Interesting little diddy going on in the middle east.

Not the Hamas election win, which is interesting, and a litte scary.

Not the Iran Nuclear wepons... which is more scary than interesting.

But the cartoon newspapers ran feturing the Muslim Prophet Mohammed.

Muslims demanded it be pulled, saying their religious beliefes should be respected and The Europiean Union states, it's free speach.

Think... when Larry Flint (awesome advicator of free speech)publised the article about revrand Jerry Falwell. If you know anything, Falwell was not a happy man to say the least.

Here's the fun thing though about political and culture structure. In America... it might meerly be poor taste, but it is actually all right and should be premitted within this country. Our country is founded on free speech, religion, press, right to asembell etc etc. The basic idea of a Democracy.

In the middle east. It is NOT ok to publish something like that. The reason being you publicly endager the lives (as now gunmen have thretend to start kidnapping unless the cartoon be pulled and the EU apologize), and the middle east does not operate under a similr democracy.

The joke in Poly Sci goes like this, "What's the best form of government?"... "Benevolent monarchy"... ::rest of class laughs::. The joke being, a benevolent monarchy can not be sustaind because there is no way to ensure the sucessor is also benevolent AND (more importantly) what's benevolince for some is not for all.

Unless that is... you all agree... and your monarch doesn't die....

That's where aspects of the middle east pick up.

Governments seem to be shifting away from a national identity and more towards a religious identity. More laws are based off of the Koran, daily life style etc etc. Religous groups are being elected to democratic leadership while voters know this could shit them more toward a Theologic or "Theocratic" government.

In short, a Theologic government, is as close to a benevolent monarchy as can be. The law of the land is the law of God. God is your monarch that does not die, and everyone agrees yes, Allah is incapable of mistake. If all like minded individuals think this way, it becomes the only sustainable Benevolent monarchy, because in the minds of the masses, laws are not subject to interpritation and there is no way the ruler can die/be wrong.

What this translates too, sure you say what you want... but if you portray a religious figure in a bad light, you are wrong, there for will be punished.

I'm by no means endorsing this beliefe. I think any state based off religious principals is a powder keg of problems. Rather, just giving a perspective on why this shouldn't be an issue of Free Speech vs. Religious Tolerence, rather an assult on the personal way of life of bllions of people, who will responded in violent ways.

Interesting to say the least.

-Marteney