The Inside Assyria Discussion Forum #5

=> The Year in Review

The Year in Review
Posted by pancho (Moderator) - Wednesday, December 29 2010, 16:49:34 (UTC)
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...I canīt help but look back and reflect that we, on this thingie, have met our stated goals with resounding success. We said from the beginning, ten years ago, that not only would we not ban or delete anyone and welcome all and treat everyone fairly and with respect,but we would prove that there was no need to drive away those who disagree with us...that the answer to speech you donīt like is more and freer speech, not censorship, banning and deleting...and we proved it.

..I think this has been the first year in which we havenīt had a visit from someone violently disagreeing with the views expressed here....in years past there was one or two posts from Beth-Shlimon or some other "champion"...but no more. Our thingie here is as peaceful and serene as the other forums WISH they could be...wish they didnīt have to have moderators prowling the grounds looking to toss out or barr entry of undesirables...fear that if they went away without leaving someone "in charge", chaos would ensue with all sorts of "wrong enemies" sneaking in and scaring the children and horses...scared that if they didnīt provide 24 hour survelience and protection the heroes of Assyria could NOT be heroic...fear that they would be found wanting in any free and open exchange with opposing points of view, you know, "Free Speech"?...fear that that the only way to maintain "democracy" is by squashing the voices of dissent...as they claim was done to THEM in the MidEast. Fear that their views were shallow and could stand the slightest push so that the only way to appear "right" and strong and knowledgeable was to make certain the kept hidden away where no one could challenge them.

And yet they all maintain that they can run a country...in the MidEast no less where they would be SURROUNDED, not by minority voices but by great big Muslim majorities...but never mind, after years of running from and dodging each other they were ready to take on all of Islam! These people, the Aprims, Jassims, Rosie-Maleks and Maggies of Assyria have not dared to ONCE actually confront those they identify as their enemies...and I donīt mean just Muslims, Turks or Qurds, but they wonīt even confront EACH OTHER! They protect themselves from THEMSELVES!

Not once have they, or will they, challenge in any face to face or computer to computer way ANY "enemy" they have identified...not once!

We, on the famous other hand, having never called a Muslim, Turk, Arab or Qurd an "enemy" but rather a brother and sister in common cause against Western meddling and aggression, HAVE identified our "enemies", though that is much too strong a word for it. Letīs just we know who we disagree with and yet have no desire to see any harm come to. Letīs call them our adversaries-in-ideas...a much nicer word than enemy...for truly we wish them no harm, but rather enlightenment, wisdom etc. And the best way, we believe, toachieve this is by dialogue, intellectual sparring, challenge etc. Muscles, and the mind, donīt grow strong bylaying around surrounded by all that makes for no challenge, no resistence. You get flabby being surrounded only by those things or people which cause you never to refelct, question or challenge yourself.

We have met our "enemy" and scored a resounding success...without locking them out, or us in... or running from them (hell, we even DRAG them over here in hopes of a battle), without taking unfair advantage of them, without tricks of any kind we have driven them all off to the point that not one of them dares show his or her face around here and has not for the entire year. While all the rest of them are STILL prowling and protecting and making sure to keep well AWAY from their supposed enemies...they remind you of nothing more than a kid who hurls insults from behind the safety of his locked door...or from behind his motherīs apron.

Itīs been a good year....if peace and quiet is all we wanted...but it isnīt. And yet thereīs nothing we can do about the lack of intestinal fortutude in assyria...if assyrians are made of such weak stuff that they run and hide at the near-approach of words and ideas, what can we do about it? We canīt arouse courage in our adversaries...I wish we could. All we can do is provide a level battlefield and take no advantage...the rest has been up to them.

They continue to run and hide from their "enemies"...we continue to hope and pray that weīll yet see some of ours.



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