origins of terrorism

[Ardsgaine]

Terrorists, as a rule, do not follow the rules of the Geneva Convention. If they did follow those rules...any of those rules...they would be called an army.
Any other argument on the subject is a waste of time.

I have to agree with Gato. There can be no discussion of whatever grievances terrorists might have separate from the methods they have chosen to express them or seek redress. There are two reasons for this: 1) we will not negotiate at the point of a gun; and 2) the methods that the terrorists have chosen indicate what they want: our destruction. Whether we have the right to exist, whether we have the right to live in freedom and pursue our own happiness is non-negotiable. As Golda Meir put it: "we intend to remain alive. Our neighbors want to see us dead. This is not a question that leaves much room for compromise."

 

[freako104]

i will say this about terrorism. as much as i ahte to say it america has helped terrorists in the past. Polpot was one,we helped Hitler before we fought the Nazis. as a senior in HS i did a report on how religions are actully a cause of war. a bunch of extremists in a religon will do things and say things that make them sound psychotic. now as for the quote of they love: they want us dead no matter the cost. thats how i interpert it. but America is hedonistic which is a sin in some countries eyes. there may also be jealousy and also americas ego too. we have been the worlds police but who are policing us? thats my view and i know i will be chewed out for it.

 

[Gato_Solo]

The reason we've been 'policing' the world has been because the world has always asked us to help. Hedonism, as you like to point out, is not just a US 'weakness'.

Hedonism

n : the pursuit of pleasure as a matter of ethical principle

he·don·ism Pronunciation Key (hdn-zm)
n.
Pursuit of or devotion to pleasure, especially to the pleasures of the senses.
Philosophy. The ethical doctrine holding that only what is pleasant or has pleasant consequences is intrinsically good.
Psychology. The doctrine holding that behavior is motivated by the desire for pleasure and the avoidance of pain.

Get the picture? According to the dictionary, ANYONE who prefers pleasure to pain is a hedonist.

You are correct about the US in WW2, however you only tell half the story. The US, when WW2 began, was neutral. We sold to the Germans, the French, the English, the Russians, and anyone else who had the scratch to pay our prices. As for Phol Pot, that was a HUGE mistake. It's not the kind of mistake that the US, alone, has made before, either, nor was it the first time we paid for such a mistake (we propped up the Shah of Iran in the 50's when Iran first tried to get rid of him). Suffice it to say, that it is much easier to point out flaws in a plan 20-or-more years after it was implemented than when it's first laid out on the table. This is not as ass-chewing, as I feel that you have the capacity to see the whole picture, but just a friendly reminder to put all facts out before making a judgement.

Oh...BTW...Being in the military, I have no great liking to be one of the world's 'policemen'. My job is to defend my country...NOT someone elses. The reason why we end up in all of these little fracases is because the public and, therefore the government, puts me in those situations. Imagine the shock if the US military told the rest of the world to get stuffed when another country starts being genocidal...

 

[Ardsgaine]

but America is hedonistic which is a sin in some countries eyes.

Some Americans are hedonistic. America as a nation simply allows each person to pursue happiness in his own way as long as he respects the rights of others. Whether they do it through the mindless pursuit of short range pleasure, or by egoistically pursuing their long term happiness, as long as they don't f--- with anyone else, they have the right to follow their own judgment.

Individual happiness, individual pleasure, individual judgment... all of these are sinful in the eyes of some countries. They are particularly sinful to those who believe that virtue consists of submission to the will of God, and that the purpose of the state is to enforce God's will-- in other words, people like Pat Robertson and Osama Bin Laden.

 

[freako104]

gato, i will admit i didnt know all that before you had posted it. i only knew the facts that i had posted. so i thank you for sharing the facts as i stated what i did based on those facts. i knew america was neutral during the first few years of WWII but after pearl harbour, we attacked germany and japan and italy(otherwise known as the AXIS of Power).for Polpot(sp?) i didnt know america had amitted it was a mistake. now as for worlds police, i thought america went to Vietnam and Korea(my father was in Korea and has said that hes not sure but he thinks South Korea asked for help however again not sure but that America was or wasnt asked for help in Korea and my school had said that America was on its own agenda) as far as us being hedonistic, i say that because we do go for our own hapiness and sometimes at the cost of others. thats why i posted as i did. again thanks to gato for showing me more of the facts that i didnt have before.

 

[catocom]

OLD THREAD RECALL ALERT

KENT, Conn. — Peter Gadiel wants everyone to remember his son, James, who was killed during the September 11 terrorist attacks.

And he also wants people to remember how he died: "Murdered by Muslim terrorists."

For Gadiel, any tribute to his son would be woefully incomplete without those words.

"I think it's important, because I think there's a nationwide effort to suppress the identity of the people who were involved in the attacks," Gadiel told Fox News.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,569771,00.html