PSX5Central
Non Gaming Discussions => Off-Topic => Topic started by: Ghettomath on July 19, 2005, 04:26:13 PM
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Since the fire is stoked for debate in here...
I got in a discussion with some friends (yea, I do have a couple) about the War on Terror, which seems to be the name our involvements with Iraq/Afghanistan have come to be called nowadays.
What we were debating over was whether or not a war on terror can actually be won. My view is that from the point George W. declared a war on "terror," we were doomed. Declaring war on "terror" is like declaring war on love. It is an idea. All you need to be a terrorist is an idea of destruction and a method of carrying it out. How do you effectively kill an individual\'s idea?
If the adminstration had called it a War on Afghanistan and/or a War on Iraq, I think our foreign policy might have been more focused. Instead, it seems as if our government is constantly trying to assure us that there were/are links between Iraq and Afghanistan and our military is spread thin.
Is there a way to root out the idea of terrorism?
When do you see it happening and how?
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No.
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no way
it\'s like the war on drugs... and in the end a waste of energy. I\'m not saying the world is the same place it was before 9/11, far from it. You simply can\'t eradicate terrorism no matter how hard you try or how pure your intention. American is so blessed by everything we have and the world is saturated with our pop culture... people hate that.
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Well if you want to say we beat Iraq & Afghanistan and simply leave, ignoring terror to a level like the UK does, then you have something like the London bombings. No large-scale terrorist attacks have happened in America since 9/11 and we know we are their #1 target.
It\'s a painful process but we have to do something, and if the "war on terror" is helping try giving it a second thought.
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Deportion...That\'s the answer.
:Rolleyes:
Quite simply, the war on terror is not a waste of time, but it could be better directed and even then, it will never end all terrorism.
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Look, you can NEVER EVER end all terrorism. In order to do that you\'d have to live in a total police state, and one where the government has the ability to read minds. So that\'ll never happen.
All it takes is one person with ill intentions and you\'ll have terror.
I\'m not too worried about bombs and that stuff, because although it is tragic, the havoc caused by bombs is fairly local. What if (when?) terrorists start getting more sophisticated - getting hold of a nuke or biochemical weapons? What if they put something in water resovoirs (sp)?
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Originally posted by Samwise
Look, you can NEVER EVER end all terrorism. In order to do that you\'d have to live in a total police state, and one where the government has the ability to read minds. So that\'ll never happen.
All it takes is one person with ill intentions and you\'ll have terror.
I\'m not too worried about bombs and that stuff, because although it is tragic, the havoc caused by bombs is fairly local. What if (when?) terrorists start getting more sophisticated - getting hold of a nuke or biochemical weapons? What if they put something in water resovoirs (sp)?
If a nuke was used to destroy a western city I agree with this guy:
Tancredo: No apology
He believes bombing of Muslim holy sites has been discussed
By M.E. Sprengelmeyer, Rocky Mountain News
July 19, 2005
WASHINGTON - The remarks were hypothetical but the outrage was real.
Facing mounting criticism, Rep. Tom Tancredo on Monday refused to apologize for suggesting the United States could target Muslim holy sites if radical Islamic terrorists set off multiple nuclear attacks in American cities.
"It\'s a tough issue to deal with," Tancredo told reporters at a Capitol Hill news conference. "Tough things are said. And we should not shy away from saying things that need to be said."
http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/state/article/0,1299,DRMN_21_3937059,00.html
The argument that we should not nuke Mecca because those Muslims weren\'t involved is like not holding the citizens of Nazi Germany accountable for the actions of their military during the holocaust. The only way to solve this problem with the War on Islamic Fundamentalism without massive loss of life is for the majority of Islam to weed out these people - which they are unwilling to do.
No, they aren\'t the front line troops, but when a terrorist needs medical aid or a place to hide from authorities, these Muslims offer them sanctuary.
The root problem is getting Islam motivated to solve this problem. So far, not one person here has offered any concrete consequences if some terrible attack were to happen. The leaders of Islam must be made aware that if they fail to circumvent this "perversion" of their religion, that the US will act. It worked in the Cold War - mutually assured destruction prevented the unthinkable.
This is what most, including myself are complaining about - the lack of the majority to crack down on these people. If they did so, not only would Islam be seen in a better light by the public - the west in particular, but it would also eventually put an end to this ideology calling for the destruction of our society.
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I don\'t think either side will win, it will be a perpetual game of cat and mouse. Terrorists will have the upper hand, then those chasing them will seem to make headway in catching them. Then the terrorists will just develop new tactics and it\'s back to square 1.
