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Re: More thoughts about
I'd intended to comment on another post that touched on this, but the way
posts have been flying, I'm not sure I can find it--might have been on O&S,
even. But this one provides a starting point.
These terrorists groups have been at war with the US for some time now, but
we haven't noticed. Everyone has gone about their business and their lives
without realizing there was someone out there who wanted to fight a war with
us, if they could just get the weapons into position. It would be great if
we could launch some kind of terrific offensive and end the threat (now that
we've noticed), but it's unlikely that will happen. As several people have
pointed out, it will be nearly impossible to get all the people who are
fighting this war, and any mis-aimed attempt to do this will only add to the
enemy's forces. This means the threat will remain.
It is required that we provide some answer, and I'd say Kevin McC has
outlined the likely scenario fairly well. However, the US people should
spend a little time thinking about what has caused the situation, rather
than just reacting. For one thing, without any opposition from a major
world power, the US has had a tendency to ride rough-shod over the expected
rights of other countries and their citizens. (Note the plight of political
prisoner Dmitry Sklyarov as an example.) Might does not make right. The
result of this in the face of huge disparities in power will always be
terrorist raids.
Next, we have made an error in not noticing that there was a war going on,
and so have not maintained the proper defenses. Tuesday's events are a
clear demonstration that the security systems in place were insufficient to
protect the American public. This is not something we can blame on other
people. We're used to peace and security and so failed to react properly to
the attack, even after it had taken place. (Assured that everything was
safe, some residents of the towers even went back to work.) It's clear that
we need better defenses, but this will be at the cost of civil liberties,
which will cause domestic unrest. There is always a trade-off between
liberty and safety, and we should be thinking about how much we actually
want to trade.
Last are the economic issues. Sklyarov is in jail because of the copyright
issue. The Middle East is a trouble spot because of the oil resources. The
Palestinians have grounds to be pissed because a group of stronger nations
took their land and gave it to somebody else. Our governments is full of
special interest groups out for their own gain. What governments say
they're doing is quite often propaganda, and should be scrutinized carefully
by the voting public. We need to improve our defenses not only against
foreign threats, but also against threats from within.
Be safe, everybody.
keets
> >Let's be clear about the nature of those who did this. They want
> >nothing positive for themselves; they want us destroyed. Issues
> >such as whether or not there is a Palestinian state or who oppressed
> >whom last Thursday are completely beside the point; the very
> >existence of America and what it stands for is a moral affront to
> >them that must be wiped off the face of the Earth. Western movies
> >and television they want abolished. They want you on a prayer rug
> >facing Mecca; if you wish to express your thoughts they want you
> >muzzled; if you are a blasphemer they want you executed. If you are
> >a woman, they want you wearing a veil and enslaved to your husband
> >or father. If you are a homosexual, they want you dead. If you value
> >your life and happiness they want you subjugated.
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