Some nice person at RedState saw Kos's post
comparing the culture-warriors of the "Right" to the Taliban. Not surprisingly, they had a different take. In fact, they had what you might consider a "response".
It's contest time again. The political group that actually most closely resembles the Taliban is the one that wants to ban all public expression of Christianity and which wants to indoctrinate our children through the public schools into hating America. So here's the deal. Let's use the very same word plays to illustrate the distinctions between the Taliban, the American Taliban, and American conservatives....
I have a "response" to their "response". Click the extended entry to see!
Schools
Al Queda/Taliban -- a place to indoctinate children to hate Christians and Jews, hate America, blame America for one's own misery, and at all costs, not learn anything about how to contribute to the national economy and technologica advancement
American conservatives -- a place to indoctrinate children to hate gay people; to follow official "Christian" (generic-ish fundamentalist Christian) orthodoxy; and at all costs avoid learning about critical thinking, science ("creationism", generic assaults on biology and other fields), and the true foundations of western civilization
American liberals -- The place to teach the next civilization about the world they will inherit.
Public Religion
Al Queda/Taliban -- My religion is way cool and should be rammed down everybody's throats. Others should be practiced in private, if at all. Government must be based in my religion.
American conservatives -- ditto (See: school prayer, ten commandments, conservatives who flat-out state "there is no such thing as separation of church and state" or even going so far as to state the First Amendment says something else entirely.
American liberals -- believe in first amendment protections/separation of church and state, think secular government is the only legitimate form of government.
Public Religious Symbols
Al Queda/Taliban -- we dynamite ancient and sacred Buddhist monuments
American conservatives -- See the answer to the above
American liberals -- See the answer to the above
Skirts
Al Queda/Taliban -- our men wear skirts, and we treat our women like dogs, skirts on women show off skin and therefore lead to the sexualization of society and rape of women
American conservatives -- Skirts are evil and lead to the sexualization of society (alternatively, skirts have caused the sexualization of society--conservatives haven't freaked out about skirts for some time now, but i still regularly see conservatives panting about how "sexualized" our society... it's not "skirts" it's "really small skirts" or "skirts on young women" or "she deserved it because she dressed like a slut")
American liberals -- our men wear skirts, and our women wear the pants (Or vice versa, or whatever people feel like)
Superiority of the Elites
Al Queda/Taliban -- we know better than commoners what they should think, so by violence and oppression we impose our will on the masses
American conservatives -- we know better than commoners (see: Neocons) and want to impose our culture (the theocrats), business (corporatists), and rulers (aristocrats) on them
American liberals -- we live in a republic by, for, and of the people
The Women
Al Queda/Taliban -- we hide our women by all-encompassing burqas, lest they tempt us with their feminine wiles
American conservatives -- women should stay at home and not have jobs (How's Frist's new book selling?) or other forms of independence; woman-specific issues have no place in the public discourse; women should not have control of their own bodies or choices; we are fascinated with others and their treatment of women as a means of avoiding examination of our own treatment of women
American liberals -- women should be treated equally and systems of patriarchy and male-centered culture should be challenged where they exist; the long history of oppression of women by societies and cultures must be acknowledged
OK, what say ye, folks?