The terrorists will always have the upper hand though.
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nope... once one goes down, another steps to the plate....
As long as theres humans alive, there will be terrorism.
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Education will kill terrorism. Once these gullible dimwits are enlightened, they realize that there won\'t be 40 virgins waiting for them in Heaven.
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Well, someone saw fit to lock the topic I made, so I guess I\'ll have to post it here.
Looks like there may have been another attack on london.
Click (http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1189833,00.html)
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I was about to post that. You may wanna start a seperate thread.
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Originally posted by Cerberus
Well, someone saw fit to lock the topic I made, so I guess I\'ll have to post it here.
Looks like there may have been another attack on london.
Click (http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1189833,00.html)
Make a new thread.
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Originally posted by GigaShadow
Make a new thread.
Shouldn\'t have to when there\'s already one on the subject
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Originally posted by Cerberus
Shouldn\'t have to when there\'s already one on the subject
Then don\'t.
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I guess we know who it was that locked it then.
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Exactly.
Someone got testy when called out on something and locked a perfectly viable thread.
Go figure. ...
With that said, education won\'t help. Deportion won\'t help. Fact is, its part of life now. We can try and cut down on it, but that\'s all.
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Originally posted by Living-In-Clip
Exactly.
Someone got testy when called out on something and locked a perfectly viable thread.
Go figure. ...
With that said, education won\'t help. Deportion won\'t help. Fact is, its part of life now. We can try and cut down on it, but that\'s all.
Perfectly viable thread??? You call a thread that deteriorated into your petty personal vendetta with me viable? That is why it was closed - it was no longer about the topic at hand. I can see this one is heading the same way - thanks LIC! :rolleyes:
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Ummmm, delete a few posts and open it up again? I know you mods have it hard and such, but it shouldn\'t take too much of your precious time.
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Originally posted by GigaShadow
Perfectly viable thread??? You call a thread that deteriorated into your petty personal vendetta with me viable? That is why it was closed - it was no longer about the topic at hand. I can see this one is heading the same way - thanks LIC! :rolleyes:
Oh? Does the perfectly topical debate you were having with me and the other members fall under the category of petty personal vendetta as well? It\'s nice how you closed the thread without stating that you were closing it nor giving any explanation as to why you were closing it. And instead of pacifying the hostile atmosphere of the discussion, you only exacerbated it with your closing post. Good work, moderator.
To the discussion at hand: I disagree with LIC. As I posted in the London bombings thread, I think education CAN help in rooting out acts of terrorism, at least the "jihad" inspired ones. Most of these attackers have a twisted perception of Western culture and the meaning of Islam. If, through education, we could drive this perception out of them (if not out of them, then out of their progeny), we\'ll have in our hands a SLOW but long-term solution. For example, my grandmother in Korea believed and still believes that ALL blacks are uneducated thieves and that I should never approach them if I can help it. Why does she, whom I can vouch to be a VERY good woman, and many others in Korea share this notion? Because they have never interacted with a black person and has let local stereotypes skew their views. Actually knowing black people and having been educated in a much more cosmopolitan world view, I don\'t share this ignorance. I think the same can be worked out for Islam.
EDIT: I hate run-on sentences.
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Geez, I argue with the guy but stop bitching at Giga and focus. Focus people!
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Originally posted by GigaShadow
The only way to solve this problem with the War on Islamic Fundamentalism
Wait wait wait. The "War on Islamic Fundametalism" Giga? Since when? You show me one case where someone from our government has referred to the war in such a manner and I\'ll be shocked. The Bush adminstration is trying it\'s damndest keep from calling it that, to do it\'s best not to turn this into the holy war that some muslims believe it to be.
This escalating name game tends to be the defense of many conservatives who are still grasping at straws for some sort of justification for Iraq. Because the War on Terror in Iraq is failing, do you feel the need to say our military actions are for some greater cause?
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Originally posted by hyper
Oh? Does the perfectly topical debate you were having with me and the other members fall under the category of petty personal vendetta as well? It\'s nice how you closed the thread without stating that you were closing it nor giving any explanation as to why you were closing it. And instead of pacifying the hostile atmosphere of the discussion, you only exacerbated it with your closing post. Good work, moderator.
