here.Hmm, comments aren't working for me here.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3650193.post-1123335778863592152005-08-06T23:42:00.000+10:002005-08-06T23:42:00.000+10:00It does have compulsory military service, which is...It does have compulsory military service, which is possibly a bad thing but then, as you said, who wants to attack the Swiss?<BR/><BR/>The system of decentralised government, in the form of the Cantons and Communes, and local autonomy given to them is excellent. There are some Cantons that are officially Catholic and others that are Protestant, and some where the 'official' language is German, Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3650193.post-1123219412258260412005-08-05T15:23:00.000+10:002005-08-05T15:23:00.000+10:00I must say, if there was any country I wanted to b...I must say, if there was any country I wanted to be right now it would be Switzerland. No doubt about. Requires not a moment's hesitation. <BR/><BR/>They seem to have everything I like - limited constitutional government, extensive gun rights, citizens' initiated referenda, a prudent foreign policy, and strong immigration controls. And guess what? Nobody wants to blow up the Swiss! Name one Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3650193.post-1123191658671044472005-08-05T07:40:00.000+10:002005-08-05T07:40:00.000+10:00Steve,I don't really have a problem with what you ...Steve,<BR/><BR/>I don't really have a problem with what you describe. The sort of 'racial profiling' I was refering to was specifically in the context of limiting or focusing general intelligence activities. For example, instructing ASIO to focus on Arabs and using race as a discriminator in deciding whether someone is or is not "of interest". It was a suggestion thrown up earlier in the weekAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3650193.post-1123177880756436252005-08-05T03:51:00.000+10:002005-08-05T03:51:00.000+10:00One final point - Amir, you said something about r...One final point - Amir, you said something about racial profiling. <BR/><BR/>I assumed that racial profiling simply meant that police may be allowed the right to note someone's racial ancestry on a suspect profile, or whatever. Is there something else involved in "racial profiling" that I missed?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3650193.post-1123176924877995112005-08-05T03:35:00.000+10:002005-08-05T03:35:00.000+10:00Irf writes:"i guess a logical deduction from your ...Irf writes:<BR/><BR/>"i guess a logical deduction from your claim about terrorism is that the focus should be taken off extremist religious groups altogether."<BR/><BR/>But my claim about terrorism is statistically irrefutable. It's astonishing what resources western countries have devoted to "ending terrorism" when you are almost certainly more likely to die from the flu than get blown up by Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3650193.post-1123174867478424372005-08-05T03:01:00.000+10:002005-08-05T03:01:00.000+10:00"Of course, I'm not suggesting Irfan falls into ei..."Of course, I'm not suggesting Irfan falls into either camp because clearly he doesn't."<BR/><BR/>Irf does not quite tow the line, but he still stays withing the comfortable (but fallacious) paradigm that governs the "pro/anti"-Muslim dialectic - leading directly to the destination of state tyranny.<BR/><BR/>The dialectic goes as follows:<BR/><BR/>Faris/Bolt et al note that there is a small Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3650193.post-1123170766962940002005-08-05T01:52:00.000+10:002005-08-05T01:52:00.000+10:00thanks for the clarification, amir.thanks for the clarification, amir.Irfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12032825228704836828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3650193.post-1123166263959067202005-08-05T00:37:00.000+10:002005-08-05T00:37:00.000+10:00Steve,I tend to agree with you.Shortly after 7/7, ...Steve,<BR/><BR/>I tend to agree with you.<BR/><BR/>Shortly after 7/7, the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils (AFIC) began lobbying the government to impose a variant of the French model on Australian Muslims -- with a taxpayer-funded quasi-government organisation policing Islamic thought in this country. They have consistently argued that this is need to combat the threat of extremism in Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3650193.post-1123160338854289442005-08-04T22:58:00.000+10:002005-08-04T22:58:00.000+10:00in a way the points you raise are valid. but in a ...in a way the points you raise are valid. but in a way they are not.<BR/><BR/>the best form of institution-building is the model of writers like Hayek. let institutions emerge spontaneously from civil society. govts should not get involved.<BR/><BR/>however, in my humble opinion, whether the threat of terrorism is real or illusionary, the fact remains that there are genuine fears. either Irfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12032825228704836828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3650193.post-1123152263287933422005-08-04T20:44:00.000+10:002005-08-04T20:44:00.000+10:00As for the "point being lost", the point had alrea...As for the "point being lost", the point had already been lost when both yourself and Peter Faris got suckered into believing that the threat of Islamic terrorism was greater than very small. As an Australian, you have close to a one in a million chance of dying from terrorism in any given year.<BR/><BR/>Yet for some reason, both you and Peter agree that an increase in the powers of the state is Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3650193.post-1123150735383083132005-08-04T20:18:00.000+10:002005-08-04T20:18:00.000+10:00I was writing from memory, but note the following:...I was writing from memory, but note the following:<BR/><BR/>On one thread, you claimed "at least 25% of the victims of the WTC bombings in 2001 were of muslim ethno-religious background".<BR/><BR/>http://www.farisqc.observationdeck.org/?p=249<BR/><BR/>On another thread, you claimed "at least 25% of the sept 11 victims were muslim civilians, including a fair proportion of the NY firemen and Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3650193.post-1123141366420888372005-08-04T17:42:00.000+10:002005-08-04T17:42:00.000+10:00Where did i say 22%? And why allow the point to be...Where did i say 22%? And why allow the point to be lost because of a possible typo?Irfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12032825228704836828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3650193.post-1123141068730445942005-08-04T17:37:00.000+10:002005-08-04T17:37:00.000+10:00Now I'm confused. Previously it was claimed by thi...Now I'm confused. Previously it was claimed by this author that 22% of WTC victims were Muslims. Now that figure has risen to 30%.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com