Candidate's Solution: Convert them all to Christianity

Started by TehBorken, Aug 06 06 07:45

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TehBorken

  Unbelievable. I had to make sure this wasn't pulled from the front page of the Onion. Congresscritter candidate Duncan Bremer says that to "solve" the problems in the Middle East, all we need to do is convert all the Muslims to Evangelical Christianity. Wow, that's so simple, why didn't I think of that? I'm sure all the Muslims in Islamabad will be lining up to get their bibles any minute now ...
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All 6 in GOP primary back U.S. efforts in Iraq
The military's impact on Colorado Springs helps shape views of those vying to replace Rep. Joel Hefley.

[font size="1"]By Erin Emery
Denver Post Staff Writer[/font]

Colorado Springs - Each of the six Republicans vying to become the next representative of Colorado's 5th Congressional District has listed the war on terror and homeland security as their top priority.

Those views are shaped both by personal experiences and by the military presence in the district - more than 30,000 uniformed personnel work at five installations and almost 70,000 other people receive paychecks because of defense dollars, the Greater Colorado Springs Area Chamber of Commerce has said.

Two of the candidates - Lionel Rivera and Bentley Rayburn - have served in the military. John Anderson works for defense giant Lockheed Martin. Duncan Bremer's three sons are in the Air Force. Jeff Crank worked to save Fort Carson from closure, and Doug Lam born sponsored legislation as a state senator that would have exempted active military personnel from state income tax.

The candidates are all vying in the Tuesday primary for the seat held for 20 years by Rep. Joel Hefley, who is retiring. All of the candidates support the war in Iraq and stand behind President Bush's decision to send troops there. None supports calls for a deadline for withdrawal from Iraq.

Bremer, a former El Paso County commissioner, said the war against fanatical fundamentalist Islam should be fought on two fronts: militarily and religiously.

"There's an aspect of it that people are not willing to talk about, and I am - its religious basis. ... [span style="text-decoration: underline;"]Our best hope is that we actually convert them away from their religious fanatical basis," Bremer said.[/span]

He said that would best be accomplished by missionaries of various faiths.

"[span style="text-decoration: underline;"]I'd prefer that they get converted to evangelical Christianity, but my point is that there is a religious battleground and our government is disabled from fighting on that battleground," Bremer said.[/span]

Rayburn, who retired April 1 as a major general in the Air Force, agrees that the war is a battle against Islamic fascism and says America must be patient.

"I've seen the video of young Iraqis ... being taught their nursery rhymes and the nursery rhymes are of one or two varieties: 'All Jews are pigs and ought to die' or 'I want to die for Allah,"' Rayburn said. "It harkens back to the days of the Hitler Youth, and when young children are brought up hating this way, and that's all they know really, then you can tell that this is going to be a multigenerational battle."

Iraq, he said, is the keystone to rooting out terrorism in the Middle East.

Colorado Springs Mayor Lionel Rivera, who served 7 1/2 years in the Army, retiring as a captain, said he thinks the Army needs more special forces.

"I think having a larger special operations force would do us a lot of good. I think the Army is moving in that direction and I certainly would champion that cause. I'm also a proponent of increasing the number of ground forces and that means beefing up the Army and Marines," he said.

Increasing the military's ranks, Rivera said, will reduce the frequency of deployments for soldiers and provide a better deterrent.

Jeff Crank, a former aide to Hefley and a former Chamber of Commerce vice president, said he is tired of Congress waffling on Iraq.

"Obviously, America committed. It wasn't the president that committed the troops to war - he went to Congress and asked for a resolution of support. That Congress gave it to him and the Congress has an obligation to stand by the president, the mission and the troops," he said.

The idea that some politicians have suggested a deadline for withdrawal from Iraq is preposterous, Crank said.

"First of all, our deadline should be victory. ... It shouldn't be anything less than that because the sacrifice that we've made in blood and treasure to this point will all go to the wayside if we don't stay the course," Crank said.
[br style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"][span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"](WHAT THE F*CK DOES THAT MEAN?? "[span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"]First of all, our deadline should be victory.[/span]" That makes no sense at all!!)[/span]

Anderson, a former El Paso County sheriff, said he supports the war in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"Until we have stability and peace in the Middle East, we will not have peace around the world. So this, no doubt, is going to be a prolonged engagement," he said.

Lamborn said he believes Iraq is a central front in the war.

"I believe President Bush made the right decision and we need to back him and see this thing through," he said. "And if democracy can take hold in Iraq and other trouble spots in the Mideast, that will be a benefit for the whole region and help win the war on terror because it will reduce some of the repression and frustration that helps give rise to terrorism. It would let more moderate voices be heard instead of radical voices."

Lamborn said he defers to the president, the chiefs of staff and the secretary of defense to determine whether the military has enough troops.

"I'm not going to second- guess them," Lamborn said.

The winner of Tuesday's primary will face Democrat Jay Fawcett, a retired Air Force veteran, in the November general election.

[a href="http://www.denverpost.com/ci_4139193?source=rss"]http://www.denverpost.com/ci_4139193?source=rss[/a]
 
The real trouble with reality is that there's no background music.

soapbox

interesting,one step to achieving some sort of resolution in iraq would be for military brass and political leadership in washington to admit that it is now a civil war situation there.

  admit that and overcoming the denial would certainly aid any goal of victory.      

TehBorken

It's the unfettered arrogance of his "solution" that knocks me over. Can you imagine a mullah saying that all we need to do to solve all of America's problems is to convert everyone to the Muslim faith? How well do you think that would be received by the right-wing whackos over here? It's just incredible that this was said by someone running for elected office.  
 
 
 
The real trouble with reality is that there's no background music.

tenkani

The more I examine what's going on currently in Iraq the more convinced I become that there can never be peace and stability in the area until we are gone. In the minds of many Iraqis right now, the U.S. and Israel are essentially the same entity. They see Israel as a monstrous, anti-arab evil empire, and because of our direct and unquestioning support for the state of Israel, we become monsters as well. Not that we need much help in that regard, they have reason to fear and distrust us based on our own actions, completely seperate from Israel.

  In any case, Bremer's comments don't surprise me. Ann Coulter made a similar comment years ago, essentially "we should bomb their countries, kill their leaders and convert them all to Christianity".

  Ethics aside, this kind of "strategy" is doomed to failure, and as such doesn't even make sense from a purely self-centered American interest perspective.
For thou art with me; thy cream and thy sugar they comfort me
Thou preparest a carafe before me in the presence of Juan Valdez
Thou anointest my day with pep; my mug runneth over
Surely richness and taste shall follow me all the days of my life
And I will dwell in the house of coffee forever.

Vivek Golikeri

Let the evangelists keep deaming. The same First Amendment that alows islamofascists to spew anti-West hate equally allows such Archie Bunkers to talk such garbage.