Josh Earnest: Wouldn’t Be Accurate to Call Paris Attackers ‘Radical Islamists’

[pbrauer]

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[11Bravo]

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This is just painful. It's like that time our genius President called the terrorism at Fort Hood "Work Place Violence".

 

[CRUE CAB]

I agree, that the administration has surrendered to Islam and will not speak poorly of it.

 

[Fiddytree]

They are unnecessarily conflating the labels "radical Islam" with "Islam," while being perfectly able to explain the differences between radicalism and mainstream viewpoints. Even though this is the politics of language rather than substantive foreign policy, this administration is using a hopelessly deluded linguistic framework that ironically patronizes Muslims.

 

[ttwtt78640]

Maybe it was just a spontaneous protest that went bad because no other protestors showed up with the signs - yeah, that was it.

 

[ttwtt78640]

Earnest is a terrible name for a professional liar.

EDIT: Perhaps the first name of Josh takes some of the sting out of it.

 

[Thrilla]

I disagree ... primarily because , as Fiddytree said, there is an unnecessary conflation of radical Islam and Islam.... and extremist Muslim and Muslim.

listen, I'm a Mormon, and we , like every other church, have their extremists.... I don't mind when folks talk about these asshats as radical Mormons, or extremist Mormons, or even fundamentalist Mormons ( that's what they call themselves)... i do, however, get bent out of shape when they are conflated with mainstream Mormons.

if we are shooting for accuracy, it's best not to be purposefully inaccurate..... those dudes, and dudes like them,.. are radical extremists Muslims practicing, and doing evil deeds in the name of , radical extremist Islam....

in any event, it needs to be made clear that this donnybrook is with the radicals, not the mainstream.... but it's wrong to pretend like their wacky radical religious beliefs aren't at the heart of their actions... it's not only wrong, but it's also a lie.

 

[Lutherf]

They are unnecessarily conflating the labels "radical Islam" with "Islam," while being perfectly able to explain the differences between radicalism and mainstream viewpoints. Even though this is the politics of language rather than substantive foreign policy, this administration is using a hopelessly deluded linguistic framework that ironically patronizes Muslims.

We really shouldn't be surprised that an administration who refuses to acknowledge illegal aliens also refuses to distinguish the radical element of Islam.

I wonder if they'd be OK with using the term "Radical Christians" to describe those who protest in front of abortion clinics?

 

[shrubnose]

I agree, that

the administration has surrendered to Islam and will not speak poorly of it.

If that's so, then why are we dropping all of those bombs on ISIS ? :roll:

Explain that if you can.

 

[whysoserious]

So crazy that communist, leftists, NPR was the one that grilled the White House about this.

Anyway, seems like a clear-cut case of radical-Islam to me.

 

[pbrauer]

I disagree ... primarily because , as Fiddytree said, there is an unnecessary conflation of radical Islam and Islam.... and extremist Muslim and Muslim.

listen, I'm a Mormon, and we , like every other church, have their extremists.... I don't mind when folks talk about these asshats as radical Mormons, or extremist Mormons, or even fundamentalist Mormons ( that's what they call themselves)... i do, however, get bent out of shape when they are conflated with mainstream Mormons.

if we are shooting for accuracy, it's best not to be purposefully inaccurate..... those dudes, and dudes like them,.. are radical extremists Muslims practicing, and doing evil deeds in the name of , radical extremist Islam....

in any event, it needs to be made clear that this donnybrook is with the radicals, not the mainstream.... but it's wrong to pretend like their wacky radical religious beliefs aren't at the heart of their actions... it's not only wrong, but it's also a lie.

I think it's great that you don't mind if some people use the term radical Mormons, but you are just one person and you don't speak for all Mormons. Look at post #3 and tell that person doesn't think all Muslims are bad. And that's the problem today, too many people are blaming Islam for all the things these terrorist do.

 

[CRUE CAB]

If that's so, then why are we dropping all of those bombs on ISIS ? :roll:

Explain that if you can.

