I want to point out that while I disagree with author Stephen Schwartz on many subjects he is praise worthy for many reasons. As an author he is highly entertaining and he clearly understands how to balance education with entertainment. One will not find a boring Stephen Schwartz paragraph. He is a craftsman and understands the finer points of being a writer.
The second point is that he is a muslim American patriot. Schwartz is a tireless foe of Wahabism and CAIR. He sees Wahabism as a perversion of his faith. If the entire Muslim community were made up with rational people like Schwartz we would have a safer planet.
Schwartz does not mince words about the Nation of Islam. He calls Farakhan's movement a cult. He expressly denounces terrorism with no equivocation and word games. He does not excuse shooting school kids in the back or smacking planes into office buildings.
Schwartz and I have disagreed on many points but that is okay and even normal. He is somewhat of a grouch but I am told by others he can be witty and engaging in person.
Even when we disagree with him he is still a person to be respected as he does have a sense of honor. Nobody on the planet humiliates Dennis Raimondo in such a comedic
and skillful fashion. Raimondo has tire tracks on his back but comes back stupidly for more abuse.
Schwartz paints an unvarnished picture of the early labor movement in California. In those days sailors were being outsourced by cheaper Chinese sailors. Schwartz paints a more realistic image of the early labor movement then we often see in our sanitized history books. Many of the early Union activists were overt racists. The stench of Marxism did pervade the unions. Schwartz does not fall victim to the curent need to make saints out of the early labor leaders. He points out that many legitamate grievances with the railroads and industry leaders. His description of the era is evenhanded and above all entertaining.
The part about the Marxist colony cutting down Redwoods should be viewed in another prism. Marxist have a dreadful record on the environment and only recently have begun to hyperventilate on this issue. The colony failed because it was not run properly and did not bother to leagally aquire the land upon which it opperated.
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Beaker- Right on several points, the commies were, and are, dreadful in their care of resources. The record is appalling! They also infiltrated any group that would further their cause, they looked for the most "useful", i.e. teachers, then overran the organization. The dumbing down of America can be measured by looking at tests from the one room schoolhouse days to now. Alot of the knowledge expected by 8th graders is upper level college, if then! Looking forward to more!
Good morning and G*D bless!
tmw
Marxist have a dreadful record on the environment and only recently have begun to hyperventilate on this issue.
Anything to stir the pot of rebellion, I suppose.
Two questions:
1. Do you have a date for when Marxists joined the greenies?
2. Does the book discuss the origins of Earth Day?
Horrowitz places the mass migration of Reds to Greens around 1986 with the fall of the Berlin Wall.Former Commies like Koevell and Finklestein call themselves Green.
The only Green that is personable is Ecology from Bad Eagle who loathes Marxists. His views are off the map but he has a good heart
The book does not delve into Earth day
He sees Wahabism as a perversion of his faith. If the entire Muslim community were made up with rational people like Schwartz we would have a safer planet.
It is his version of Islam, which is a perversion of the real Islamic doctrine. Many Muslim reformers paid the ultimate price for trying to expel violence and terrorism from Islam on the grounds that the Islamic scriptures should be set free from those evils.
Just taking Mahmud Muhammad Taha as an example. He was executed in Sudan in 1985 for trying to tell Muslims that only the Meccan suras are related to religion as opposed to the Medina’s suras, which he advocated to be abandoned.
I am afraid Schwartz's personal religion (whatever it might be) is a deviation from the mainsteam Islam not Wahabism.
http://members.aye.net/~abrupt/house/islam.html
http://www.alfikra.org/jan18/jan18_30_e.htm
I am afraid that people like Schwartz just make it more difficult for the vast majority of passive population to see what Islam is all about.
It is exactly what communist apologists are doing with regard to Marxism.
Felis
You have summed up my arguments with Stephen Schwartz. However, I do note that Schwartz is a decent man and a patriot. He may be wrong about the nature of Islam but I respect his courage and integrity. He is putting his life in danger by taking on CAIR and unequivocally renouncing violence. In reality he is more likely to get a Fatwa then any of us.
I respect Schwartz the brilliant author, patriot and courageous man of integrity. If all Muslims were like Stephen Schwartz the world would be a much safer place. I guess there is a Don Quiote quality in his quest. Yet many of us have similar moments in life where we also chase windmills.
Has Schwartz received his fatwa yet?
I am told that he has received several threats. I asked him about it but he claims a higher calling.
If it is gods will..... I may and frquently do disagree with Schwartz on a range of subject but always respect him.
Beak,
East to West is unavailable at my local library. Remind me again as to how you obtained your copy?
One of the good things about living in a small town is that merchants provide excellent customer service. The book shop in town has a lousy selection but provides excellent customer service. Some of my books like Sword of the Prophet ended up in the local school system and being purchased by others.
I am still at a loss to where my copy of Toynbee's account of the Armenian Genocide was found.
I will be reading the sections about Sinclair and Steinbeck later on tonight.
Beak,
Some of my books like Sword of the Prophet ended up in the local school system...
Excellent!
I was very surprised when the store I purchased it from had three other copies purchased. The local book dealer is a smart woman. She skims purchases and knows her customers. She did show my copy to the local librarian. The dealer knows I do not sell my copies either.
I am not certain if high school students are ready for that book. Most are not history buffs and that book is best appreciated with some understanding of history.
Beak,
I am not certain if high school students are ready for that book. Most are not history buffs.
Most are not, but I have had a few students who can run rings around the college profs when it comes to history. One of the beauties of homeschooling!
I have to buy most of my books directly from the States.
Our Bookstores sell crap (please forgive the expression).
Our market is so small that the booksellers don't want to take any risks and sale only Harry Potter and things they know they can flog.
Scwartz doesn't practice islam. He's a heretic. Jihad is the principle tenet of islam. Any muslim who rejects it by willfully misinterpreting it is subject to execution under koranic "law." The seven pillars are built of sand.
If Schwartz were really honest he would abandon islam altogether, instead of misrepresenting it as peaceful.
He's a dangerous ideologue and a fool. I stongly suspect that he's a liar as well.
You're too kind to him, Beak.
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