tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5448657.post939952848106970347..comments2023-09-30T08:07:26.165-04:00Comments on Mystical Politics: Digression: Michael Lerner on 9/11Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17626228106192215280noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5448657.post-89905607710964250082009-01-07T06:03:00.000-05:002009-01-07T06:03:00.000-05:00I wasn't actually talking about Lerner, since it's...I wasn't actually talking about Lerner, since it's been umpty years since I've given a fig about his opinions; I was strictly speaking abstractly about applying the word "anti-imperialist" to a description of al Qaeda's goals/motivations. <BR/><BR/>I don't disagree with criticising Lerner, or his usage.Gary Farberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02883503507068654673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5448657.post-50607699382774929292009-01-06T09:34:00.000-05:002009-01-06T09:34:00.000-05:00I think that you're being awfully generous to Mich...I think that you're being awfully generous to Michael Lerner here, especially since he limited his description of Al Qaeda to "anti-imperialist Muslims." If this had been one in a long list of characteristics, I probably wouldn't have noticed it, but since "anti-imperialism" was the only thing listed, I think it's fair to focus on it.Rebeccahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17626228106192215280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5448657.post-44463229025365378482009-01-06T08:21:00.000-05:002009-01-06T08:21:00.000-05:00I agree that using the term "anti-imperialst" from...I agree that using the term "anti-imperialst" from a leftist perspective tends to give cover of an action as more "understandable," and as something to be more sympathetic with than it otherwise would be.<BR/><BR/>However, I don't think it's actually unfair to say that al Qaeda, among many other things, <I>is</I> clearly against American acts and behavior of empire. It's simply not all that al Qaeda is about. But their whole "get out of the Mideast and the Muslim world" stance is factually against American imperialism. I don't think it requires adoption of, or sympathy to, cant or al Qaeda or extreme leftism, to observe this. What would be important is not to <I>limit</I> one's description of al Qaeda to just this.Gary Farberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02883503507068654673noreply@blogger.com