Overeenkomst tussen moslimradicalisme en anti-rokenbeweging
By
18 jaar ago
Er zijn duidelijke parallellen te vinden tussen het moslimradicalisme en de anti-rokenbeweging. Dat is de mening van David W. Kuneman, directeur onderzoek van de Amerikaanse Smokersclub. Ook binnen de anti-rokenbeweging is er een spanning tussen de radicalen en de gematigden, zoals Dr. Michael Siegel recent op zijn blog beschreef. Maar de extremistische leiders binnen beide bewegingen zorgen via onder andere een ijzeren greep op de financiën dat de gematigden niet te kans krijgen om zich naar buiten te uiten, op straffe van uitsluiting uit de gemeenschap, met alle persoonlijke economische gevolgen van dien.
Anti-roken is een ideologische doctrine geworden, zoals het moslimradicalisme. Dat gaat samen met wat we bij andere radicale organisaties zien, zoals het zich aanmeten van superioriteit, intolerantie voor andere gezichtspunten, het blinde geloof dat ze onfeilbaar zijn, de opvatting dat tegengestelde opinies kwaardaardig zijn en het afdwingen van hun gezichtspunt met alle middelen die hen ter beschikking staan. Maar er is hoop, volgens Kuneman:
“Communism and nazism also destroyed themselves, because they were hell-bent on forcing their doctrines on others at all costs, and neglected their own internal problems.“
The Commonalties Between Terrorists and Antismoking Groups
August 5, 2006
I think most Islamics in the Middle East would probably like to live in peace with Jews, and Christians. The extremists in the Islamic Terrorist movement have, however, instilled fear upon those with less radical views, which the radicals hope will prevent more moderate points of view becoming dominant.
I think there are even instances of radical Islamics threatening and harming more moderate Islamics, causing moderate Islamic leaders, and even clergy to be afraid to speak out against the terrorism perpetuated by the radicals.
I think a lot of moderate Islamic clergy even believe the terrorists martyrs do not receive the 76 virgin reward for dying in a jihad. Yet, they fear speaking out despite the damage these holy wars are doing to their own people.
In fact, what the Islamic extremists are doing to Islamic society is worse than what they are doing to the rest of us. Their kids have no shoes, no medical care, no schools, but their fathers all have $80,000 rocket launchers.
I think this provides some insight into the thoughts and motivations of the radical antismoking movement, as opposed to the moderate antismoking movement, exemplified by Dr. Siegel, when he wrote in his blog Wednesday, August 2 “IN MY VIEW: Extremism Has Taken Over the Tobacco Control Movement”
Just like the radical Islamic movement, the radical antismoking movement is now attacking and threatening the moderate antismoking movement.
At some point in time, ( I think around 1994) antismoking became an ideological doctrine, and ceased being a science-based public health initiative. As a radical doctrine, the antismoking movement began to share many of the same features of other radical doctrines, including superiority syndrome manifested by intolerance for other points of view, blind faith assumptions it is infallible, claiming any opposing points of view are evil, (eg linking any opposition to “evil” Big Tobacco) and obtaining their goals at any cost.
Communism and nazism also destroyed themselves, because they were hell-bent on forcing their doctrines on others at all costs, and neglected their own internal problems.
The solution, of course, ( if one exists) is education. If we can, for example increase the standard of living and education in the Moslem world, so more moderates gain power, as has happened in Saudi Arabia, perhaps some day far in the future the Islamic radical movement will die out. Radical movements thrive on misinformation, fear, and ignorance. I think the radical antismoking movement has realized these same ingredients are necessary to obtain their goals too; and are intentionally creating misinformation, fear and ignorance to achieve them.
Many of these attempts to create misinformation, fear, and ignorance have been discussed by Dr. Siegel in his blog. I think those in control of the radical antismoking movement know, deep down inside, for example: that the Helena miracle is impossible, that immediately having a heart attack from brief exposure to secondhand smoke is impossible, and that “ventilation does not work” is impossible.
However they believe their cause is so noble, that using these claims to instill misinformation, fear and ignorance is justified.
And just like Osama Bin Ladin, who probably does not believe the 76 virgin reward, and does not believe Arabs can’t live in peace with Jews and Christians, the antismoking movement’s leaders never venture out into the battle because they themselves don’t believe the false ETS claims they are making. Instead, they use misinformed soldiers to do their dirty work. The people they have convinced Helena is real, brief exposure can cause a heart attack, ventilation will not work, etc. are more likely to fight hard for bans than the leaders of the antismoking movement because, unlike the leaders, the troops actually believe this misinformation.
I think the way they see it is that if Dr. Siegel’s more moderate stance convinces the misinformed troops of the antismoking army that they have been lied to by their leaders, then the antismoking extremist leaders will lose power and perhaps even much of the public funding that promotes their cause.
David W. Kuneman Director of Research The Smoker’s Club, Inc.