Been reported that its doing almost no good.

 

[Fiddytree]

I think it's great that you don't mind if some people use the term radical Mormons, but you are just one person and you don't speak for all Mormons. Look at post #3 and tell that person doesn't think all Muslims are bad. And that's the problem today, too many people are blaming Islam for all the things these terrorist do.

Alright, let's say the goal is to not really deal with the truth, but to linguistically shift political perceptions.

If you want to equivocate, at least make sure it is a believable distinction you're making. If you can't convince the majority of it, don't do it.

Few are buying it.

 

[countryboy]

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That's the latest lib talking point. Of course, like most lib talking points, it's utterly ridiculous.

 

[Fearandloathing]

This is just painful. It's like that time our genius President called the terrorism at Fort Hood "Work Place Violence".

Wait....

The "individuals" are "mostly Muslim" but because they do not hold to the traditional views of Islam, they are therefor NOT "Radical Islam". Further they are killing other Muslims, and that means for sure they are neither "radical" nor "Islam".

Got it.


And now back to our regularly scheduled reality. Upcoming: A new report shows Libya is terrorist free due to US foreign policy.

 

[Thrilla]

I think it's great that you don't mind if some people use the term radical Mormons, but you are just one person and you don't speak for all Mormons. Look at post #3 and tell that person doesn't think all Muslims are bad. And that's the problem today, too many people are blaming Islam for all the things these terrorist do.

then the correct response is to correct the people who are thinking inaccurately... not create another lie so the other lie won't bear fruit.... 2 lies don't make a truth.

 

[Fearandloathing]

I agree, that the administration has surrendered to Islam and will not speak poorly of it.

I hate to say this, but I think they are frightened. I think they had this great idea they could assuage the barbarians with glib words, like Roman Caesars who tried to appease the barbarians a thousand years ago. Now that it is clearly failing, perhaps emboldening them, the Obama administration simply wants to get out alive. By not inflaming them they hope to make it to the end of the term without another 911 because they have no idea how to respond. And, as has been SOP for six years they can say "It wasn't us."

They're scared.

 

[Fiddytree]

then the correct response is to correct the people who are thinking inaccurately... not create another lie so the other lie won't bear fruit.... 2 lies don't make a truth.

I think it's okay to discuss escaping truth for a moment to actually consider how to avoid telling the hard truth readily. You have to be able to do it by convincing your audience about its necessity. If you can't convince people that you are right, it's a foolish enterprise to do so.

To exaggerate my point: If you are going to lie, at least make it sound believable and persuade the majority to join in.

 

[shrubnose]

Been reported that its doing almost no good

.

We're not trying to do good. The idea is to kill those people and put them out of business.

 

[CRUE CAB]

We're not trying to do good. The idea is to kill those people and put them out of business.

Clearly still in business.

 

[Fearandloathing]

I disagree ... primarily because , as Fiddytree said, there is an unnecessary conflation of radical Islam and Islam.... and extremist Muslim and Muslim.

listen, I'm a Mormon, and we , like every other church, have their extremists.... I don't mind when folks talk about these asshats as radical Mormons, or extremist Mormons, or even fundamentalist Mormons ( that's what they call themselves)... i do, however, get bent out of shape when they are conflated with mainstream Mormons.

if we are shooting for accuracy, it's best not to be purposefully inaccurate..... those dudes, and dudes like them,.. are radical extremists Muslims practicing, and doing evil deeds in the name of , radical extremist Islam....

in any event, it needs to be made clear that this donnybrook is with the radicals, not the mainstream.... but it's wrong to pretend like their wacky radical religious beliefs aren't at the heart of their actions... it's not only wrong, but it's also a lie.

I do not agree that this is not a lie, as in a deliberate attempt to deceive. As a Christian I too know what its like to be blamed for the asinine views of others who claim the faith, especially those Americans who believe Jesus has given them the right to war on whoever they disagree with. and true faith is NOT at the heart of their actions, but a distorted, perverted truth of invention counter to the teachings of either of our faiths.

