When Force Isn't The Answer
We all should know by now that raw force rarely resolves problems. Pouring billions of tax dollars a month into Iraq over the last two years has not improved the conditions over there. Each bomb that is dropped just strengthens the resolve of the terrorists. Rather than go on and on about the failures in Iraq, I offer a few, simple analogies to illustrate my point:
1. More money has not stopped illegal immigration into the U.S. from Mexico. It is as bad as its ever been.
2. More money has not resulted in a cure for cancer, despite the War on Cancer proclamed by Nixon in the early 1970s. It still remains the number one killer.
3. More money has not stopped illegal drugs. They continue to make it past our borders.
4. More money has not killed all the cockroaches, mosquitos and rats in this country. They will continue to survive until the end of the world.
And, I submit to you that more money will not wipe out terrorists. They operate on a different level of reasoning. They are not afraid of death; as a matter of fact, they welcome it. Our soldiers do not want to die, so who is going to hold out the longest? The terrorists don't care for the luxuries we enjoy. It is not their goal to have iPods, laptops, X-boxes, and DSL. We have it all wrong. All they want is a roof over their heads, modest food, peace, and the freedom to pray five times a day. That's it. If this insanity continues, the U.S. will drive its economy into the ground and will eventually meet the same fate of the Roman empire. More successful terrorist attacks will expedite this process. Terrorist can disrupt oil production in the Middle East, which would put a strain on our economy. Small nuclear attacks in major cities will not only kill thousands of people, but will send the stock market into a crash. We need to find a peaceful solution, a compromise. And time is running short.
We need to go back to "speak softly and carry a big stick," not Bush's "scream loudly and drop big bombs." Why can't we just leave them alone? We can always come back with the big guns if they turn against us. But if we leave them alone (pull our military out of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Iraq) and foster trade and tourism with them, what reason would they have to attack us? Some people think the Quran commands Muslims to kill all non-believers of the Muslim faith. I'm not convinced. There are no historical records of unprovoked Muslim attacks against non-Muslims, going back thousands of years. I have never been approached by a Muslim "Evangelist" who tried to persuade me to attend a mosque. Some of the pro-war people say the terrorists hate us and want to hurt us because they are "jealous of our freedom." This is just part of the fear scheme that the Bush administration would like you to believe. Do you see Muslims attempting to duplicate our lifestyle? Yes there are rich Arabs who are converting sections of their countries (Dubai, in particular) into lavish resorts that exceed even U.S. standards, but they aren't the ones trying to kill us. If it were true that Muslims were jealous of our freedom, I think you'd be seeing some kind of futile effort on their part trying to duplicate it. It's silly and egotistical for Americans to think that Muslims want to bring down the U.S. because they are jealous of us. It's not logical. It can't be true because it doesn't agree with their conservative, religious lifestyle. My point is that Muslims DON'T CARE about what we do with ourselves; they only take offense when we INFRINGE on their way of life; i.e. maintaining military bases in Saudi Arabia (considered by Muslims to be holy land, the cradle of their civilization); dropping bombs decimating villages and killing civilians; and showing favoritism towards Israel. Why can't we realize this and do something before it's too late? Think about the future of your children. What kind of world are they going to live in when they reach adulthood? So, the next time you hear one of those Right-Wingers call for the heads of the "terrorist Muslims" and shout down anyone who dares object, you have a duty to take a baseball bat and crack him/her over the head, because it is these very people who are pushing us away from a peaceful, reasonable, workable solution. The major offenders are: Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, Anne Coulter, Michelle Malkin, Matt Drudge, and John Savage. These people are literally going to get your children killed one way or another. Tune them out; don't listen to their poison. They are misguided miscreants who've got it all wrong.
1. More money has not stopped illegal immigration into the U.S. from Mexico. It is as bad as its ever been.
2. More money has not resulted in a cure for cancer, despite the War on Cancer proclamed by Nixon in the early 1970s. It still remains the number one killer.
3. More money has not stopped illegal drugs. They continue to make it past our borders.
4. More money has not killed all the cockroaches, mosquitos and rats in this country. They will continue to survive until the end of the world.
And, I submit to you that more money will not wipe out terrorists. They operate on a different level of reasoning. They are not afraid of death; as a matter of fact, they welcome it. Our soldiers do not want to die, so who is going to hold out the longest? The terrorists don't care for the luxuries we enjoy. It is not their goal to have iPods, laptops, X-boxes, and DSL. We have it all wrong. All they want is a roof over their heads, modest food, peace, and the freedom to pray five times a day. That's it. If this insanity continues, the U.S. will drive its economy into the ground and will eventually meet the same fate of the Roman empire. More successful terrorist attacks will expedite this process. Terrorist can disrupt oil production in the Middle East, which would put a strain on our economy. Small nuclear attacks in major cities will not only kill thousands of people, but will send the stock market into a crash. We need to find a peaceful solution, a compromise. And time is running short.
We need to go back to "speak softly and carry a big stick," not Bush's "scream loudly and drop big bombs." Why can't we just leave them alone? We can always come back with the big guns if they turn against us. But if we leave them alone (pull our military out of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Iraq) and foster trade and tourism with them, what reason would they have to attack us? Some people think the Quran commands Muslims to kill all non-believers of the Muslim faith. I'm not convinced. There are no historical records of unprovoked Muslim attacks against non-Muslims, going back thousands of years. I have never been approached by a Muslim "Evangelist" who tried to persuade me to attend a mosque. Some of the pro-war people say the terrorists hate us and want to hurt us because they are "jealous of our freedom." This is just part of the fear scheme that the Bush administration would like you to believe. Do you see Muslims attempting to duplicate our lifestyle? Yes there are rich Arabs who are converting sections of their countries (Dubai, in particular) into lavish resorts that exceed even U.S. standards, but they aren't the ones trying to kill us. If it were true that Muslims were jealous of our freedom, I think you'd be seeing some kind of futile effort on their part trying to duplicate it. It's silly and egotistical for Americans to think that Muslims want to bring down the U.S. because they are jealous of us. It's not logical. It can't be true because it doesn't agree with their conservative, religious lifestyle. My point is that Muslims DON'T CARE about what we do with ourselves; they only take offense when we INFRINGE on their way of life; i.e. maintaining military bases in Saudi Arabia (considered by Muslims to be holy land, the cradle of their civilization); dropping bombs decimating villages and killing civilians; and showing favoritism towards Israel. Why can't we realize this and do something before it's too late? Think about the future of your children. What kind of world are they going to live in when they reach adulthood? So, the next time you hear one of those Right-Wingers call for the heads of the "terrorist Muslims" and shout down anyone who dares object, you have a duty to take a baseball bat and crack him/her over the head, because it is these very people who are pushing us away from a peaceful, reasonable, workable solution. The major offenders are: Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, Anne Coulter, Michelle Malkin, Matt Drudge, and John Savage. These people are literally going to get your children killed one way or another. Tune them out; don't listen to their poison. They are misguided miscreants who've got it all wrong.
posted by The Pragmatist | 10:06 PM
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