To the discussion at hand: I disagree with LIC. As I posted in the London bombings thread, I think education CAN help in rooting out acts of terrorism, at least the "jihad" inspired ones. Most of these attackers have a twisted perception of Western culture and the meaning of Islam. If we could drive out this perception through education if not out of them, then out of their progeny, then we\'ll have in our hands a SLOW but long-term solution. For example, my grandmother in Korea believed and still believes that ALL blacks are uneducated thieves and that I should never approach them if I can help it. Why does she, whom I can vouch to be a VERY good woman, and many others in Korea share this notion? Because they have never interacted with a black person and has let local stereotypes skew their views. Actually knowing black people and having been educated in a much more cosmopolitan world view, I don\'t share this ignorance. I think the same can be worked out for Islam.
damn hyper...at least tell your grandmother that i\'am EDUCATED! :p ...seriously tho, this war is just like the war on drugs like someone stated earlier, it can never be won. if this war was more focused on afganastan (spel) where the person responsible for 9/11 resides, then i\'d be more on board with bush...saddam at one point wanted an honest debate with bush about the so-called wmd\'s...bush denied to even to speak with him....meh i not gonna get off topic with this,..the war on terror cannot be won...period..
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Originally posted by Ghettomath
Wait wait wait. The "War on Islamic Fundametalism" Giga? Since when? You show me one case where someone from our government has referred to the war in such a manner and I\'ll be shocked. The Bush adminstration is trying it\'s damndest keep from calling it that, to do it\'s best not to turn this into the holy war that some muslims believe it to be.
Our government hasn\'t lableled it that and that is exactly what is wrong. This isn\'t a war on terror, it is a war on Islamic Fundamentalism. Tell it for what it is. A war againt Islamafacism. Not ISLAM, just the fundamentalists.
This isn\'t a "Holy War". It is a war against a part of a religion that is bent on destroying our culture. We are not trying to eradicate Islam (though I have my own opinion on that matter), we are trying to destroy this Wahabist perversion of Islam. If you destroy that, then you destroy Islamic terrorism. If all the Muslims who claim that those teachings are a perversion actually stood up and did something about it, the US could pull out of the area much sooner.
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Originally posted by hyper
Oh? Does the perfectly topical debate you were having with me and the other members fall under the category of petty personal vendetta as well? It\'s nice how you closed the thread without stating that you were closing it nor giving any explanation as to why you were closing it. And instead of pacifying the hostile atmosphere of the discussion, you only exacerbated it with your closing post. Good work, moderator.
To the discussion at hand: I disagree with LIC. As I posted in the London bombings thread, I think education CAN help in rooting out acts of terrorism, at least the "jihad" inspired ones. Most of these attackers have a twisted perception of Western culture and the meaning of Islam. If, through education, we could drive this perception out of them (if not out of them, then out of their progeny), we\'ll have in our hands a SLOW but long-term solution. For example, my grandmother in Korea believed and still believes that ALL blacks are uneducated thieves and that I should never approach them if I can help it. Why does she, whom I can vouch to be a VERY good woman, and many others in Korea share this notion? Because they have never interacted with a black person and has let local stereotypes skew their views. Actually knowing black people and having been educated in a much more cosmopolitan world view, I don\'t share this ignorance. I think the same can be worked out for Islam.
EDIT: I hate run-on sentences.
I think the reason was pretty obvious was it not? LIC whining and bitching about me insulting people when he turns around and insults me as well as pouting over me being a mod - something he can\'t seem to get over. He also called me a racist which I found amusing - NEWSFLASH LIC: Islam isn\'t a race!
Also did I mention you were part of the problem with that thread hyper? No. You can thank LIC for leading it down the path of closure. In regards to deleting posts - people whine just as much when their posts get deleted. Either way you can\'t win. So it is going to remain closed.
As for your "solution"...
You can not educate, reason, understand or negotiate with Islamic fundamentalists. If you try you are labeled as an infidel, a non believer, etc by them. I really don\'t understand why liberals can\'t grasp this. These people can not be reasoned with. They would sooner kill you rather than sit at a table with you. End of story.
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I think by "Islamic fundamentalists" you mean "Islamic extremists." There are large portions of muslims who are fundamentalist, but peaceful.
But if fudamentalists is really what you are after then the US will have to declare a war on Malaysia and :gasp: Saudi Arabia! This reinforces my point that a global War on Terror is too far-reaching, too vague for us to ever acheive victory. Terrorism has no boundaries so how can you fight to contain it?
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The only solution I see is fighting the ideology and those who spout it.
You are correct that the "Global War on Terrorism" is a very misleading name. Islamic fundamentalism/Islamic extremists - same thing. The fundies support the extremists by providing them aid, though they don\'t blow themselves up.