However, here we see a member of the administration of the president of the United States playing word games for purely partisan political purposes, a deliberate attempt to mislead that is far, far more dangerous than "you can keep your plan. period"

The point the White House should be making is that traditional Islam is NOT a threat, and make it clear with traditional Islam leaders standing at the President's side, promising full co-operation and a cleansing of the radicals in their midst in the US.

When Obama can bring his "buddies" in and have them face retribution, America will lose a lot of it's fear of Islam and maybe not confuse Sikh and Hindu as Islam. Frankly, with there never having been a "green" on Homeland Security's scale, the usually brave American people aren't sure who their friends are....FFS you have sunk to strip searching Asian women entering from Canada....


I do not understand....

When I was in Jr High in the US I learned when you stand up to a bully, risk a beating maybe, you win. If this America had been around in 1944, you would all be speaking Japanese/German

 

[pbrauer]

then the correct response is to correct the people who are thinking inaccurately... not create another lie so the other lie won't bear fruit.... 2 lies don't make a truth.

It's not a lie (by them) if they believe its true, lies are meant to deceive. I don't believe that's what they are doing. They are trying to correct the notion it's all about Islam. I think by conflating these radicals with Islam is the reason we'll more domestic terrorists, like the shooter at Ft. Hood.

Where the Christians who burned abortion clinics radical Christians?

 

[shrubnose]

I do not agree that this is not a lie, as in a deliberate attempt to deceive. As a Christian I too know what its like to be blamed for the asinine views of others who claim the faith, especially those Americans who believe Jesus has given them the right to war on whoever they disagree with. and true faith is NOT at the heart of their actions, but a distorted, perverted truth of invention counter to the teachings of either of our faiths.

However, here we see a member of the administration of the president of the United States playing word games for purely partisan political purposes, a deliberate attempt to mislead that is far, far more dangerous than "you can keep your plan. period"

The point the White House should be making is that traditional Islam is NOT a threat, and make it clear with traditional Islam leaders standing at the President's side, promising full co-operation and a cleansing of the radicals in their midst in the US.

When Obama can bring his "buddies" in and have them face retribution, America will lose a lot of it's fear of Islam and maybe not confuse Sikh and Hindu as Islam. Frankly, with there never having been a "green" on Homeland Security's scale, the usually brave American people aren't sure who their friends are....FFS you have sunk to strip searching Asian women entering from Canada....


I do not understand....

When I was in Jr High in the US I learned when you stand up to a bully, risk a beating maybe, you win.

If this America had been around in 1944, you would all be speaking Japanese/German

Most people in the USA speak English.

 

[iliveonramen]

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I don't understand the reluctance to call them radical Islamist.

 

[Fiddytree]

It's not a lie (by them) if they believe its true, lies are meant to deceive. I don't believe that's what they are doing. They are trying to correct the notion it's all about Islam. I think by conflating these radicals with Islam is the reason we'll more domestic terrorists, like the shooter at Ft. Hood.

Where the Christians who burned abortion clinics radical Christians?

Except it's inherently about Islam. If there was an international epidemic of Christians bombing civil structures out of some radicalized view of Christianity, it would inherently be about Christianity. There's not, so we don't talk about it much. However, those that do it are Christian Radicals or Christian Extremists. Politically we use the term radical or extremist to show disfavor toward their perception, whilst still allowing for the second term to remain strong by itself. If we had simply said Christians or Muslims without the qualifier "extremist" or "radical," then that would in fact be framing the methods and intellectual framework of the attacker as the same as the whole group.

What the administration is doing is weak-kneed to the core. It's the utter stereotype of the overly sensitive liberal. Ironically, refusing to use the label for the fears you describe is to give the label "Radical Islamist" or "Extremist Islamist" a level of spiritual and political virtue that it was never meant to have to begin with.