Oh, Anthracite, settle down about the Bushies/Clintonites crap. This thread didn’t start out with a neutral, nonpartisan stance and I don’t see any reason to try to achieve one now.
But you are right, Star Wars is designed to protect against nuclear attack from rogue states. If rogue states do not attack with nuclear weapons, how effective is this as a defense system? It’s a Maginot Line in space, if you ask me.
And many might well say that, given the events of today. If our existing defense systems are inadequate to protect against terrorist attacks, then we need to rethink our defense systems. If Wall Street can be brought to its knees and the Pentagon nearly destroyed by commercial planes launched on American soil, then why are we worried about the remote threat of nuclear attack? In this day and age, SDI pursues a red herring.
So we should make innocent people suffer? Make people who do not deserve it feel the same or worse pain than we are feeling, the result of which will be more American deaths? To me that is totally and completely irrational.
What the fuck? “You are moot.” Exactly why is my opinion any less valuable than yours, asshole?
Anyone willing to kill innocent people to pursue their own vendetta is the worst kind of scum imaginable. Today’s incidents happened because of people exactly like you, Manservant and Bluepony. People with the mindset you have are the ones who did this.
A defense is more than missiles, although I’ll be the first to admit that I’m in favor of a MDS. The best, and really only effective way to combat terrorism is to circumvent it before it happens. You do that with intelligence. That means big $$$. Then you back that intelligence with a really big sword. (Think Israel) That also means $$$.
And this happened just as the Congress/White House are hammering out a budget. The timing really couldn’t have been worse for future terrorists. Now the Republicans AND Democrats will line up behind a bill to increase defense funding significantly. Just watch.
Why are some of you still playing this Republican/Democrat game? I am a Democrat in every sense of the word, but I am not going to sit here and blame anything on Bush or anybody else. In fact, I am extremely concerned for the president. I hope that he and all of his advisors will stay out of harm’s way. Good God, people are dead. Thousands and thousands. It doesn’t matter if Bush or Gore or my dog was the president- this still would have happened. This wasn’t an idea that these guys pulled out of their asses last night. This has been in the works for what I am guessing is a very long time. We will never be guaranteed 100% protection. That’s just how it is when you live in a world with sick, heartless, fuckhead murderers like these guys. So please stop taking this so lightly and please stop arguing about this. You should thank God that you and your families are safe (and I truly hope they are). We’re all in this together, you know.
Typically, when people tell me to “settle down” it invokes a, how shall I say, “negative” response. Not now - I’m tired, and you’re half right anyways.
I disagree with you on SDI being a red herring, but agree with your point of rethinking defense systems. Anyhow, this is not the place for this, I have just been told…
Let’s just say that my first reaction to seeing a jetliner being flown through the World Trade Center while the twin was in a raging inferno was anger. Anger at the perpetrators, anger at the people who supported this slaughter…and anger at our leaders for allowing us to be so defenseless. For all the destruction and lives lost, I think we all imagined that it could have been much, much worse.
And that scares the hell out of me.
I think it’s appropriate to ask the question, “How did we let this happen” and “How do we defend ourself against another attack?”
Some people might argue that it’s inappropriate to bring up partisanship during this time of tragedy. I think it’s not only appropriate, but integral, that we confront our differences head on so that we can present a united front against terrorism. Not only in this country, but internationally. We need a cohesive plan. This is a time for tears, yes. But it’s also a time for action.
Those tears shouldn’t be from people who didn’t get their way in the elections. Discussing a plan is understandable, but pointing a finger at any one of our politicians is not- nor is it acceptable.
Lisa, how is this an issue of Democrats and Republicans? What would having a different president in the White House have accomplished in stopping an attack of this kind?
True, we need to asses our differences so that we can stay strong. But pointing fingers is not “assesing our differences”, it’s just playing the blame game. And that is the LAST thing that our country needs to be doing right now, especially among its own people.
Partisanship will have its moment in the sun. I have no doubt that countless Great Debates will be held about that very subject in the future. But right now, in the heat of the crisis, we need to get over every petty difference that we have, come together, and help each other unconditionally. That way, we’ll make it out of this, and be alive to argue about Democrats and Republicans some other day.
Those who are pleading for tolerance… please try to understand the very human shock reaction that many people have when something like this happens. We react emotionally, we want to simplify and find blame. Most of us do not hang onto racist thoughts and irrational anger for long, but try to understand those who are going through that phase now. I didn’t lose anyone close to me (that I know of) in this tragedy, but I’m horrified, too. I do remember going through this phase after being held up and terrorized by a gunman once. I got over it, fortunately. Of course we should fight bigotry, but don’t hold it against em forever - help em through it if you can.
Next, to all you weenies who are talking about how it isn’t this guy or that guy and we shouldn’t jump to conclusions: UP YOURS. It’s obvious who this was. Morons! Liberal morons!! Finally, I don’t give a shit about declaring war on any particular country. Just incinerate the whole Middle-allahcocksucking-east. Women, invalids, and children. Just for celebrating the way they did, they ought to taste the hot metal of incoming nuclear warhead. And I don’t give a shit if the whole world gets nuked as a chain reaction and we cease to be. Be it the fuck so. This shit can’t go unpunished. And I’m not talking about fair trial bullshit where we execute some motherfuckers who wind up becoming martyrs. I’m talking about torture, cutting off the nuts and feeding it to their children type shit.
Maybe I won’t feel like this in a couple of days - but maybe I will.
If you do, I suggest going to see a psychiatrist immediately. For now, though, in light of JillGat’s post (which was right on the money), I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and hope that you come around.
First of all I can’t blame you for being angry
and very emotional. This could be the last few
months we all have to live.
Hate got us all where we are now. I don’t see how
we can exercise a show of force with the proper
magnitude and come away without the same reprecussions.
Something is very wrong with the vibes.
Ok. I have come to terms that this could be the last
year for man.
The problem is, JillGat, that bigotry and irrational hatred is what causes these things to happen in the first place. When I see the hatred expressed by people on this board I can’t help but think that those thoughts are one and the same as the thoughts possessed by the terrorists. We cannot bring back the dead, that is impossible. Now there is only one thing left to do. Prevent further deaths. The way to do that is to catch those responsible, not bomb women and children.
Make it official foreign policy to treat any nationing offering sanctuary or support of any kind to a terrorist group targeting American civilians as a nation at war with the USA. Our response will be the complete and utter destuction of one city of said country for each terrorist attack. No need for nukes…fuel air explosives, cluster bombs and a touch of napalm with do nicely. If this attack is linked with Bin Laden, the Afghans presently owe us two cities. Let it be known that the penalty for supporting terrorists will be devastation up to and including the reduction of your natin to a pre-industrial level.
Make it the policy that when suicide bombers/terrorists are eliminated, their families, friends, villages, basically anyone who knows them in any capacity will be considered a legitimate military target and dealt with with the full power of the US military. I know the suicide bombers believe they will go to heaven and have a harem of virgins. Would they think twice if they knew the penalty would be the death of everyone they ever knew? Maybe not, but chances are their family and friends were assholes anyone.
Offer a reward of $50 million plus sanctuary to anyone who kills Ben Laden by any means necessary, no questions asked. Offer a reward of $10 million to anyone who kills a top lietenant or family member. Offer anywhere from half a million to one million for the killing of other operatives/associates.
