# Is the U.S. the cause of it's own problems (read: terrorism) **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 9, 2007, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-u-s-the-cause-of-its-own-problems-read-terrorism/399246 "2007-04-09T01:37:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![GomiBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@GomiBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GomiBoy)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2007, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-u-s-the-cause-of-its-own-problems-read-terrorism/399246/41 "2007-04-10T08:06:22Z")
[QUOTE=FRDE] The problem with policemen in general is that they are not very smart. - it is a lousy job, and does not pay that well. [/QUOTE] Well that’s highly offensive and I know a lot of cops (just like I know a lot of soldiers) who don’t do it for the money but because of a sense of duty. ---
**Author:** ![GomiBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@GomiBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GomiBoy)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2007, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-u-s-the-cause-of-its-own-problems-read-terrorism/399246/42 "2007-04-10T08:10:32Z")
[QUOTE=Der Trihs] That has to do with their technical limitations, and they’d probably be less willing to put so much effort into it if we weren’t obviously going to attack them. We are _encouraging_ them to build nukes; they’d be both insane and irresponible not to at least try. [/quote] Bollocks. Complete and total. > [@](#): > > Of all people, I appreciate the power of religion; that is a major part of what cripples them. A culture constantly being divided by religious infighting and being dragged back to the Dark Ages by religious fanatics, is a culture that is not a serious threat to the world. An irritation, but not a threat; this isn’t the Soviet Union we are faced with. You claim to understand religion but don’t think it’s much of a justification for constant cycles of death and violence in the ME? Then please, do tell us from your position of such intricate knowledge what is this conflict all about? Let me guess - America is to blame. > [@](#): > > Oh ? And in what fantasy world are we _not_ conquering, killing, and destroying ? That would be the real world. Of course, you’ve only a passing familiarity with it, so not surprised you don’t recognize it. > [@](#): > > Except America is more like the world’s Mafia enforcer, not policeman; “Nice country you have there. Shame if something happened to it.” What a ludicrous statement. You’re clearly beyond reason so this is where I stop bothering with you. ---
**Author:** ![GomiBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@GomiBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GomiBoy)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2007, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-u-s-the-cause-of-its-own-problems-read-terrorism/399246/43 "2007-04-10T08:12:18Z")
[QUOTE=tomndebb] You do realize, I hope, that by misreading one word, you have gone out and created a huge straw man against whom to tilt? Your position is not really that far from that of **GomiBoy** and you are attacking a position he never made. Note that his specific point that you quoted used the phrase “Islamist extremists” while your entire tirade was against somehow equating Islamic people with people of dark skins and then waging war against them. There is very definitely an Islamist movement that is inherently extreme and there are a number of persons within that Islamist movement who argue quite forcefully for the restoration of the Caliphate–that period during which an enormous section of the Middle Eastern/North African world was dominated by a single religious ruler, the Caliph. I have a problem with posters on this board mindlessly arguing that any person who recognizes Mohammed as The Prophet is openly or secretly wishing to destroy civilization so that they can impose their brand of theocracy on the whole world. However, it is similarly delusional to pretend that there are no Muslims who hold those beliefs–regardless how light or dark their skins. It is bad enough having to deal with the simplistic people who hate all Muslims without having to deal with simplistic people who refuse to acknowledge that some Muslims have provided genuine fodder for the nightmares of the xenophobes on the other side of the discussion. [/QUOTE] Glad you said it - I would be quite a bit ruder when accused of racism. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2007, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-u-s-the-cause-of-its-own-problems-read-terrorism/399246/44 "2007-04-10T08:23:15Z")
[QUOTE=GomiBoy] Bollocks. Complete and total. [/quote] In what way ? [QUOTE=GomiBoy] You claim to understand religion but don’t think it’s much of a justification for constant cycles of death and violence in the ME? Then please, do tell us from your position of such intricate knowledge what is this conflict all about? Let me guess - America is to blame. [/quote] Are you even reading what I write ? I said that religion IS a major cause of the conflicts they have, **in the passage you quoted**. As I’ve been saying over and over, I simply don’t believe that the Islamic extremists are strong or unified enough to be the massive threat you seem to think they are. [QUOTE=GomiBoy] That would be the real world. Of course, you’ve only a passing familiarity with it, so not surprised you don’t recognize it. [/quote] Ah, so Iraq is a hallucinantion. An interesting claim. [QUOTE=GomiBoy] What a ludicrous statement. You’re clearly beyond reason so this is where I stop bothering with you. [/QUOTE] And how is it “ludicrous” ? ---
**Author:** ![FRDE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e68b1a/32.png) [@FRDE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FRDE)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2007, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-u-s-the-cause-of-its-own-problems-read-terrorism/399246/45 "2007-04-10T08:49:06Z")
[QUOTE=GomiBoy] Well that’s highly offensive and I know a lot of cops (just like I know a lot of soldiers) who don’t do it for the money but because of a sense of duty. [/QUOTE] Well it was a generalization, but I reckon your police friends would not be offended, and mine wouldn’t be either. ---
**Author:** ![GomiBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@GomiBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GomiBoy)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2007, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-u-s-the-cause-of-its-own-problems-read-terrorism/399246/46 "2007-04-10T09:07:20Z")
[QUOTE=Der Trihs] In what way [/quote] Iran would have had the bomb yesterday if we hadn’t done lots to stop them, just like Iraq would have years ago had the bomb if Israel hadn’t stopped thm. > [@](#): > > Are you even reading what I write ? I said that religion IS a major cause of the conflicts they have, **in the passage you quoted**. As I’ve been saying over and over, I simply don’t believe that the Islamic extremists are strong or unified enough to be the massive threat you seem to think they are. But you don’t seem to think that Religion can be a unifying cause, as it already has started to become, or that extremism will unify people even more? > [@](#): > > Ah, so Iraq is a hallucinantion. An interesting claim. No, your take on Iraq is a hallucination. > [@](#): > > And how is it “ludicrous” ? America as Mafia enforcer is ludicrous. You’re insistence that America is the font of all that is evil is ludicrous. Your insistence in responding to any disagreement only with over-the-top invective is also ludicrous. ---
**Author:** ![GomiBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@GomiBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GomiBoy)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2007, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-u-s-the-cause-of-its-own-problems-read-terrorism/399246/47 "2007-04-10T09:09:55Z")
[QUOTE=FRDE] Well it was a generalization, but I reckon your police friends would not be offended, and mine wouldn’t be either. [/QUOTE] My police friends not be offended by calling them stupid? ---
**Author:** ![FRDE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e68b1a/32.png) [@FRDE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FRDE)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2007, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-u-s-the-cause-of-its-own-problems-read-terrorism/399246/48 "2007-04-10T10:15:18Z")
[QUOTE=GomiBoy] My police friends not be offended by calling them stupid? [/QUOTE] If you are as selective as I am when it comes to police friends, they would probably take my generalization as a compliment. Tell you what, why not try it ? - ‘this guy on the SDMB says that most policemen are … etc’ You’ll probably get them pouring their hearts out. The more I think about it, the more I think that my generalization is appropriate to the problems that the USA encounters in its self appointed role as world policeman. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-u-s-the-cause-of-its-own-problems-read-terrorism/399246.md?page=2)