Re: Jihad needs scientists

[kensmith@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Ken Smith)]

In article <4584C7DD.D29B81BC@xxxxxxxxxxx>,
Eeyore  <rabbitsfriendsandrelations@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>
>Ken Smith wrote:
[....]
>> There are lots of people with lots of stated goals.  The progress towards
>> the destruction of western civilization has been made by the neocons not
>> the Islamists.
>
>BAH makes the classic error of assuming Islamic extremism / Islamism has
>a popular
>and widespread base.

Extremists of all sorts like to appear to be more popular than they are.  
This gives them more control over the situation than their true numbers 
would suggest.  They also like to have an external threat to rally the 
troops against.  

When you have two extremist groups that claim to oppose each other, you 
can have the interesting situation of the two extremes helping each other.  
Each is given the external enemy it needs and will exagerate the danger of 
the other.  This means that each side reenforces the claim of large 
support of the other.  We can see this at work right now with the 
"Crusaders vs. Terrorists" battle.


>It doesn't. Although the west can make it more popular by over-reacting
>for sure.

Change that "can" to "has" and you would also be correct.

-- 
--
kensmith@xxxxxxxxx   forging knowledge