Islamic terrorism can be defeated, but mainstream Islam needs to help in this matter.
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Ummmm, delete a few posts and open it up again? I know you mods have it hard and such, but it shouldn\'t take too much of your precious time.
Hope that is sarcasm, because mods don\'t have it hard.
Originally posted by GigaShadow
The only solution I see is fighting the ideology and those who spout it.
You are correct that the "Global War on Terrorism" is a very misleading name. Islamic fundamentalism/Islamic extremists - same thing. The fundies support the extremists by providing them aid, though they don\'t blow themselves up.
Islamic terrorism can be defeated, but mainstream Islam needs to help in this matter.
No they can\'t. There will always be someone or something to take their place. It\'s part of life now. We need to focus more on domestic security and less on policing the world, such as Iraq.
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Originally posted by Living-In-Clip
No they can\'t. There will always be someone or something to take their place. It\'s part of life now. We need to focus more on domestic security and less on policing the world, such as Iraq.
Sure there will always be someone preaching this crap, but it is rampant now in the Middle East and is a definite problem. By cracking down on this type of ideology, less terrorists, less terrorism. Saudi Arabia has turned a blind eye to it and ignored it for so long that is has grown into a major problem.
You can concentrate on domestic security all you want, but if the terrorist factories in the Middle East are pumping out crops of terrorists it will just be a matter of time until they succeed in pulling off another attack in the US.
Islamic terrorism can be defeated, but a major part of that is to have mainstream Islam fight it in their Mosques. How can you say that it wouldn\'t work? If people\'s minds weren\'t being filled with this crap from so many sources their numbers would decline. For example, the KKK here in the US used to be huge and committed murders in the name of their race and organization. By rounding up the leaders of the movement who spread the this hate their numbers declined to an insignificant amount. Today all they can muster is a parade with about 20 particpants where they are outnumbered by counter protesters 20 to 1. Please don\'t say it can\'t be done, because it can.
For all the problems in Iraq - it is drawing most of these Jihadists there instead of them coming here. A lot seem to forget that Saddam paid suicide bombers families large sums of money to carry out their attacks in Israel. He was sponsoring terrorism and it would only have been a matter of time until he was paying them to do it here.
Regarding the excuse that Lefty Ken the London Mayor has now given these terrorists - that being under the thumb of the West for 80 years justifies their attacks and they are angry. If that were true one would think blacks would have been blowing up things left and right for decades in this country. I don\'t buy it.
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What is this guy still doing in the UK running around freely?
Attacks on UK will continue, radical cleric says
By Gideon Long
Reuters
Friday, July 22, 2005; 10:57 AM
LONDON (Reuters) - Militant Islamists will continue to attack Britain until the government pulls its troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan, one of the country\'s most outspoken Islamic clerics said on Friday.
Speaking 15 days after bombers killed over 50 people in London and a day after a series of failed attacks on the city\'s transport network, Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed said the British capital should expect more violence.
"What happened yesterday confirmed that as long as the cause and the root problem is still there ... we will see the same effect we saw on July 7," Bakri said.
"If the cause is still there the effect will happen again and again," he said, adding he had no information about future attacks or contacts with people planning to carry out attacks.
Bakri, a Syrian-born cleric who has been vilified in Britain since 2001 when he praised the September 11 hijackers, said he did not believe the bombings and attempted attacks on London were carried out by British Muslims.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/22/AR2005072200709_pf.html
This is the crap I am talking about. Why would the UK government let this asshole run around and spout his shit? Why?
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Probably because he hasn\'t done anything illegal....
Well let me rephrase that, they haven\'t proved that he has done anything illegal. Correct me if I\'m wrong here, but you can\'t really just go hey, I don\'t like what you are saying, get the hell out of my country. Especially if he is THIS outspoken. You\'ll just piss MORE people off.
Oh and LIC, yes I was being sarcastic. I thought that was quite apparant.
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From the same article I linked above:
Bakri said he would like Britain to become an Islamic state but feared he would be deported before his dream was realized.
"I would like to see the Islamic flag fly, not only over number 10 Downing Street, but over the whole world," he said.
This is the mentality we are dealing with. They can\'t be reasoned with, they can\'t be bought off, they will continue to use terror to get what they want: Western society ruled by Islam.
He is right though, he will be deported before that is even a remote possibility.
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That\'s fine and dandy, but he hasn\'t physically done anything illegal. Unless you change laws, he hasn\'t done anything wrong. Deportation of an "innocent" man isn\'t going to help the situation. Neither is locking him up. No matter how bad the mentality is. The problem needs to be resolved like you spoke of before, get the islamic leaders to condemn this mentality.
