On Sat, 24 Feb 2007 01:50:13 +0900, MacLeod Dave <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>
>
>I don't agree with making tolerance a new religion either and the lack
>of critical thinking it implies (like when the farthest left-wing
>people are often found supporting the side of people in the Middle
>East who are the least progressive and least inclined to agree with
>homosexuality, drugs, women's rights etc. just because they're the
>enemy of the Israelis who are good friends of the Republicans whom
>they don't happen to like). I often find that the best way to change a
>culture is to change it in a way that people aren't really aware of
>the change as you were saying, where people change but still believe
>that they haven't had to give up any of their core beliefs, even if
>they have changed. Turkey for example, in becoming modern and secular,
>still calling themselves Islamic but pretty much as far from Wahabism
>as you can get. Anything too direct can have the opposite effect in
>galvanizing people towards the very thing you were trying to remove.
>This is one of the reasons why I'm glad to see Azerbaijan doing so
>well recently as a source of energy because the less concentration we
>have near Saudi Arabia the better. Well, energy independence would be
>even better but that won't be happening for a while.
>

Sounds to me like we're on the same page after all.
I second everything you say here.  Turkey is an
excellent example.  Especially because the changes
there came about, as far as I know, organically, rather
than as ideas imposed from abroad.

I think that Western Culture is the best culture the
planet has ever produced, and I want t see it spread
and influence others.  But, the West in general and
the US in particular must lead by example, not by
force.  In other words, the Prime Directive:)