NationStates Jolt Archive

In the modern world, one of the primary conflicts is between the US and Islamic Extremists, henceforth to be defined as Iran, Hiz'bo'allah, Hamas, al Qaeda, etc. There are several proposed motivational factors for either group, and how they are viewed depends upon what the motivational factors are derived to be, so, let's lay out the case.

(Factors listed from most important to least important)

Set A - US
1.) Defense
2.) Wilsonian Liberalism
3.) Economic Benefit from stability

Set A - Islamic Extremists
1.) Messianic Vision
2.) Personal Power of Individual Leaders
3.) Participant Excitement

Set B - US
1.) Economic Benefit from Looting oil
2.) Cultural Imperialism
3.) Defense of Israel

Set B - Islamic Extremists
1.) Defense
2.) Personal Power of Individual Leaders
3.) Messianic Vision

So, evaluating these sets of goals, which combination do you think is most likely.

Poll coming.

Set B for both.

I would modify B1 for the US to read "Benefits of War". This would contain both the economic benefits of getting the oil, and the gain to the president by funding his financial backers through the Pentagon system. (Halliburton, Bechtel, etc.)

Generally, polling has shown that:

Americans Believe: US - A Islamic Extremists - A
Israelis Believe: US - A Islamic Extremists - A
Europeans Believe: US - B Islamic Extremists - B
Arabs Believe: US - B Islamic Extremists - B
Russians Believe: US - B Islamic Extremists - A
Chinese Believe: US - B Islamic Extremists - A



High Ranking UN Officials generally treat it as: US - A Islamic Extremists - B


I don't feel like linking, but these attitudes were charted by the Pew Global Attitudes Survey.

In the modern world, one of the primary conflicts is between the US and Islamic Extremists, henceforth to be defined as Iran, Hiz'bo'allah, Hamas, al Qaeda, etc. There are several proposed motivational factors for either group, and how they are viewed depends upon what the motivational factors are derived to be, so, let's lay out the case.

(Factors listed from most important to least important)

Set A - US
1.) Defense
2.) Wilsonian Liberalism
3.) Economic Benefit from stability

Set A - Islamic Extremists
1.) Messianic Vision
2.) Personal Power of Individual Leaders
3.) Participant Excitement

Set B - US
1.) Economic Benefit from Looting oil
2.) Cultural Imperialism
3.) Defense of Israel

Set B - Islamic Extremists
1.) Defense
2.) Personal Power of Individual Leaders
3.) Messianic Vision

So, evaluating these sets of goals, which combination do you think is most likely.

Poll coming.

I am going to mix and match...
US
1. Culture Imperialism
2. Wilsonian Liberalism
3. Defense

Islamic Extremists
1. Economic Instability
2. Personal Power of Individual Leaders
3. Messianic Vision

I find women prefer it from behind, but I like cowboy style. :)

I would modify B1 for the US to read "Benefits of War". This would contain both the economic benefits of getting the oil, and the gain to the president by funding his financial backers through the Pentagon system. (Halliburton, Bechtel, etc.)

That's what option B1 is generally understood as.

This is way too limited.

I think that some of the US extremists also have a Messianic vision. They think that they are pushing the second coming of Christ.

And when you talk extremism, you can't assume all extreme philosophies line up at the same point on the horizon of extreme.

Also, the only difference between the two choices for Islamic extremists is one point, Defense or Personal excitement.

I find this poll useless.

I would modify B1 for the US to read "Benefits of War". This would contain both the economic benefits of getting the oil, and the gain to the president by funding his financial backers through the Pentagon system. (Halliburton, Bechtel, etc.)

Don't forget the rebuilding contracts too, paid either by the local people, or by "international solidarity", meaning that other countries (like Europe, but not only) pay for US corporations (like Halliburton) to rebuild the infrastructure USA or Israel just destroyed... and when they are rebuilt, they can do it again, or move to another country.

Jaurès (french "socialist" of the beginning of the XXest century) explained very well how war is the best way to create economical demand when the capitalist system is falling into an economical crisis.

This is way too limited.

I think that some of the US extremists also have a Messianic vision. They think that they are pushing the second coming of Christ.

And when you talk extremism, you can't assume all extreme philosophies line up at the same point on the horizon of extreme.

Also, the only difference between the two choices for Islamic extremists is one point.

I find this poll useless.

It's the Pew Global Attitudes Survey, only by method of the Jolt poll system. This is the exact same question they asked, and it is considered one of the finer data points on the matter.

Furthermore, the role of religion cannot be denied when studying the Islamic Extremists, as I have termed them, because it is central to their philosophy. Although, in option B, the role of the Messianic vision is greatly reduced.

Furthermore, I'm using the term "Islamic Extremists" as an issue of semantics, for lack of a better term.

As to the matter of Americans acting with their own Messianic vision, you are self-deluding on the matter. The vast bulk of those in power do not carry such opinions, and they are the one's who matter. Bringing about the second coming of "Jebuth" is only a wet dream of redneck fundamentalists.

I'm going to say B for the US, although I don't think it's quite as simple as "looting oil" .

For the Islamic Extremists, i'm not sure - many of the Islamic extremists are fighting to defend themselves from falling into obscurity, but i'm not sure if that's their chief priority.

If this is a finer poll then whoever made it needs to go back to school. I am pretty sure that I learned NEVER to give multiple variables in a poll question. That is the huge mistake of this poll. What if you agree that US-A-1 is true, but not A-2. It is bunk...stop deluding yourself that this is actually going to find real answers.

Before I vote, is this my opinion, or what I believe the opinion of the majority is?