The only "haters" who really worry me are those who hate - and therefore refuse to acknowledge - inconvenient facts. I encounter many of those in OLO and real life.

People who hate facts may have caused the BP Deepwater Horizon oil rig catastrophe.

See: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/30/us/30rig.html

Among other things fact haters deny are:

--Evolution

--The impossibility of appeasing a totalitarian ideology - or even that the totalitarian ideology exists.

--The dangers inherent in pumping ever more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere

Come to think of it fact haters really are the world's number one problem.

I agree CJ Morgan, Pericles, haters are a real problem.

Pericles,
The problem with your reasoning is that you refuse to acknowledge that Islamic “fanatics and terrorists” are acting in absolute accordance with the tenets of Islam.
Those “fanatics and terrorists” can be hunted down and neutralised but the Islamic doctrine will continue to breed more of them into perpetuity.
I am not the only person recognise this problem in Islam, one which I personally don’t believe can be resolved.
Below is a link to four experts on Islam.
Two are non-Muslims;
Two are moderate Muslims.
None of them holds much hope that Islam can be reformed in the same manner as Christianity was.
If they, being experts, can’t see a solution, what am I supposed to do?
Put my faith in the punters at OLO that everything will be just fine if we hold hands and sing Kumbaya?
I’m a realist.
Yours is a fantasy, based on your belief in diversity, multiculturalism, utopian ideals, etc.
I hope you’re right but I strongly believe you’re wrong.
I think that historical and contemporary reality substantiate my viewpoint.
How can I believe in the goodwill toward non-Muslims by people who believe in what the Koran states in black and white.
I am not that delusional.
<< they will not be shaken from it by any argument from rationality, reality or reason.>>
Funny, I was thinking the same about you lot.

http://frontpagemag.com/2010/05/27/symposium-the-worlds-most-wanted-a-%e2%80%9cmoderate-islam-%e2%80%9d/

Steven said:

//The threat emanates from the attempt to APPEASE THE UNAPPEASABLE.//

And of course he is absolutely correct.

CJ still persists in discussing his 'methodology' when in fact all Steven reported was that he 'interviewed' some imams.. seems like an entirely logical and reasonable approach to me.. CJ has not bothered to ask Steven ABOUT his actual methodology..so.. any criticism is emerging from a vacuum of information. Sounds like Stevenaphobia to me :)

Pericles..don't despair.. (I'm starting to feel sorry for you)
You bring it upon yourself. You have an 'islamaphobephobia' which is just as irrational as Islamophobia.. you are not able to separate the 'actual' teachings of Islam and the just criticism of them from the friendly muslim down the street, bless his heart.

For some strange and as yet undiscovered reason.. you appear to be one who would not condemn criticism of 'National Socialism' as a set of ideas.. as "tarring all Germans with the same brush"..yet you DO appear to have this approach when Islam is criticized.

This is at best inconsistent. DO YOU believe criticism of NS is to tar all Germans ?

If you do NOT...then WHY do you take that approach re Islam?

By your own words you know next to nothing about it.. yet you can ferret out fact to the level of incorrect consonant in my own material to damage my credibility over something I (and others) clearly know far more about than you.

You never engage on the level of 'facts' and interpretation, you just rip into those who are critical. As I said.. you bring it on yourself.

But as you have grown weary of 'protecting' them.. I also have grown weary of 'attacking' them (it) as Steven says

The threat lies elsewhere as I'm hoping by now you 'get'.

Which is what I am now focused on..

Appeasement is not the solution.. but attacking those who would undermine our sovereignty and independance is something I am relishing more by the day. *fixed bayonets*

Foxy self pity is never a good look.

Dear Al,

I fully agree - "self pity is not a good look,"

Neither is ignorance, arrogance, bigotry,
narrow-mindedness, self-righteousness,
effrontery, impudence, prejudice,intolerance,
fanaticism, bias, intellectual bankruptcy,
vulgarity, unknowingness, heavy-handedness,
graceless, gaucheness,unskillfullness,artlessness...

cont'd...

Dear Al,

Go visit your
local library, they can help you with
books on "self-help" and "self-improvement",
to overcome those problems of yours.
(smile).

C J Morgan, "My main consolation is that I almost never encounter such hatred in real life".

Excellent, isn't that the truth because because few people ever do encounter such hatred in Australia.

Refreshing to see it confirmed in print though, especially given there is the occasional prejudiced poster who would tar all Australians with the one brush:

"Australians are racists";

"Australians are homophobes"; and

"Australians are xenophobes".

Next time anyone stereotypes and sledges your fellow countrymen like that you might like to join with others and challenge the critic to use the qualifier 'some'. Good for you if you do.