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War on terrorism?
The rhetoric is flying in Washington, but in their typical fashion, the politicians are throwing the gray that constitutes this “war” into a centrifuge and hoping it comes out cleanly separated into black and white.
Brian Carnell makes some excellent points about the historic context of Pakistan and Afghanistan, which are quickly becoming the center of this controversy.
I really hope that we don’t rush into anything stupid and militaristic in this region. This war on terrorism is quickly starting to sound like a witch hunt…as if there’s some clear cut way identify and root out terrorists. What do we do? Hold them up to an ultra-violet light? Dunk them underwater and if they don’t drown, they’re terrorists?
I’m far more worried about the people that aren’t yet terrorists, but are in the same political/social/religious/economic climate that has bred those so willing to do such horrendous acts. America’s brazen way of throwing itself into problems around the world with it’s military and economic might is what has gotten to this point. Doing more of the same doesn’t seem like a long term solution to me.
September 21st, 2001 at 1:26 pm
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>[snipped by Don to reduce space]
>I’m far more worried about the people that aren’t yet terrorists, but are in the same political/social/religious/economic climate that has bred those so willing to do such horrendous acts. America’s brazen way of throwing itself into problems around the world with it’s military and economic might is what has gotten to this point. Doing more of the same doesn’t seem like a long term solution to me.
Greg,
Part of what you say I agree with. It’s the United States policies of sticking our nose into other nations business that fuels hatred towards us around the world. That’s why I advocate for isolationism. In a few years from now, I hope my country goes to that posture after terrorism is reduced to a non-threat to our country proper.
As far as responding to an act of war, well, war has never been pretty and it won’t be pretty this time around either. You say you are afraid of people that are not yet terrorists, that’s the same way I feel and so I feel we must teach them a lesson the hard way. Right now 88% of Americans are for action, not words. We’re moving forward on all fronts. The enemy knows we’re coming.
I trust my government in this war. I don’t trust arm-chair Generals who don’t know a thing about fighting a war. I think most of my fellow country’s men and women feel the same.
We will get our punches in and so will the enemy. It’s a long haul fight. American’s will not give up. Even after the next round of terrorist assaults on the United States, we will be even more determined. We will have even less restraint in retaliation.
Soon the action begins…
Don
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Donald W. Larson
San Marcos, CA
mailto:dwlarson@sd.znet.com
San Diego Don’s Weblog: http://www.sandiegodon.com/
Personal Web site: http://sd.znet.com/~dwlarson/
Bryce 3D Images: http://www.sandiegodon.com/mindphotography
“It seems as if only now I really know who I am. My strengths, my weaknesses, my jealousies-it’s as if all of it has been boiling in a pot for all these years, and as it boils, it evaporates into steam, and all that’s left in the pot in the end is your essence, the stuff you started out with in the very beginning.” — Kirk Douglas
http://www.esquire.com/features/learned/010401_mwi_douglas.html
September 21st, 2001 at 2:54 pm
On Fri, 21 Sep 2001 14:26:52 -0500, Donald W. Larson wrote:
>You say you are afraid of people that
>are not yet terrorists, that’s the same way I feel and so I feel we
>must teach
>them a lesson the hard way.
As usual Don, couldn’t disagree more. That sounds good on the surface, but doesn’t hold up to analysis of motivation and real human circumstances.
People who are already willing to die for a cause will not be impressed by the threat of dying for their cause. However, hypothetically, if I were a young Arab who might have a tendency to be attracted to the same anti-American themes as the current Terrorists, and my friend or neighbor or brother was sudden taken away to jail because of supposed links to a terrorist organization, I might tend to be really pissed off about it, and find my hated toward America reinforced, rather than eased.
g.
September 21st, 2001 at 3:48 pm
>As usual Don, couldn’t disagree more. That sounds good on the surface, but doesn’t hold up to analysis of motivation and real human circumstances.
Greg,
Then why did it work so well on Hiroshima and Nagisaki in August 1945? The proof’s in the pudding.
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>People who are already willing to die for a cause will not be impressed by the threat of dying for their cause. However, hypothetically, if I were a young Arab who might have a tendency to be attracted to the same anti-American themes as the current Terrorists, and my friend or neighbor or brother was sudden taken away to jail because of supposed links to a terrorist organization, I might tend to be really pissed off about it, and find my hated toward America reinforced, rather than eased.
>
g.
American’s aren’t afraid of dying for the current cause either.
If I was an Arab under the same set of circumstances, I might feel the same way. Or I might see the seeds of hatred as being destructive to my Arab country. I might remain undecided or I might act. These are the same thoughts that motivated warriors or pacifists throughout history. There is nothing new to that understanding.
We disagree on many things. This time it is more than rhetorical exchanges. I seem to be on the side of the majority after September 11, 2001; that is, people wanting action rather than discussions. Previously, I think you were in the majority; people who would rather discuss than act. Have I put that too simply?
BTW, I’m not worried about playing into the hands of the enemy’s plans by our retaliation. The motivations that most concern me are America’s motivations. We do what must be done. That’s why the war will last a long time.
More people fighting back against us, more losses on their side. You’ve asked me to identify the enemy. If large segments of another country’s citizens take up arms against us, it will become much easier to know who that enemy is and to be able to fight them in a conventional method. In short, they’re screwed from the get-go.
In the end, whatever they do to us, we’ll do worse to them. We’ve got more weapons of every kind than they do. We can completely ruin their society’s infrastructure if need be. They are in no position to fight a regular war with us, therefore their potentially large population are at a disadvantage. The most they can do is terrorist acts, which I admit are bad. But what we can do in return is much worse; as we will see shortly.
“The only thing we have to fear is, fear itself.” I’m not afraid to act.
Don
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Donald W. Larson
San Marcos, CA
mailto:dwlarson@sd.znet.com
San Diego Don’s Weblog: http://www.sandiegodon.com/
Personal Web site: http://sd.znet.com/~dwlarson/
Bryce 3D Images: http://www.sandiegodon.com/mindphotography
“It seems as if only now I really know who I am. My strengths, my weaknesses, my jealousies-it’s as if all of it has been boiling in a pot for all these years, and as it boils, it evaporates into steam, and all that’s left in the pot in the end is your essence, the stuff you started out with in the very beginning.” — Kirk Douglas
http://www.esquire.com/features/learned/010401_mwi_douglas.html
September 21st, 2001 at 4:05 pm
On Fri, 21 Sep 2001 16:48:11 -0500, Donald W. Larson wrote:
>”The only thing we have to fear is, fear itself.” I’m not afraid to
>act.
And fools rush in, where….
I’d just assume you’d refrain from commenting on my site from now on, Don.
Your statements are not only personally offensive, but scary. You are not speaking for the majority of people in America….and there’s no place in the world we could drop and A-Bomb and not kill 99.99% innocent people, and 0.01% terrorists.
g.