Obama Excoriates Republican Obsession With The Term ‘Radical Islam’

[LeafByNiggle]

Classifying acts of terrorism as “mental illness” is like what the Obama Administration did in classifying the Fort Hood shooting (by a Muslim officer) as “workplace violence.” This kind of wordplay is both dangerous, ineffective, and ultimately fatal to both individuals and our society.

I was speaking specifically about the Orlando shooter. As we learn more about him, we find he was deeply troubled, probably bipolar. It is dangerous in ineffective to ignore his mental illness and focus exclusively on his claim of acting for ISIS. Perhaps he was inspired by ISIS propaganda, which is freely available on the internet. That should be more of a focus of our attention than passages in the Koran.

 

[GaryTaylor]

Classifying acts of terrorism as “mental illness” is like what the Obama Administration did in classifying the Fort Hood shooting (by a Muslim officer) as “workplace violence.” This kind of wordplay is both dangerous, ineffective, and ultimately fatal to both individuals and our society.

Avoids the issue, points at the symptom of the issue, and the Obama solution instead of addressing the issue to resolve the mental health, promotes the politics of gun control and basically tells everyone what to say.

Odd take on free speech and good mental health, but so are the democrat riots around the country.

 

[GaryTaylor]

Then don’t go making statements about things you are not interested enough in to investigate.

Huh? Your opinion is more valid than anothers? I’m not interested in you playing arbiter of anything. Read for yourself all these are active points on this forum today. Not a rocket science and quick google will show.

Hillary Clinton said Monday she’s not afraid to say “radical” Islam

 

[irishpatrick]

Instead of whining about words people use, maybe the GOP can try to win in November. If they win, they can use any term they want, if they lose again, it is their own fault. Either war this bickering about terms makes the GOP look petty and unworthy.

 

[LeafByNiggle]

Huh? Your opinion is more valid than anothers? I’m not interested in you playing arbiter of anything.

OK, no support for your point. Noted.

Hillary Clinton said Monday she’s not afraid to say “radical” Islam

She’s not afraid to say it. But she still doesn’t use it to label people, which Trump does. So it would not be accurate to say that Clinton is coming around to Trump’s view. She most certainly is not. And Trump is certainly not backing off either. So everything you said about Clinton and Trump amending their conversation was wrong.

 

[ARSpade]

I was speaking specifically about the Orlando shooter. As we learn more about him, we find he was deeply troubled, probably bipolar. It is dangerous in ineffective to ignore his mental illness and focus exclusively on his claim of acting for ISIS. Perhaps he was inspired by ISIS propaganda, which is freely available on the internet. That should be more of a focus of our attention than passages in the Koran.

No evidence has been presented that he was bipolar except his ex-wife saying it. Which isn’t a medical diagnosis.

People like to say, “Well, only a mentally ill person would do that” simply because they can’t comprehend somebody with a worldview that different from their own.

And yet, right now, in Syria, and Iraq, and Libya, and elsewhere there are guys field stripping their AK’s who are sane, stone cold sober and very serious with that worldview. Dismissing them, and thus guy, as merely nuts is a rather dangerous underestimation.

 

[GaryTaylor]

OK, no support for your point. Noted…

None for any of your opinions, and wild ones at that on this thread-right its NOTED also. What is your point, your not proven opinion, is more relevant than anothers, sounds like a democrat.

She’s not afraid to say it. .

She did say it and amended her position as can be read by prior statements by her on the same topic, so in short your wrong as you have been right along here. imho.

 

[Crossbones]

No evidence has been presented that he was bipolar except his ex-wife saying it. Which isn’t a medical diagnosis.

People like to say, “Well, only a mentally ill person would do that” simply because they can’t comprehend somebody with a worldview that different from their own.

And yet, right now, in Syria, and Iraq, and Libya, and elsewhere there are guys field stripping their AK’s who are sane, stone cold sober and very serious with that worldview. Dismissing them, and thus guy, as merely nuts is a rather dangerous underestimation.

There also is the Fort Pierce police officer that described him as ‘unhinged and unstable’.

 

[FollowChrist34]

No evidence has been presented that he was bipolar except his ex-wife saying it. Which isn’t a medical diagnosis.

People like to say, “Well, only a mentally ill person would do that” simply because they can’t comprehend somebody with a worldview that different from their own.

And yet, right now, in Syria, and Iraq, and Libya, and elsewhere there are guys field stripping their AK’s who are sane, stone cold sober and very serious with that worldview. Dismissing them, and thus guy, as merely nuts is a rather dangerous underestimation.

Yes, I totally agree, to my mind this “worldview” is the gravest danger we face. It leads to our demise on just about every level (human dignity, freedom, cultural, literal). I think it should be avoided the same way you avoid the plague. (for the same reasons)

 

[GaryTaylor]

Yes, I totally agree, to my mind this “worldview” is the gravest danger we face. It leads to our demise on just about every level (human dignity, freedom, cultural, literal). I think it should be avoided the same way you avoid the plague. (for the same reasons)

It could be charitably addressed by assimilated americans capable of dialogue with all people of good will. In fact its the american way of politics, not dictation via anger at americans because they invoke free speech in the public forum for the intention of resolution of issues.

The dictation of polemical politics is absurd and insulting to assimilated americans who have no detrimental mental health issues. To suggest Islamophobia suggests assimilated americans can’t handle the dialogue due to mental health.

Maybe aside from Orlando we ought to take a hard look at Obamas behavior too. Maybe he can’t handle it which we see.

 

[FollowChrist34]

It could be charitably addressed by assimilated americans capable of dialogue with all people of good will. In fact its the american way of politics, not dictation via anger at americans because the invoke free speech for the intention of resolution of issues.

