"God's boys on both sides of the Atlantic"

October 27, 2002 7:56 AM

"God's boys on both sides of the Atlantic" It began back in February. Now, 6 letters, 350+ intellectuals later, the great debate rages on, though apparently and regrettably now censored in Saudi Arabia. Pity.
posted by Voyageman (11 comments total)

We're friends with Saudi Arabia.
posted by The Jesse Helms at 8:24 AM on October 27, 2002

WaPo article: "You have to fault the American intellectuals for cutting the Saudi liberals out of the equation and making it a conservative-to-conservative debate," he said. "It's God's boys on both sides of the Atlantic."

An American theological conservative talking to a Saudi conservative is about like Stephen Jay Gould talking about god to Jerry Falwell.
posted by goethean at 8:29 AM on October 27, 2002

Goethean, have you met the American religious far right?
posted by LittleMissCranky at 8:39 AM on October 27, 2002

We're friends with Saudi Arabia.

Indeed.
posted by homunculus at 10:47 AM on October 27, 2002

I find it very interesting that we in America have heard NOTHING about this. Here is something that is being shown across the world and especially in Islamic nations and we know nothing about it. We are so Us-Centric and have such tunnel vision here in the US!

I am glad that this is occuring. First, I'm glad that we're showing the rest of the world that America isn't full of blustering, small minded, intellectual lightweights like our President. Second, I'm glad that they are discussing issues that need to be discussed out of the political storm. However, it's very disappointing that Saudi Arabia has censored the dialogue. The Islamic world needs more intellectual thought (as do we.) I think discussion like this can result in nothing but good. We won't change anyone's minds, but at least we can show them that we are thinking about our policies and why we are doing what we are doing.

Very interesting link. I'm glad you posted it. Thanks.
posted by aacheson at 10:59 AM on October 27, 2002

very interesting indeed. I think that any form of serious dialogue even non-govenmental, can only be positive in the longer term, we need to engage if not embrace the islamic world.
posted by johnnyboy at 11:35 AM on October 27, 2002

You know--if everybody in the world joined MetaFilter, there wouldn't be any more war. Everyone would be too busy flaming each other over the Whole Earth version of who's worse: Hitler or Stalin? or Who's more ignorant: Gore or Bush?. And everyone could have their own blog and make fun of it and link to it.
posted by y2karl at 12:41 PM on October 27, 2002

Here is something that is being shown across the world and especially in Islamic nations and we know nothing about it

Let's see, I'm in Europe and this is the first I've ever heard about it, and it's being censored in Islamic Saudi Arabia. Now who has the tunnel vision?
posted by dagny at 12:46 PM on October 27, 2002

We are so Us-Centric and have such tunnel vision here in the US!

Amazing that in a thread about North Korea, you found time to work in a criticism of the US. I've got news for you: people are focused on their own regionality everywhere. Travel a bit, you'll see egocentrism and nationalism in every form of media in every country. We've hardly cornered the market on "tunnel-vision".
posted by dhoyt at 1:25 PM on October 27, 2002

in 2010 after the entire human race joined metafilter,
the world ended after a nuclear war brought about
by a heated disagreement on whether or not it was
ok to post about the vibrating broomstick again....
posted by sgt.serenity at 2:28 PM on October 27, 2002

Wait...these intellectuals: they vibrate?
The hell you say!
posted by adamgreenfield at 5:15 PM on October 27, 2002