Aren't you glad....?

SchoolGirlHeart · Post by **SchoolGirlHeart** » February 9, 2008 8:43 am

Straight guys holding hands, another thing to get used to in the Middle East. It's cultural... You see straight guys walking along holding hands all the time. It doesn't mean a thing, sexually. It just means they're either relatives or friends. Very strange to get used to seeing that...

ScarletB · Post by **ScarletB** » February 9, 2008 9:04 am

A glimpse inside the life of women in that part of the world is very well written in "A Thousand Splendid Suns". My book group just read it and everyone was simultaneously horrified and at the edge of our seats. It's one of those things you "know" but you don't really know until you read more about it. It's a good thing I live by myself because I was actually yelling at the book at times

. Someone here mentioned the vicious cycle and that's what really got me, they are completely aware that they live in complete captivity, if you will, and have absolutely no way to do anything about it. I can't even imagine.
In any case, the book is excellent - a really compelling read.

parrothead3282 · Post by **parrothead3282** » February 9, 2008 9:29 am

I can't believe what goes on in some of these places! Makes you thankful for what we have!

12vmanRick · Post by **12vmanRick** » February 9, 2008 12:03 pm

SchoolGirlHeart wrote:
creeky wrote:I really think it is what you are used to ..... the people over there probably think is totally bizarre some of the things we are allowed to do .... its how your brain is programmed in your upbringing - they probably dont see it to be a problem.
I've lived, briefly, in that part of the world.... the women absolutely see the poor treatment of women as a problem.

I have to be devil's advocate here, not that I agree with what happened but why do WE the USA think WE have to force our values on other peoples way of life? I have never understood it, we are in a war right now that is all about that and it's just really not our problem, let's fix America first. I got out of the military because I refused to be the "world's policeman".

Wino you know · Post by **Wino you know** » February 9, 2008 12:50 pm

SchoolGirlHeart wrote:Straight guys holding hands, another thing to get used to in the Middle East. It's cultural... You see straight guys walking along holding hands all the time. It doesn't mean a thing, sexually. It just means they're either relatives or friends. Very strange to get used to seeing that...

That's also a common sight in the far east, where I spent most of my military time.
Same with a lot of the South Pacific nations.

SchoolGirlHeart · Post by **SchoolGirlHeart** » February 9, 2008 5:25 pm

12vmanRick wrote:I have to be devil's advocate here, not that I agree with what happened but why do WE the USA think WE have to force our values on other peoples way of life?

Maybe if the world had "forced" values on Nazi Germany, fewer Jews would be dead..... Right now in the Middle East women are being beaten to death by the hundreds for not wearing head scarfs, or for wearing makeup..... the world needs to force a few values concerning the treatment of women and minorities.....

UpstateNYPH · Post by **UpstateNYPH** » February 9, 2008 6:08 pm

I feel very blessed to be born in this country, but I don't like that we are the most hated country in the world

During my travels, I have been lucky enough to travel to many countries friendly with the U.S., and when I get a chance to talk politics with a local, I always ask for their opinion on why in many cultures, Americans are the most hated on earth.

Almost all the answers have been the same. Most people believe that the reason so many cultures hate us is because "Americans have a one track mind, and any action taken in international affairs is for the United States personal agenda only. Americans do not look at the other problems of the world and open their eyes and recognize them as problems, they see themselves as the sole power and of only importance in the world."

I believe the reason for this is the way our government portrays our country. Do not get me wrong, I love the freedoms and rights I have in this country, but our government is our face. It is only what other cultures see. Whatever impression it makes, is the impression they get. That, I believe, is what causes the problem and creates the hatred other cultures have for us.

flipflopgirl · Post by **flipflopgirl** » February 9, 2008 6:11 pm

SchoolGirlHeart wrote:
12vmanRick wrote:I have to be devil's advocate here, not that I agree with what happened but why do WE the USA think WE have to force our values on other peoples way of life?
Maybe if the world had "forced" values on Nazi Germany, fewer Jews would be dead..... Right now in the Middle East women are being beaten to death by the hundreds for not wearing head scarfs, or for wearing makeup..... the world needs to force a few values concerning the treatment of women and minorities.....

i agree with you Jen but alot of people feel we should not get involved.

very sad for those women who don't want to be treated the way they are being treated and have no way out!

creeky · Post by **creeky** » February 9, 2008 6:17 pm

UpstateNYPH wrote:I feel very blessed to be born in this country, but I don't like that we are the most hated country in the world

(dont flame me - I am not putting my personal view)

as someone that lives outside the USA - the reason that is from what I hear and see - is that is in fact that you are the "world police" - or percieved to be that.

