How is this a left/right issue. Poor judgement or intolerance is not confined to one ideological perspective or another. It is human nature to be more forgiving (if not in agreement) with those of like-mind, even the nutter fundamentalists excuse all sorts of appalling behaviour in the name of a cause.

Praying for someone to die may be a kind act in some cases when someone is in pain, even a religious person may ask that God 'take them' if they feel a person has suffered enough. It is context.

A public servant emailing a wish that an opponent or anyone should die would be in severe trouble in today's PC public service.

Not sure what your point is Al. Most people are aware of human nature's tendency to hypocrisy. Have you asked yourself the same questions about those seeking to "kill in the name of God".

Boazy first look in to your mirror.
We all should often.
I do not miss the point of the thread and understand you well.

People....this is the stuff of discussion! I love it. We don't have to agree, but delving into important issues is always of value.

Perilous.. seriously.. please make an exception to your policy of 'nogozone' for youtube. It's a monologue from Chris Christie, a man some see as Presidential material. "he" is the one the emailer wanted dead (even if in jest) and the follow up as Christie relates is extremely funny! now that alone should alert you to it's value :)
I don't offer the vid as 'evidence to persuade' of anything other than it illustrates a rather interesting perception of the world of US politics in the mind of a left wing public servant. It really is funny!

Now..re the definition of NEO...Con ? I think you captured it well. (the 2nd definition-sourcewatch.) Now.. this understanding of the NeoCon was new to me. I've always assumed they were 'Convervatives'

But in reality...they are former Democrats! peed off with the rise of the progressive/communist influence on all things Democrat. This was quite a revelation to me. It is also telling about the real nature of the current Democratic party.

The "Carefully selected point" dear P, was triggered by something you said remember. Bukhari's selection criteria was to eliminate ALL spurious traditions and only retain the most reliable, which makes the reference all the more relevant. Do you see this? and now that you understand Bukhari's selection criteria, you are a big step towards understanding why, in the context of understanding or exposing "Islam", (using Muhammad's example) it is such an important document.

Hazza and Pelly -next post.

Pericles... a tad more 4 u.

"What this doesn't tell me, is whether they think that "elites protect[ing] democracy from mob rule" is a good thing, or a bad thing."

I suspect that the 'progressive/liberal' idea that 'elites should run the show', carried over into their drift to conservatism.
That heritage would be something that neccessitates they regard such elite protection as 'good' I'd guess.

It also tells what is 'left' of the Democrats now. "Left of Marx" kinda. (if they can get away with it)

PELLY.. yes hypocrisy is present in all sides. But I believe it is the Left, is it not which cackles most frequently and eloquently about 'tolerance/understanding/inclusion' is it not ?

At the same time....the 'tolerant/inclusive/understanding' Left is also the loudest voice in condemning all opinion contrary to theirs.

See paragraph 1 of Marcuse essay "Repressive Tolerance"...have you read it yet ?
http://www.marcuse.org/herbert/pubs/60spubs/65repressivetolerance.htm

HAZZA

You say: //I'm curious Boazy, this issue would, more than anything, show a clear splinter between two groups branded as "conservative" than a left/right divide;//

*bingo*..yes it does indeed. But understanding the origins of the NeoCons is most important I feel. The only mob we usually hear about are the NEOCONS.. it would seem.(subjective impression) I think it gets back to the 'apostasy' thing. Ask a labor man (Belly?) how he feels about a 'true believer' who went Liberal :)

In the doco on Fox, some "NeoCons" are interviewed. During the rise of the NeoCons..the progressives seriously questioned their SANITY!
Which of course sounds alllll too MUCH like the Russian/Marxist state for me. Give progressives the power..and they will have us (conservatives) institutionalized in some Gulag! (I joke not)

I still don't buy it, Boaz.

>>a monologue from Chris Christie, a man some see as Presidential material. "he" is the one the emailer wanted dead (even if in jest)<<

The key here is "even in jest". A joke, in very poor taste. Not a death threat.

Mind you, it is hardly a surprise that you, with all the practice you have had deconstructing tenuous meaning from ancient scriptures, should select the interpretation that is most supportive of your argument. Some habits are too hard to break, aren't they.

As for the "man some see as Presidential material", I suspect this will come back to bite him.

>>...the follow up as Christie relates is extremely funny! now that alone should alert you to it's value<<

The US are probably less enamoured of comedic Presidents these days. If the show is as funny as you say, I doubt it has done any favours for his chances of being taken seriously.

>>...a rather interesting perception of the world of US politics in the mind of a left wing public servant. It really is funny<<

Comedy is like that. It provides a humorous take on an otherwise everyday situation. Did you ever see Ricky Gervais' "The Office"? Hardly a true reflection of real life, just a slightly skewed one, played for laughs.

It will be interesting to observe over time, how much damage it has inflicted on his presidential ambitions.

And you always were a sucker for religious propaganda, Boaz.

>>Bukhari's selection criteria was to eliminate ALL spurious traditions and only retain the most reliable<<

"Well, he would say that, wouldn't he?" (Mandy Rice-Davies)

You probably also believe that the selection of the books for inclusion in the Bible was divinely inspired, rather than the result of carefully considered political decisions.

It's ok, I don't expect that you will ever change. But equally, don't expect me to take your position seriously.

Dear Pericles... you covered quite a lot of ground there, and in your usual form you included a grandious number of 'tenuous' assumptions about where I'm coming from.

The point was to show how much the Left is up itself, excuse the french, where in the Vid (which you probably didn't see) Christie relates how the author of that email was encouraged to come to his office and apologise personally...He did... but after a time of back and forth and dancing... the Public servant came out with.....
"Well...thankyou for dropping by" :) now.. *think* about that. He was so self centred and engrossed in his world...that he didn't even realize he was in CHRISTIES office for goodness sake.

Now.. I'm going to start a new thread (if approved) where I will, as always value your input and insights..

I don't think this one will go much further, it wasn't exactly the most profound well of wisdom.

But do you now see (you might already have been aware) that the 'NeoCons' are in fact the original Democrats who left when the party was infected with a terminal case of progressive dogma?