this is the only long-term path to peace (capitalism) and rationality (objectivism)...anything less is doomed to eternal conflict between freedom and islam...

democracy is a false god...universal voter rights are destructive of individualism and natural rights...

a republic that limits voting rights to property and labor prevents politicians from undermining individual rights with tyranny of those dependent on govt theft...

I've both read and heard that we already have ample enough oil to ignore the Middle East.
But we also have econazis running things here.

Nuclear testing grounds?

And Frack, Baby, Frack! 😀

First you have to get them in a place where they have the possibility to become aware of self, of self introspection and self rule., (the individual that is). That can be accomplished much like it was for a good percentage of our ancestors...Language; spoken a written in a language that holds many, many concepts, not just words but the kind that can produce prophetic metaphors. In the time of our ancestors it was Greek, Latin and Hebrew...today that language is English. It has all the other languages beat and is the most adaptive. Then, hopefully the politics and laws will follow. Of course, it wouldn't hurt to know that their prophet was an idiot, a Charlton and stole most of anything valuable from our OT ancestors.
A good way would be the internet but without the ability to translate...forcing them into using the English language, giving them a proper definition of each word they use.

Big problem is the Ace in the hole that the fedgov gave the middle east princes: instant devaluation of the US dollar. US allies have suffered for decades from this, and imo they would love to see a new world fiat currency out of US fed control.

It was just a pleasant daydream, guys.

I was thinking more of the trade isolation of the soviet block. If the rest of the world refused to purchase their petroleum, how long would a collapse take? How expensive would energy become in that period?

The prime directive categorical imperative! LOL.

Reasons is the magic bullet.

The idea of concentric subsets is interesting. Mass-murdering extremists in the center, people who want the religion to run all aspects of life in the next ring, and decreasing levels of "awareness" beyond that. I question if awareness is the right word. In my own life most religious people I know do not believe anything about religion literally, but they say the stories inform their views. They're very aware of the crazy stuff in their religion, but they appear to treat it as entirely fictional. Some religious people say they do not believe a single word of their religion; it's just part of their cultural/family identity.

I do not agree with the part at the end about having absolute contempt for respecting people's religious heritage. I think of my grandmother, who was in that outer concentric circle, calling herself a believer but hardly aware of the crazy things in her religion. Christopher Hitchens and Mr. Kolhatkar say it would have been good to challenge her for believing in religious books that support murder and rape. I know the facts about religion, but challenging her comes off as attacking her heritage, attacking her parents, grandparents, and all the traditions they brought from their country of origin. She once asked me if I believed in religion. I said "no", which seemed to make her sad. I tried to say I would remember the good values and the stories. I think that's all she really wanted.

My thought is reason brings people out toward that edge of the circle. We don't need to remind these people that they're a superset of religious murderers.

Hello Mamaemma,
Drill, Baby Drill! :)
Regards,
O.A.

Yes FFA, it does hit closer to home. Common tools of tyranny...

Wall off the Middle East like in Escape From New York. Let them face reality on their own. And we already don't need them as an energy source!

"This ... regime is doing all it can to keep the masses scared and ignorant. "
That hits a lot closer to home, OA.
(Agree with your points on the article and its "solution" ;^)
Great TJ quote, too!

Solution: Find another energy source and quarantine the mideast region until they figure it out on their own. The United Nations, NWO, and socialists would never agree, however. A lot of Europeans might be amenable to it.

Hello khalling,
It sounds great, but hasn't this been tried for generations? Hasn't western civilization been showing the way by example for as long? These people are of the stock that preserved and disseminated the works of Aristotle and then turned their backs. This theocratic regime is doing all it can to keep the masses scared and ignorant. The question is how is this effort to be successful? What new means can be employed that will allow reason to penetrate and conquer the ideological and language barriers while conquering the fears?

Yes education is the key, but by what new means have we? I agree with the premise. I just have doubts that one can reason with the mystics, or conquer their hold on the illiterate masses in any near future. This is going to take time. Short of using greater force and instilling greater fear it may be the only path. It reminds me of the problem of conquering the suicidal fanaticism of the Japanese in WW2. I hope there is a different solution and that reason will prevail.

"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." Thomas Jefferson
Regards,
O.A.

Goodkind writes nearly pure fantasy, not sci-fi. Goodkind is likely very talented in that genre, but I prefer sci-fi. Lost Legacy has a fantasy element in that it doesn't depend on invented technology (a sci-fi element), but it isn't so much fantasy as it is (like Atlas Shrugged) a story that revels in the value of individual achievement.

Agree, just look at Europe.

Reason isn't found in the US government domestic actions either. It isn't likely to be seen in US fedgov actions until the fedgov is forced to do so. Modernization is not a complete solution, obviously.

I appreciate the optimism for reason dripping from this article. At the same time, I cannot help but to be incredulous about the prospect for peace in the Middle East.

Pirate would tell you Goodkind. :)

Like Atlas Shrugged, Lost Legacy inspires me every time I read it.
Have you read any of Timothy Zahn's non-starwars novels? His adventure writing style reminds me of Heinlein in some ways (without the underlying individualist message, however) and also has a bit of Agatha Christie mystery as well.

Isn't it a great story? I have everything ever written by Heinlein on my shelf. He is my second favorite author!

If you are a sci-fi/fantasy fan, I recommend you read Heinlein's novella Lost Legacy.
In some ways it is as prophetic as Atlas Shrugged, and more optimistic.
It is found in collections of Heinlein's short works including _Off the Main Sequence" and _Assignment in Eternity*. I think it would make an amazing action adventure movie.

Another great article. Thanks. "With open discourse, reason will win converts." My hope is that we will have open discourse in this country. Truth has been suppressed very effectively in the US for far too long.