UpstateNYPH · Post by **UpstateNYPH** » February 9, 2008 6:18 pm

creeky wrote:
UpstateNYPH wrote:I feel very blessed to be born in this country, but I don't like that we are the most hated country in the world
(dont flame me - I am not putting my personal view)

as someone that lives outside the USA - the reason that is from what I hear and see - is that is in fact that you are the "world police" - or percieved to be that.

Agreed creeky, I edited my post above a few minutes ago with details of my statement

creeky · Post by **creeky** » February 9, 2008 6:19 pm

UpstateNYPH wrote:I feel very blessed to be born in this country, but I don't like that we are the most hated country in the world

During my travels, I have been lucky enough to travel to many countries friendly with the U.S., and when I get a chance to talk politics with a local, I always ask for their opinion on why in many cultures, Americans are the most hated on earth.

Almost all the answers have been the same. Most people believe that the reason so many cultures hate us is because "Americans have a one track mind, and and any action taken in international affairs for the United States personal agenda only. Americans do not look at the other problems of the world and open their eyes, they see themselves as the sole power and of only importance in the world."

I believe the reason for this is the way out government portrays our country. Do not get me wrong, I love the freedoms and rights I have in this country, but our government is our face. It is only what other cultures see. Whatever impression it makes, is the impression they get. That, I believe, is what causes the problem and creates the hatred other cultures have for us.

I guess that hits the nail on the head from media I see. People ask why USA is not in Zimbabwe where there are atrocities happening to people daily - cause they got no oil ......

UpstateNYPH · Post by **UpstateNYPH** » February 9, 2008 6:24 pm

creeky wrote:
UpstateNYPH wrote:I feel very blessed to be born in this country, but I don't like that we are the most hated country in the world

During my travels, I have been lucky enough to travel to many countries friendly with the U.S., and when I get a chance to talk politics with a local, I always ask for their opinion on why in many cultures, Americans are the most hated on earth.

Almost all the answers have been the same. Most people believe that the reason so many cultures hate us is because "Americans have a one track mind, and and any action taken in international affairs for the United States personal agenda only. Americans do not look at the other problems of the world and open their eyes, they see themselves as the sole power and of only importance in the world."

I believe the reason for this is the way out government portrays our country. Do not get me wrong, I love the freedoms and rights I have in this country, but our government is our face. It is only what other cultures see. Whatever impression it makes, is the impression they get. That, I believe, is what causes the problem and creates the hatred other cultures have for us.
I guess that hits the nail on the head from media I see. People ask why USA is not in Zimbabwe where there are atrocities happening to people daily - cause they got no oil ......

Yep. How about Burma? Nothing there the U.S. could use, so we just slap a trade embargo on the country and say to them, "tisk tisk, you shouldnt be murdering your people"

And if we had a government where our interests were not for personal gain, we would help. If I was president, I would probably bankrupt congress from fixing the world's human rights abuses, starvation, and other atrocities. Hence why people like us never make it in politics...

creeky · Post by **creeky** » February 9, 2008 6:26 pm

(and please - I am only passing on information that I hear - not Jenny's personal views which will stay my own personal views - thanks)

UpstateNYPH · Post by **UpstateNYPH** » February 9, 2008 6:26 pm

Sorry if I kind of went off-topic there Jen...

flyboy55 · Post by **flyboy55** » February 10, 2008 10:00 am

Women do enjoy freedoms here that women in many Muslim countries don't, in some cases countries considered to be strong U.S. allies in the 'war on terror' and the current 'democracy' project in Iraq. Religious fundamentalists in Saudi Arabia hold power in government and are able to enforce their views on the population.

But here at home, we have the same challenges.

At a debate sponsored by Fox News last week, Huckabee, who has made his faith a central component to his campaign, was asked about his public endorsement of a controversial 1998 statement on family and marriage by the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), the organizing body of Southern Baptists.

The statement, which ran along with signatures from Huckabee, his wife and more than 100 other prominent figures, said that while "husband and wife are of equal worth before God," the wife "is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband[.]"

But it gets better. Apparently, Republican Presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee would like our constitution to be changed to conform to the word of God.

"I have opponents in this race who do not want to change the Constitution," Huckabee told a Michigan audience on Monday. "But I believe it's a lot easier to change the Constitution than it would be to change the word of the living god. And that's what we need to do -- to amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards rather than try to change God's standards so it lines up with some contemporary view."

I don't think we have to look very far to find folks with 'funny' ideas about what rights women should or shouldn't have.

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Huckabee_ ... _0115.html