Quote:
Originally posted by Aurican:
Why are all of you people trying to make it out that Americans are stupid, uniformed people that don't know anything. You two so far seems be mocking a person that is obviously distraught by the deaths of many thousands of his(and my own) countrymen. Terrorism is something that the free world is against. Including every citizen of the UK. How would you guys feel if tens of thousands of people were randomly killed in London out of the blue? I don't care how much you dispise Americans but in the very least respect them enough after the deaths of so many. Some of the "strangers" you can so idly comment about are actually family here. So how about keeping your snide comments to yourselves. Thanks.
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If you are refering to my comment, let me explain the rational behind it.
My heart goes out to the people who died in NY and Washington, and to the families who mourn them. I do NOT see this as some kind of joke, nor do I take it lightly.
However, the idea that this is some inexplicable attack on freedom and democracy which has no basis in past actions by the American government and previous US governments is simplistic and uninformed, in my opinion. I do not condone these atrocities. On the contrary! However, there is such a thing as cause and effect, and it is useless to condemn actions out of hand without looking at the historical actions that led up to them.
As you are very likely aware, the US must bear its part of the responsibility in creating Islamic terrorist groups. For example, during the cold war, the US financed a number of extremist groups, including that of Bin Laden, to use against the Soviets in Afghanistan.
What I'm saying is less warmongering rhetoric, more looking at the background, what led up to the events. That's the only sensible way to construct a strategy to move forward. There's such a thing as learning from mistakes, but to do that, you need to be aware of what they are.
I am not singling out America for special treatment here. Exactly the same can be said of Britain and the rest of Europe with regard to the colonies. There's a large element which still refuses to accept that we bear any blame for what has happened in the ex colonial countries.
250's post did not come across as being particularly distraught - it was the big 'PUNKS' comment in bold that did it for me. If people want to rant, then fine, go right ahead. But I'm entitled to my opinion too, ok? Rhetoric is what Saddam uses, what the Ayatollah used, what dictators everywhere use. All those emotive words. I'm always worried when I see it. To my mind, it's no replacement for thought.
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