The dictation of polemical politics is absurd and insulting to assimilated americans who have no detrimental mental heath issues. To suggest Islamophobia suggests assimilated americans can’t handle the dialogue due to mental health.

Maybe aside from Orlando we ought to take a hard look at Obamas behavior too. Maybe he can’t handle it which we see.

Not sure I follow you there…but I have come to believe that this hard left ideology Obama and our secular, liberal culture espouses functions with the piety and rigidity of a religion. One “accepts” it - it is not negotiable. You can’t question it without incurring wrath, very fierce wrath at that (just check out a thread or two here).

It doesn’t matter how much effort you have to put into maintaining it against reality - that is the whole point - therein lies the heroism. It is a buffer against reality. Opiate of the atheists.

 

[GaryTaylor]

Not sure I follow you there…but I have come to believe that this hard left ideology Obama and our secular, liberal culture espouses functions with the piety and rigidity of a religion. One “accepts” it - it is not negotiable. You can’t question it without incurring wrath, very fierce wrath at that (just check out a thread or two here).

It doesn’t matter how much effort you have to put into maintaining it against reality - that is the whole point - therein lies the heroism. It is a buffer against reality. Opiate of the atheists.

Reminds me a good deal of the polemics of Islam.

 

[Ojo_Feliz]

She’s not afraid to say it. But she still doesn’t use it to label people, which Trump does. So it would not be accurate to say that Clinton is coming around to Trump’s view. She most certainly is not…

I believe Clinton said: "whether you call it ‘radical jihadism’ or ‘radical Islamism’ — I’m happy to say either. I think they mean the same thing.”

So what is the difference between the phrase “radical Islam” and the phrase “radical Islamism?” The first refers to Islam and the second refers to an ideology involving Islam.

This may sound like splitting hairs to non-Muslims, but I think the difference is important. For comparison, an indictment of “radical Christianity” sounds very different to me than an indictment of “radical Christianism.”

We are not at war with Islam. I think it is important to make this clear. However there are political ideologies which are based on Islam, and some of those are radical. And some of the radical ideologies are violent.

 

[Michael_Mayo]

You aren’t claiming that we should draw no lines merely because where to properly draw the line is somewhat of a challenge?

The shooter’s father supports the Taliban in Afghanistan. Perhaps if the line were drawn a few years ago, neither the father nor the son would have become citizens. It would have saved over a hundred citizens from being killed or wounded.

Our reticence to draw any line today may exacerbate that toll tens, hundreds or thousands of times over the next few years.

Perhaps we will put off the decision and have ourselves another discussion on where the line ought to be drawn in ten years when the US or Europe begins to look like Syria, Iraq or Libya?

We have immigration lines and they are so draconian that people south of the border are willing to risk their lives on a daily basis to circumvent them. We also have home grown Muslims, born citizens (and of all faiths an no faith) who are threats so we have Homeland Security and the FBI. The lines are there but they are crooked and perhaps vague and inefficient. Banning “Muslims” form entry is simplistic and inane, so is imagining a wall paid for by Mexico.

 

[Darryl1958]

Instead of whining about words people use, maybe the GOP can try to win in November. If they win, they can use any term they want, if they lose again, it is their own fault. Either war this bickering about terms makes the GOP look petty and unworthy.

It is hardly bickering about words. It is calling Obama out on blaming Republicans and even Americans who ‘need to be sorry’, while never, ever acknowledging that what is the threat to peace globally in this era is Islamist radicalism.

How can you engage in a discussion of cancer when the use of the word ‘cancer’ is off limits, and people insist on using the word 'cancer; anyway become the focus as a result of their “obsession”?
I assure you, if the issue is petty and unworthy, then there would be no reason for the left to insist on not calling a thing by its name.

 

[GaryTaylor]

I

We are not at war with Islam. I think it is important to make this clear. However there are political ideologies which are based on Islam, and some of those are radical. And some of the radical ideologies are violent.

Thats it in my mind. We are not attempting to ban all muslims or wall them out either. So there’s an honesty of dialogue lacking.

We want to characterize all the positions accurately including Trump-Obama and Hillary. Because whats important here is “us”. Assimilated americans.

.

 

[FollowChrist34]

The core of leftist ideology is that American culture and imperialism are the real threat to world peace and stability, for all intents and purposes, let’s call it the real “evil.” The Obama “yes we can” project was to re-engineer America out of this mode - American identity and power are undercut internationally and domestically - this is also of course the push for cultural relativism. American culture, Christianity are relative, even bad, violent, etc. The buzz word is tolerance. This is the leveling of cultures - in fact though, the real aim is to delegitimize American, Christian culture, values. (decked out as a rainbow of relativism)

When events undercut this narrative - all hell breaks loose. I actually think Obama is shocked, genuinely. (remember this stuff is believed; its untruth, limitations not acknowledged) But to admit failure or error here is to gut the whole message - will never never happen for obvious reasons.

 

[GaryTaylor]

But to admit failure or error here is to gut the whole message - will never never happen for obvious reasons.

But can we still have honest genuine interactive dialogue of ideals without irrational political expediency and one sided odd suppression? Thats the question.

 

[LeafByNiggle]

No evidence has been presented that he was bipolar except his ex-wife saying it. Which isn’t a medical diagnosis.

The evidence for him being radicalized by Islam is similarly weak. But that is what people here are saying.

 

[LeafByNiggle]

She did say it and amended her position as can be read by prior statements by her on the same topic, so in short your wrong as you have been right along here. imho.

If by “amended her position” you mean that she has decided to call this “Islamic terrorism”, no she has not done that.