Re. November 8th "Friendless In The Middle East" article

Submitted by Bryan Tapllts (United States), Nov 8, 2011 at 10:11

This is in my view an excellent and insightful analysis. Once again, I thank Dr. Pipes and the Middle East Forum for sending me the column. And once again, I bemoan the fact that at this time I sincerley don't have the wherewithal to contribute to the Middle East Forum.

Dr. Pipes summary was fantastic, and verbally-displays the Middle East conundrum for what it is: A poison-ladened paradox .

I would just make this addition (not because I'm so clever, but because Dr. Pipes laid the groundwork of this Middle Eastern contradiction-ie. principle vs. self-interest):

Democracy without the rule of law (and not Islamic Law, but Western Law) is nothing but mobocracy. For instance, should a man rape a woman that is illegal (under the Western rule of law). But in a mob environment if 100 men rape a woman- that's Democracy!

I'm sure that every mob under Jim Crow laws that lynched an African-America, was practicing democracy-in-action. They just didn't take the vote-but their actions revealed their democratic predilection. "Democracy" gives justification to every mob that practices any anti-tolerant sentiment.

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