Comments on: Babylon’s last alcohol seller arrested http://www.juancole.com/2009/12/babylons-last-alcohol-seller-arrested.html Thoughts on the Middle East, History and Religion Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:17:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Bahram http://www.juancole.com/2009/12/babylons-last-alcohol-seller-arrested.html#comment-1197 Bahram Fri, 18 Dec 2009 23:58:05 +0000 http://www.juancole.com/?p=4843#comment-1197 Why is it a bad thing for alcohol to be banned in Iraq, and a good thing for marijuana to be banned in the U.S.? Alcohol is one of the most harmful drugs, certainly more harmful than marijuana. A very large fraction of the court cases in the U.S., be it related to violence, accidents, etc. is alcohol-related. <br /><br />One thing that makes Iraq different from the U.S. is that alcohol is not an inherent part of its culture in the way it has become in the U.S. It's best to keep things that way. Think of all the families and lives that will be saved.<br /><br />Maybe this makes me a "Muslim fundamentalist"; but then so be it. Why is it a bad thing for alcohol to be banned in Iraq, and a good thing for marijuana to be banned in the U.S.? Alcohol is one of the most harmful drugs, certainly more harmful than marijuana. A very large fraction of the court cases in the U.S., be it related to violence, accidents, etc. is alcohol-related.

One thing that makes Iraq different from the U.S. is that alcohol is not an inherent part of its culture in the way it has become in the U.S. It's best to keep things that way. Think of all the families and lives that will be saved.

Maybe this makes me a "Muslim fundamentalist"; but then so be it.

]]> By: George Maschke http://www.juancole.com/2009/12/babylons-last-alcohol-seller-arrested.html#comment-1196 George Maschke Fri, 18 Dec 2009 22:24:56 +0000 http://www.juancole.com/?p=4843#comment-1196 I recall that circa 1989 in Los Angeles, I found in a local market a brand of Iraqi arrack for sale. It was sold under the label "Abi Nuwwas" (the name of a celebrated poet). And it was delicious. I recall that circa 1989 in Los Angeles, I found in a local market a brand of Iraqi arrack for sale. It was sold under the label "Abi Nuwwas" (the name of a celebrated poet). And it was delicious.

]]> By: MonsieurGonzo http://www.juancole.com/2009/12/babylons-last-alcohol-seller-arrested.html#comment-1195 MonsieurGonzo Fri, 18 Dec 2009 17:53:22 +0000 http://www.juancole.com/?p=4843#comment-1195 <i>ref</i> <b>: “</b>In fact, the Bushies and Neocons did more favors for <i>Muslim fundamentalism in the Middle East</i> than anyone since Ronald Reagan and his cronies helped invent al-Qaeda and the Afghan Mujahidin.<b>”</b> To be sure, the Bushies and Republicans have done more to empower <i>Christian fundamentalism in the West</i> than anyone since Ronald Reagan and his cronies helped politicize to empower that voting bloc, which began to flee the Democratic party circa L.B.J. (as a result of civil rights / women's liberation / secular humanism, <i>etc.</i>) imho, <b>the U.S. Republican Party and their ideology have always been precisely the wrong tool for the West to apply to defeat the theocratic agendas of Middle Eastern Fundamentalism</b>, thus<b>.</b> ref : “In fact, the Bushies and Neocons did more favors for Muslim fundamentalism in the Middle East than anyone since Ronald Reagan and his cronies helped invent al-Qaeda and the Afghan Mujahidin.” To be sure, the Bushies and Republicans have done more to empower Christian fundamentalism in the West than anyone since Ronald Reagan and his cronies helped politicize to empower that voting bloc, which began to flee the Democratic party circa L.B.J. (as a result of civil rights / women's liberation / secular humanism, etc.) imho, the U.S. Republican Party and their ideology have always been precisely the wrong tool for the West to apply to defeat the theocratic agendas of Middle Eastern Fundamentalism, thus.

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