[QUOTE=fessie]
Gotta say, my husband’s been making the same argument as Der Trihs for years now. And the way the Administration has used the attacks to keep Americans afraid seems to corroborate the argument.
[/QUOTE]
So there’s nothing to fear from future attacks? We should ignore the acts of terrorism occurring around the world because the groups threatening the United States are not serious? Jeeze we attacked just today in Syria. I don’t think that’s a rational argument.
Do you folks who dislike Der Trihs hypothesis really think our country is incapable of evil? That we have never been misled? That Bush is a good President?
You might not recall this, but a lot of folk legends and fairy tales start out with the notion that “Evil has befallen the land”. It happens, folks. It’s happening to us.
Or do you believe we can kill enough people in the Middle East (and elsewhere) to Rid the World of Terrorists, making us Safe Forevermore?
[QUOTE=erie774]
If you don’t like it, change the system. Either run for office and change it from within, become an investigative journalist who exposes the flaws and wakes the public to the problems or become a revolutionary/insurgent/terrorist yourself and eliminate the leaders (preferably doing it in a suicide attack).
[/quote]
First, it’s against the rules to wish death on me. Second, I regard America as warped beyond redemption; I see no reason to suffer and die trying the impossible. Third, I have no desire to help America; it doesn’t deserve it. As for the rest of the world, America seems well on the way to wrecking itself economically and otherwise; America is much more likely to cripple itself beyond the capacity to harm the world than I am.
[QUOTE=erie774]
Otherwise, you are not wanted here.
[/quote]
Too damned bad.
[QUOTE=erie774]
But we have also grown from an agrarian bunch of settlements into the world’s most powerful country with unbelievable wealth, industry, technology and resources in only a few hundred years.
[/quote]
Yes, genociding a continent of people can prove quite profitable.
[QUOTE=erie774]
We give money and comfort to countries ravaged by disasters, both natural and man-made, including to our “enemies” (Iran, North Korea, Iraq and the Soviet Union just to name a few).
[/quote]
Because we are so wealthy, the small percentage of our wealth we give as charity looks more generous than it is. We are actually one of the most tightfisted Western coutries.
[QUOTE=erie774]
The UN issued resolutions and sanctions against Saddam and Iraq because he never revealed his WMD program and kept playing a shell game for years but they didn’t do anything. We finally said shit or get off the pot. And we get lambasted for it.
[/quote]
Invading a country that’s no threat to you will do that, nor did Saddam’s behavior have anything to do with invading Iraq. We wanted Iraq, so we took it; it’s the American way.
[QUOTE=Magiver]
So there’s nothing to fear from future attacks? We should ignore the acts of terrorism occurring around the world because the groups threatening the United States are not serious? Jeeze we attacked just today in Syria. I don’t think that’s a rational argument.
[/QUOTE]
They aren’t a serious threat; as I said, we’ve harmed ourselves much worse than they hurt us. As well, we’ve killed far more in Iraq than have died in terrorist attacks; we don’t care, of course, because we are American.
How does attacking uninvolved countries help against terrorism, anyway ? We’ve done everything we could to encourage terrorism, not fight it.
In case you haven’t been over to the Pit today .
Personally, I DO love this country, very much, but for me it’s about the ordinary people and not the superstars and the powerful. As Orwell said, if there’s any hope, it’s in the Proles.
[QUOTE=Der Trihs]
They aren’t a serious threat; as I said, we’ve harmed ourselves much worse than they hurt us.
[/QUOTE]
If the terrorists would only kill the people who don’t believe they a threat I wouldn’t care about your opinion. But such is not the case. Since you love misery I’ll suggest you have a Der Trihs day.
[QUOTE=Magiver]
If the terrorists would only kill the people who don’t believe they a threat I wouldn’t care about your opinion. But such is not the case. Since you love misery I’ll suggest you have a Der Trihs day.
[/QUOTE]
In support of our troups in Afghanistan, we, in Canada, are encouraged to have a Der Trihs day every Yadirf. 
I was ten.
I actually didn’t care who had done it. If you had asked me then, I would have said, “bad guys.” If you had pressed me for their nationality I would have said, “duh! American!” If you had said no, it was someone else, I would have said… “um… communists? Russians, maybe?”
I wasn’t really up on current events at the time, I’m afraid.
[QUOTE=Magiver]
If the terrorists would only kill the people who don’t believe they a threat I wouldn’t care about your opinion. But such is not the case. Since you love misery I’ll suggest you have a Der Trihs day.
[/QUOTE]
Forgive me, I tried to give Red Shirt too much credit. I was wrong, he has no love or even liking for America. As he has said as much above, I cannot try to defend him. I will now butt out.
Jim
[QUOTE=Der Trihs]
First, it’s against the rules to wish death on me. Second, I regard America as warped beyond redemption; I see no reason to suffer and die trying the impossible. Third, I have no desire to help America; it doesn’t deserve it. As for the rest of the world, America seems well on the way to wrecking itself economically and otherwise; America is much more likely to cripple itself beyond the capacity to harm the world than I am.
[/QUOTE]
You are absolutely right and I apologize. I was being a smartass and was out of line. :o :smack:
I am bothered by the fact that you are more than willing to badmouth the country you live in, pointing out all its problems and faults, yet will do nothing to solve the problems. I don’t like certain laws in my town, state and country and have worked with neighbors, village boards and met with both state and national politicians to push for changes. I have collected signatures on petitions to get referendums included in my school district and village. I refuse to sit on my ass pissing and moaning about how bad things are. I prefer an active role.
I think the war in Iraq was poorly thought out, poorly executed and is stagnating. Yet I will never turn my back on the men and women who have volunteered to serve (and that is what they are doing, serving). I write to soldiers I know and have also written to soldiers whose names I received from a support group. I contributed my air miles to Operation Hero Miles. I collect goods for care packages for the troops as well as packages for the civilians, including books and toys. I contribute to organizations providing humanitarian relief around the world.
I recycle, volunteer at a soup kitchen, donated my old care to a children’s charity and bought a fuel efficient commuter box to get me to the train. I worked with Habitat for Humanity. I’ve taken in foreign exchange students, people brought to America for medical procedures and Katrina evacuees. I tutor and was a foster parent. I am on the PTA and help out at my son’s high school.
You can lead, help alongside me or get out of the way. I’m doing my part to make the world a better place. Since I live in this country, I will do everything I can to make America a better place. If I lived in some other country, I would do what I could to make that place better. Hell, when I was stationed in Germany I helped out with the local children’s football (soccer) club and did repair work at a senior citizens complex. What are you doing?
That should have been donated my old car.