# Why do we even pretend they have a civilization???
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-even-pretend-they-have-a-civilization/200828
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [September 10, 2003, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-even-pretend-they-have-a-civilization/200828 "2003-09-10T19:40:16Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Dogface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogface)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2003, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-even-pretend-they-have-a-civilization/200828/1 "2003-09-10T19:40:16Z")
> [@](#):
>
> RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) – Saudi Arabia’s religious police have declared Barbie dolls a threat to morality, complaining that the revealing clothes of the “Jewish” toy — already banned in the kingdom — are offensive to Islam.
([http://www.rednova.com/news/stories/5/2003/09/10/story001.html](http://www.rednova.com/news/stories/5/2003/09/10/story001.html))
What is with these people? When they’re not advocating mass murder they’re determining the religion of TOYS?? I will dance a backwards jig a mile when we stop needing crude oil and stop needing to pretend that these brutes have a “culture” or “civilization”.
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### Author:  [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2003, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-even-pretend-they-have-a-civilization/200828/2 "2003-09-10T19:49:00Z")
Saudi Arabia - cultivating ignorance since 1973. (It’s taking longer than they thought).
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### Author:  [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2003, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-even-pretend-they-have-a-civilization/200828/3 "2003-09-10T19:53:37Z")
we ban porn from being sold to children. they see Barbie as more like porn. not far from reality, if my memory from childhood is correct.
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### Author:  [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2003, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-even-pretend-they-have-a-civilization/200828/4 "2003-09-10T19:56:20Z")
> [@](#):
>
> What is with these people? When they’re not advocating mass murder they’re determining the religion of TOYS?? I will dance a backwards jig a mile when we stop needing crude oil and stop needing to pretend that these brutes have a “culture” or “civilization”
Are all the Saudis advocating mass murder? I thought it was just a few terrorists.
And while I’m no fan of Saudi Wahhabism, it seems a bit extreme to call all Saudis brutes–after all, as Americans, our nation executes juveniles and the mentally handicapped.
Not to mention we have our own analogue of Jerry Falwell and Tinky Winky, the gay Teletubby.
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### Author:  [@swami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swami)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2003, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-even-pretend-they-have-a-civilization/200828/5 "2003-09-10T19:58:20Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Dogface \*
> \*\*([http://www.rednova.com/news/stories/5/2003/09/10/story001.html](http://www.rednova.com/news/stories/5/2003/09/10/story001.html))
>
> What is with these people? When they’re not advocating mass murder they’re determining the religion of TOYS?? I will dance a backwards jig a mile when we stop needing crude oil and stop needing to pretend that these brutes have a “culture” or “civilization”. \*\*
How can you deny that Saudi’s have a culture or civilization when you claim to dislike it?
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### Author:  [@Elenfair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elenfair)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2003, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-even-pretend-they-have-a-civilization/200828/6 "2003-09-10T20:25:48Z")
[http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE\_ID=24080](http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=24080)
What is with these people? When they’re not advocating mass murder they’re determining the religion of BOOKS?? I will dance a backwards jig a mile when we stop needing to pretend that these brutes have a “culture” or “civilization”.
:rolleyes:
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### Author:  [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2003, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-even-pretend-they-have-a-civilization/200828/7 "2003-09-10T20:30:14Z")
> [@](#):
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> \*Originally posted by gobear \*
> \*\*
>
> Not to mention we have our own analogue of Jerry Falwell and Tinky Winky, the gay Teletubby. \*\*
Lord I am tired of people bringing that up. I am no fan of Falwell but the man is not the one that started that gay teletubby thing. I remember reading an article in Newsweek before the show started airing here, and more than a year before Falwells comments that talked about how Tinky Winky had become a sort of gay icon in the English homosexual community.
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### Author:  [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2003, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-even-pretend-they-have-a-civilization/200828/8 "2003-09-10T20:35:21Z")
Mmmmmm… T&A in a burka.