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I dont know why the news even reports what these people say....
We don\'t need to be putting this stuff on the tv/internet for terrorists to see. It\'s just going to make them feel more like it\'s their job to attack western society.
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Originally posted by GigaShadow
Islamic terrorism can be defeated, but a major part of that is to have mainstream Islam fight it in their Mosques. How can you say that it wouldn\'t work? If people\'s minds weren\'t being filled with this crap from so many sources their numbers would decline. ... Please don\'t say it can\'t be done, because it can.
That\'s exactly the kind of education I am talking about. Trying to change the views of fundamentalists is like trying to poke through titanium with your fingers. The key is surrounding their children in an environment that does not pervert the meaning of Islam and spew nonsense about Western culture. If we can nip the bud of extremism while it\'s still in infancy, we can defeat Islamic terrorism. You cite the KKK, which is a clear and perfect example. Only a few decades ago, the KKK\'s mentality was widely shared in southern states. Its death can be attributed to children who since then grew up in a setting that taught that racism and religious bigotry were wrong.
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Originally posted by GigaShadow
What is this guy still doing in the UK running around freely?
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This is the crap I am talking about. Why would the UK government let this asshole run around and spout his shit? Why?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A76-2005Feb4.html
This is the price democracies have to pay for free speech.
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Everything that is worth having comes at a price.
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i guess it\'s just like some kkk people holding a rally or such,..it\'s their right, i\'m sure i would look at some muslim cleric the same way if he was poppin s**t about bringin down america or sayin s**t on the level of "expect more attacks"....yo, i\'ve said it plenty of times, america is not perfect, and yea there\'s still alot of racial injustice, but it\'s still thee best place to live and if some muslim radical is outside poppin\' s**t about there\'s gonna be more attacks or knows of some idividuals that might execute it, i would gracefully lace his ass up and send him to the FBI with a big ass timberland imprint in his face...
i still have have family that live here and anybody..muslim radical or otherwise that threatens anyone to me on that level,..has to go...especially in the way alot of arabs are looked at today,(yes it\'s wrong but it\'s a reality that if america is attacked again, most likely it\'s gonna be someone of middle eastern desent).... it\'s hard to believe in this day and age and in america that if somebody seen a muslim cleric talkin s**t like the one in london, that nobody would be ready to whoop his ass....
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No we can\'t. It\'s impossible and it will never happen.
We are fighting a religion here. Religion, beliefs or ideas are impossible to break. Religion brings and ties people together, regardless of what some of the group does. For example, if a certain group of Christians blew up some Jewish temple, then the Jews wanted to deport all Christians in their country, the Christians will band together, even if they condemn each others acts, they will stick together.
Giga, you are suggesting we throw gasoline on a fire that is already too intense to put out. Seriously, your ideas are as prejudice and intense as you have ever been. And what is with this sudden "call it like it is" BS that alot of conservatives are spouting? Did someone on Fox say it or something? I been hearing alot of things like that lately, like:
"They are not insurgents, they are terrorist! Call them what they are"
Geez, Ok Giga and the rest, let\'s put out banners outside our homes that say "Fuck you Islam"
I\'m sure that will help.
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Originally posted by SirMystiq
We are fighting a religion here. Religion, beliefs or ideas are impossible to break. Religion brings and ties people together, regardless of what some of the group does. For example, if a certain group of Christians blew up some Jewish temple, then the Jews wanted to deport all Christians in their country, the Christians will band together, even if they condemn each others acts, they will stick together.
Mystiq, I\'m sorry, but your arguments are ridiculous.
Muslims are not hopelessly bound together, following each other into a jihad like lemmings. Their religion is not blind faith. They have coalitions like the World Islamic League that express contempt for Muslim extremists. It is a largely peaceful religion.
I, for one, as a Christian, would not "band together" or side with those of my faith who chose to use it for death or destruction. I have a mind of my own, as do Muslims.
You cannot call this a war on faith. You cannot argue blanket statements like "religion, beliefs or ideas are impossible to break." And you shouldn\'t voice your uneducated opinions on subjects because as far as I am concerned, its not helping. People like you are part of the problem.
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Originally posted by Ghettomath
Mystiq, I\'m sorry, but your arguments are ridiculous.
Muslims are not hopelessly bound together, following each other into a jihad like lemmings. Their religion is not blind faith. They have coalitions like the World Islamic League that express contempt for Muslim extremists. It is a largely peaceful religion.
