Quahom1 said:
Terrorists do not reckognize "freedom". They understand "Rule" (their rule).
The reason a terroist becomes a dangerous leader, however, rather than simply a psychotic individual that is placed in a mental ward or prison, is the support of a bunch of disenfranchised, desperate, and generally poor ordinary people. And, oftentimes in recent history (and in the case of both Bin Laden and Hussein) the financial, political, and weapon support of the U.S. History shows this as well. If people are fulfilled in their lives, if they have their basic needs met, and feel secure, they do not support terrorist leaders.
Want to stop the violence? Stop the terrorist.
My point is that you can stop the terrorist through more violence, which doesn't address the roots of the problem and begets more violence, or you can figure out the causes of people's involvement in terrorism and work from there. Terrorists are only leaders because people support them. Why are people supporting them? Why do people get so desperate they will die before they compromise? So far, we keep having to deal with terrorists because instead of fixing the real cause of the problem, we're patching the wound with band-aids of wars. As long as we do this, we will continue to be in danger of terrorists.
Not that I am particularly for or against Mr. Bush...but the fact remains that he did not start this game. He wasn't even in office for eight months, before the serious part of this deadly game began. Nor did he make the first move.
Agreed. I don't agree with his subsequent moves, but I'm not saying he started the conflict personally. However, there are elements of the intolerance and unwillingness to compromise by which you define terrorists in various actions and statements Bush has made. He said once, "You are either with us, or you are with the terrorists." That is a very dangerous statement, and indicates a dualistic view of folks that is remarkably like terrorists.
I do however, recognize when my home, my land and my way of life is being threatened...and I have no problems taking the fight right to the heart of the matter. It's much better for you, and my family if I do so. I think Mr. Bush and the rest of America as a whole think along similar lines.
Nothing personal, but philosophy never saved a nation. So I guess I'll get back to work.
I believe our soldiers, as a whole, are doing what they think is right. I don't think it's what is right, but I respect you all for what you do, because you are acting in accordance with your own beliefs. I recognize that what you do takes a lot of courage and I am sure you bear a lot of grief and pain in your job. The soldiers I know all hate war, but they feel it is necessary. I do not, or rather, I believe it is irrelevant even if it seems immediately necessary. What I believe is best for me and my family is to refuse to engage in or support violence, and I'd say America is about 50/50 split on this issue.
I know it may seem awful to some, but I don't care about nations, mine or others'. I care about people, and I really am incapable of understanding boundaries. I realize that is strange to most people. But it's the truth. I'm all about the sanctity of life and living according to my principles, and I could really care less about what happens with nations. Nations are imagined entities, lines drawn on a map. They have come and gone over the course of history. They are transient and very much of this world. The United States is a just one more player in this historical game, and a young and unsustainable one at that.
I love freedom. From what I've seen, though, our freedom has been more compromised since 9/11 from our own government (through the Patriot Act, increasing regulations on the media, etc.) than it ever was by Hussein or Bin Laden. Furthermore, no one can take the freedom of my mind and soul, and in the end, that's all that really matters. Personally, as much as I'm able, I refuse to take another life, because I believe that action stays with my soul. Death or oppression is temporary, and such suffering is transcended when we are before God, but I will have to stand with my actions before God. On that day, I know I can't be perfect, but I want to stand before Him as a soul that sought to be as loving and forgiving as possible. For me, I just can't find killing someone loving or forgiving, no matter what my justification.