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### Author:  [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2003, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-even-pretend-they-have-a-civilization/200828/9 "2003-09-10T20:45:08Z")
There was the Little Kim in a burqa picture floating around a while back. That would qualify, methinks.
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### Author:  [@Dogface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogface)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2003, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-even-pretend-they-have-a-civilization/200828/10 "2003-09-10T21:27:43Z")
Falwell doesn’t have legal enforcement power. That is part of what makes us a civilized nation. These Saudi “religious police” DO have legal enforcement power. That’s the difference. Theocracy inevitably leads to mass murder.
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### Author:  [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2003, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-even-pretend-they-have-a-civilization/200828/11 "2003-09-10T21:32:13Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Dogface \*
> \*\* That’s the difference. Theocracy inevitably leads to mass murder. \*\*
well **that** explains all of the mass murders in Vatican CIty.
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### Author:  [@Dogface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogface)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2003, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-even-pretend-they-have-a-civilization/200828/12 "2003-09-10T21:35:29Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Elenfair \*
> \*\*[http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE\_ID=24080](http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=24080)
>
> What is with these people? When they’re not advocating mass murder they’re determining the religion of BOOKS?? I will dance a backwards jig a mile when we stop needing to pretend that these brutes have a “culture” or “civilization”.
>
> :rolleyes: \*\*
Do these people have legal enforcement powers? Are they part of the national police? No? Then your statement is as so much fart gas.
A country that has actual “religious police” is not civilized.
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### Author:  [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2003, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-even-pretend-they-have-a-civilization/200828/13 "2003-09-10T21:40:59Z")
Okay, just so I can have my tally sheet updated – is it the lack of a religious police that defines a civilization, or what?
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### Author:  [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2003, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-even-pretend-they-have-a-civilization/200828/14 "2003-09-10T21:44:58Z")
What? They don’t like Barbie?
Bomb those fuckers!!
That’ll teach 'em a thing or three about civilization!
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### Author:  [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2003, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-even-pretend-they-have-a-civilization/200828/15 "2003-09-10T22:01:01Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Dogface \*
> \*\*Do these people have legal enforcement powers? Are they part of the national police? No? Then your statement is as so much fart gas.
>
> A country that has actual “religious police” is not civilized. \*\*
I hear ya. [Dem fucking savages](http://www.artsreformation.com/a001/hays-code.html)
> [@](#):
>
> VIII. Religion
>
> 1. No film or episode may throw ridicule on any religious faith.
>
> 2. Ministers of religion in their character as ministers of religion should not be used as comic characters or as villains.
>
> 3. Ceremonies of any definite religion should be carefully and respectfully handled.
Oh, hang on a second, that’s the Hollywood Hays Code from the 1930s…
:eek:
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### Author:  [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2003, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-even-pretend-they-have-a-civilization/200828/16 "2003-09-10T22:08:36Z")
Of copurse, if I had written the OP, a crowd of outraged dopers would be calling for my head. But this they let pass.
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### Author:  [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2003, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-even-pretend-they-have-a-civilization/200828/17 "2003-09-10T22:12:09Z")
It’s so stupid there isn’t really anything to say.
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### Author:  [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2003, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-even-pretend-they-have-a-civilization/200828/18 "2003-09-10T22:12:39Z")
Yeah, because we’re all singing “For DogFace is a Jolly Good Fellow.”
What the fuck are you talking about?
Or is everything about you and I didn’t get the memo?
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### Author:  [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2003, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-even-pretend-they-have-a-civilization/200828/19 "2003-09-10T22:15:49Z")
They do have a civilization and a culture.
It’s just not a good one all the time.
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### Author:  [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2003, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-even-pretend-they-have-a-civilization/200828/20 "2003-09-10T22:18:36Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by gobear \*
> \*\*Of copurse, if I had written the OP, a crowd of outraged dopers would be calling for my head. But this they let pass. \*\*
It just means they like ya! 😃
You know, that Tinky Wink is a _little strange_…
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