Re the first quoted segment. The poster was deliberately talking about those who have taken up arms against US forces and those who are engaged in sectarian violence targeting civilians. It is relating to a specific situation where insurgents were cornered. If these particular insurgents had been engaged in sectarian violence(targeting mosques, weddings of people from different tribes/sects/etc.) then they were either murderers or attempted murderers. If they had simply struck out against US forces they were combatants. In either case I do not think it is appropriate to call them “innocents” because they were actively engaged in acts of warfare during the time period and situation the comment applied to. Are they justified in taking up arms against the US? I believe so, this was an invastion of their country after all. Does this let them keep their “innocent” status even when engaged in a firefight with US troops? Not in my estimation. Also note that “[not] spend[ing] a lot of time worrying about” is not the same as “cheering/wishing/hoping for the deaths of”.
The second quote is also directed towards eliminating the insurgents, although it does show a careless disregard for innocents who would obviously be collateral damage. The poster was called on this statment within a single post and the thread had run out of steam so it was probably under a mod, and the community at large’s, radar. The poster in question was also a known asshole who was famous for prioritizing military lives over civilian lives(as is somewhat undestandable because he was military himself). It is important to note, however, that there is nothing like “and we’d get all those other Arabs at the same time” in that quote or the full post. Nothing about cheering the deaths of those who would be collateral casualties, in fact no mention of them at all(which is chilling enough on it’s own, and earned immediate rebuttal from a member of the community).
I’m not seeing how either of these shows “cheering on the butchering of thousands of innocents”.
I think GWB is an idiot, and I hate that our troops are over there and I will vote for every politician i see who will get us out. But until that great day, I will support the troops and their efforts.
Im with ya Ryan… fuck em both.
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You go on to state that you “support the troops” and follow that inmediatedly by denigrating the reasons they are there and the imbecil who sent them there.
Does not compute. Because the only way you can possibly support them at present time is by hoping they do the killing as opposed to being killed. Or can you think of another way?
My position, in case it wasn’t clear enough from the start, is not that I “hate” the US or its soldiers, nor can I bring myself to wish death upon them as a group, but rather that they shouldn’t be there at all. Given that fact, how on earth should I be expected to “support” them?
Bring them home and they’ll – again – have my full support.
Iraq for the Iraqis to do as they wish. Period.
Steve,
Being a “know asshole” is no excuse for wishing foro wholesale slaughter. That he – as the poster prior to him – were rebuffed does not in any way negate what I originally said, Namely that there are a number of people here with a complete and total disregard for foreign lives.
Feel the hatred? Because I surely do. Mind you, we’re talking about a rather tiny minority of posters on the SDMB. Overall, I find this board one of the most open-minded and fair of all the ones I’ve participated – thus the reason I remain here…much to the chagrin of pseudo-intellectual poseurs such as Excaliber.
Disregard for foreign lives I’ve seen plenty of here, and it makes me sad most times, sometimes it makes me mad. But there is a distinction between disregard for foreign lives and “cheering on the butchering of thousands of innocents”. One demonstrates apathy, the other sociopathy. I won’t challenge claims that many on this board demonstrate a lack of concern for the lives of non-US citizens. What I do challenge is that there is a significant amount of celebration over said deaths(excepting when people like Zarqwari and Hussein’s sons are killed, even those are often tempered in many ways).
It’s the difference between not being affected by the news of said deaths and exhulting in them. It’s a big difference.
Works for me, and I’ll try to do my part to make the community less tolerant of said disregard for lives of non-Americans. I can’t make it a bannable offense, but I can call people on it when I see it.