I, for one, as a Christian, would not "band together" or side with those of my faith who chose to use it for death or destruction. I have a mind of my own, as do Muslims.
You cannot call this a war on faith. You cannot argue blanket statements like "religion, beliefs or ideas are impossible to break." And you shouldn\'t voice your uneducated opinions on subjects because as far as I am concerned, its not helping. People like you are part of the problem.
What happened during the Crusades?
What is happening right now with Christianity being a big part of politics?
All a group of people need is a cause and a leader and people will follow. They will flock with their group regardless of the actions as along as enough of the people believe their actions to be honest and true in the name to whomever they are praying too.
You are very foolish to say that we are not fighting a faith. We are, I do not see how you can prove other wise. These people are dying and killing in the name of their faith and their leaders see us as the enemy of their faith. Why else would somebody kill themselves in the name of God?
If it is not a faith we are fighting, then what are we fighting? A group of people with bad insticts that just happen to be of a certain faith?
And, just out of curiosity, how am I a problem?
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Originally posted by SirMystiq
No we can\'t. It\'s impossible and it will never happen.
We are fighting a religion here. Religion, beliefs or ideas are impossible to break. Religion brings and ties people together, regardless of what some of the group does. For example, if a certain group of Christians blew up some Jewish temple, then the Jews wanted to deport all Christians in their country, the Christians will band together, even if they condemn each others acts, they will stick together.
Giga, you are suggesting we throw gasoline on a fire that is already too intense to put out. Seriously, your ideas are as prejudice and intense as you have ever been. And what is with this sudden "call it like it is" BS that alot of conservatives are spouting? Did someone on Fox say it or something? I been hearing alot of things like that lately, like:
"They are not insurgents, they are terrorist! Call them what they are"
Geez, Ok Giga and the rest, let\'s put out banners outside our homes that say "Fuck you Islam"
I\'m sure that will help.
(https://psx5central.com/community/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpeople.delphiforums.com%2FKZ1000_JAY%2Fcocoapuffs.jpg&hash=44401999c49a8d166f9e9492066065eedffdfbda)
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^lmao! that\'s going in the funny folder
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Originally posted by SirMystiq
If it is not a faith we are fighting, then what are we fighting? A group of people with bad insticts that just happen to be of a certain faith?
And, just out of curiosity, how am I a problem?
Are you saying it was a religion we were fighting when we invaded Iraq? Because the last time I checked, the War on Terror includes Iraq.
This is exactly wherein the problem of this war lies: There are no clear cut definitions of who, or where we are fighting. This makes it easier for people, like you Mystiq, to turn this into a war of whatever we want.
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Can America alone win the war on terror? No. Terrorism is a global problem, and any solution to it must involve the international community.
We were attacked on 9/11 by fundamentalist extremist who view our nation\'s modernism and policy as evil. They are fighting what they perceive as the last remaining super power whose wealth and strength threaten and defy what they believe. Not only that but also a nation whose government is perceived as corrupt and greedy the world round. (Whether or not the government is corrupt I’m not willing to argue, so don’t start) They are not attacking our religion, and our “struggle against extremist” in Iraq is not about attacking their religion or beliefs. We are dealing with criminals, plain and simple.
In the future, a long time from now, the War on Iraq will register as a horrible decision that costs lives and accomplished little more than remove a brutal dictator from rule. One, I might add, that had nothing to do with the attacks on 9/11. What of all the other harmful dictators in the world? Those who inflict themselves upon their people and harbor ill will towards others, and not to mention have weapons of mass destruction. Do we invade them too? At what costs, and to what end?
Our strike on Iraq has actually done more harm than good. In pursuing our unilateral war with our “we’ll go it alone if we have to” attitude, the perception of a unipolar world where the United States sits atop everyone else and acts on its own accord has furthered any resentment or hatred than what was present before the war. Our occupation in Iraq, somewhere we never belonged, has created a new generation of terrorist and has made us an even hotter target than ever before. We are not safer than we were pre-9/11, and Iraq is more unstable than ever. Even worse is that there is no end in sight.
Any effort to minimize terrorism will have to be an international effort where everyone involved is acting in unison with the same agenda. Anything else is a distraction and a great waste of effort. I said this a long time ago and my mind hasn’t changed.
Please don’t take my criticism of our nation’s government as unpatriotic or anti-American. I’m going to leave you with a quote:
Patriotism means loving your country and its best ideals, enough even to oppose it when it’s grievously wrong.