"...Those who perceive "jihad" as an inner struggle of faith will not generally evolve into psychopaths, because (one would hope) by internalizing the process it would foster insight and self-awareness, rather than brutality and violence against others..."

As a quick thought experiment, try to think how many Buddhist "extremists" you've heard about recently. Pretty tough, isn't it? I guess when one's thoughts are focused inward on achieving Enlightenment, it's pretty difficult to try to shove that down someone else's throat.

I currently live in a non-Arab Muslim-majority country, and while the pathologies of Islam are attenuated here through a dominant culture that long predates Islam, some of Islam's problems still come to the fore. Thuggish behavior towards outside groups and religions is common, as is communal violence. Although there are usually issues besides religion involed, when I read that a local village got attacked and burned by people from another village, it's a safe bet that one of the villages (usually the attacker) will be Muslim. While the worst of the terrorism in this place appears to have been controlled (at least for now), Islamic schools that preach hate and violent "jihad" are still all too popular with the impoverished citizens who often don't know any better.
waltj | Email | Homepage | 05.09.08 - 8:00 am | #

What I really love about this religion is that it demands those who believe, or want to believe, or are trying to believe, to get down on their knees, facing a certain way, more than four times each and every day: Talk about teaching control! Of course, behind that big wall, you know the one where the "family" that owns the real jewels of the community, those super rich people do whatever they desire, including allowing those who wish to "run" the religion program for the nation, community, etc. to do so.

It is not that complicated a game. Where the shifting of power comes into play is who really controls the "muscle" in the neighborhood: The super rich, or those who are religious leaders. Niccolo awakes!

Structure is always needed within every group for continuance. Power and wealth are sought by many. Stand on top of a pyramid, look down, feel the wonder and the power. You also get those girls you desire.

Next up: Castration. How about death? There can only be so many leaders in this game. Civilized man is fact or fiction?

What axis of evil? What evil at all?

Send out that lanky semi dark young man to confront those big bad boys...he's got more words and phrases to throw at them than they could ever imagine...for he's a trained lawyer of Harvard with a wife who rages at the world every day!

ROE's for life are written by who?

Then again, McCain does know evil; first hand, and has lived to tell us about it. But will he? Honestly?

What kind of leader do we want? Now that's a scary thought, right?
RJ | Email | Homepage | 05.09.08 - 8:26 am | #

The West experienced the religious wars of the 16th and 17th centuries, and the eventual reaction to those oceans of blood spilled in the name of God was the Enlightenment, which enshrined principles such as religious tolerance and separation of church and state into our own psyches and systems.

Now, consider how detrimental to peace and prosperity are the pernicious habits and behavior of politicians in our own separated-from-church political systems - in particular the various brands of populism and demagoguery. Now throw into that mix the toxins of an unreformed Dark Age religion and historical resentments that generate an animus against modernity, plus massive ignorance, and the predictable outcome is what we see.

In that light, perhaps speculations about the psyches of the various actors are descriptions of consequences, not of causes.
Jack McHugh | Email | Homepage | 05.09.08 - 9:59 am | #

Gayer than a handbag full of rainbows.

"With a boy or another man, you cannot be shamed by your fear...[of women]"--Dr. Sanity

Now...All of you "psycho" men's room toe tappers out there, please stop telling normal men they have a phobia about twisted queers like you.
Oracle of Delaware | Email | Homepage | 05.09.08 - 9:59 am | #

The muslims who aren't psycho learn real quick from western liberals that it pays to act psycho anyway.

If your psychotic behavior instills so much fear in your opposition that they can't even acknowledge it or discuss it.....I'd stick with that template too.
SteveH | Email | Homepage | 05.09.08 - 10:52 am | #

OOD- recall how often dolls and other toys that feed a girls sense of self are banned. It isn't the girls who are offended and outraged- it is the men.

The Doc is right on the money.
Sigmund, Carl and Alfred | Email | Homepage | 05.09.08 - 10:54 am | #

As long as these psychos are the 'darlings' of our elite, they can get away with just about anything. The more outrageous (I am sure there is an active competition on who's #1) the speech/conduct, the more these western elites will snort and treat them as 'an eccentric uncle that everybody HAS'.

You see, they are protected (or think they are). Those psychos are putting on a show for their (our elite) entertainment benefit. As soon as any real physical threats come near them, these same elite are the loudest in demanding our government protecting them FIRSTEST!
always right | Email | Homepage | 05.09.08 - 11:15 am | #

Isn't homosexuality *more* common in Islamic cultures than in Western ones, not less? From what I've been told, sexual segregation of children in Islamic cultures means not only that the boys denigrate girls, but the girls hate and disrespect boys (who are in many respects *aliens*). Further, I'm told that in the madrassas it's very common for the older boys to rape the younger, in a vicious permanent cycle of sexual violence. I'm also not surprised to hear that when these boys grow up and marry, they frequently rape their wife and children (of both sexes).
Bob Smith | Email | Homepage | 05.09.08 - 11:27 am | #

"Even the most balanced analysis that I read of these schools (here) has this to say about their net result on the students they teach:"

There doesn't appear to be an active link at the (here) in the above sentence.
JustAboutDone | Email | Homepage | 05.09.08 - 11:41 am | #

Oddly enough, this was predicted by none other than Muhammad, who said that "The time is near in which nothing will remain of Islam but its name, and of the Koran but its mere appearance, and the mosques of Muslims will be destitute of knowledge; and the learned men will be the worst people under the heavens; and contention and strife will issue from them, and it will return upon themselves" (Sayings of Muhammad).
Gagdad Bob | Email | Homepage | 05.09.08 - 12:42 pm | #

"...Further, I'm told that in the madrassas it's very common for the older boys to rape the younger, in a vicious permanent cycle of sexual violence..."

Yes, this happens all the time in the madrassas, but it's not the only place. It's very common in those societies writ large. I got back from serving a year in Afghanistan late last year, and the local guys were surprisingly open about it. If you were a teen or youngish man, especially one who looked young and didn't have any facial hair (no on all counts for me, I'm happy to say), you'd be extremely popular. You just might not be that fond of some of your "dates".
waltj | Email | Homepage | 05.09.08 - 12:54 pm | #

JustAboutDone - link and sentence fixed.
Dr. Sanity | Email | Homepage | 05.09.08 - 12:58 pm | #

Jack McHugh,

he enlightenment worked exactly because it embraced reason and put the irrationality of religion in the dim background. The current state of things is not caused by the abandonment of religion nor the substitution of a psychosis for a religion, its caused by the abandonment of reason. Unless and until common sense regains its implicit and explicit meaning as use of reason, the chaos will continue.
A. Rational Human | Email | Homepage | 05.09.08 - 1:05 pm | #

Why is it that the Islamic world seems to have an excess of psychopaths in positions of power?

Now, why is that, exactly? Could it perhaps have to do with, uh, Islam?

Islam has become toxic, infusing the entire Middle East with a culture inimical to not just the 50% who are female; but equally to the half who are male and consider themselves "superior".

Islam is toxic by its very nature, it hasn't become toxic - it has always been toxic.
Islam skeptic | Email | Homepage | 05.09.08 - 4:22 pm | #

how does a religion begin? Who hears the voices first, or sees the images first, or has the dreams first?

Who's on first? I love creation stories. Right time, right place, right on brothers and sisters.

Why did George Bush fold up his tent? Anybody heard from "Stormin Normin" recently?

Just how far apart are the Shamans from the Spiritual Leaders or for that matter the Medicine Men?

Give me Socrates any day! Make that every day, please. Al Gore just bores the hell out of me, always has and always will. Remember Ali at that 911 memorial saying that Islam is a religion of peace?

Who will bomb the Iranians first, us or the Israelis?

Where's Obama's balls? Is that what he has Michelle for? Was Arafat queer?

Maybe we all need a new life perspective? I'm beginning to think so, have for a while now. Even Madonna kissing one of her female dancers seems just sooo stupid and cheap.

We're due for a real wake up call!
RJ | Email | Homepage | 05.09.08 - 5:43 pm | #

The trick is the transition from the conditioned mind to awareness of that conditioning, which by definition, can't be achieved by the conditioned mind. Where that mind stops, intelligence, or reason, begins, although it involves an uncaused, non-linear qualitative leap (into neutral observation, free thought).

In other words:
Each thought, each action in the
sunlight of awareness becomes
sacred. In this light, no boundary
exists beteen the sacred and the
profane.
- Thich Nhat Hanh
Katina | Email | Homepage | 05.09.08 - 6:31 pm | #

When I was a kid the blowboys prowled the back alleys and otherwise stayed out of public view. Everyone knew there was something wrong with them.

There was some pity and many of jokes about their deviant behavior.

Today they are in Congress and the halls of education telling us deviance is normal and normal is deviant. Truth is lies, lies is truth.

Homosexuality is not a gay and happy thing. As with the islam guys, it is a symptom of a society in freefall. A viral condition eating away at the heart and spirit of our very existance.

When these diseased creatures engage in same-sex sexual contact they are slapping the face of God. That applies to girl queers too.

Any man that would rather cut off heads than eat pussy doesn't deserve to live.
Oracle of Delaware | Email | Homepage | 05.09.08 - 10:28 pm | #

>Any man that would rather cut off heads than eat ***** doesn't deserve to live.

And any man who would rather eat ***** than find a higher dream isn't alive in the first place.
Katina | Email | Homepage | 05.10.08 - 12:20 am | #

Wanna bet?
Oracle of Delaware | Email | Homepage | 05.10.08 - 1:50 am | #

"I fear it, therefore, I eat it."
Orifice of Descartes | Email | Homepage | 05.10.08 - 2:31 pm | #

The West have Sociopaths in power.

Islamic countries have mothers who hate their kids.

Socialist countries have fathers who hate their kids.

The trick is, they were both intimidated. To be confused and driven to alienation and break the parent's natural yolk of unconditional love and protection for their children.

Islam and Socialism only love you if you love them.

So when they try with insult your intelligence to upset you, don't get upset. When they crucify you in the name of Allah or Political Correctness, to deny you a place of employment or shelter, simply realize they do not know what they do and already have been sold for 30 pieces of silver.
Kinderling | Email | Homepage | 05.10.08 - 4:08 pm | #

"I fear it, therefore, I eat it."
Orifice of Descartes | Email | Homepage | 05.10.08 - 2:31 pm | #

Hi Mr. Peedon. There's just no place to hide on the net. Keep that in mind and get lost.
Oracle of Delaware | Email | Homepage | 05.10.08 - 10:23 pm | #

"If the shoe fits, wear it."
Buster Brown | Email | Homepage | 05.10.08 - 10:58 pm | #

The immortal words of Plato put it most simply:
Love is the pursuit of the
Whole.
Katina | Email | Homepage | 05.11.08 - 9:22 pm | #

Someone can speak, but does he Understand.
Aristotle | Email | Homepage | 05.12.08 - 2:27 am | #