Quote:
Originally posted by irateplatypus
my attitude is that if someone hits you, then you must hit them back harder. if they continue striking, then either you aren't hit hard enough or aren't hitting in the right places. no one said that it was even possible that this war would result in them only getting a single punch off. but i'll tell you this, President Bush should be given some credit. i firmly believe that without his leadership, these bombs would've exploded on our side of the atlantic.
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um... you may not recognize it, but that's the same justification that abusers use when beating their kids.
violence is no way to maintain real control or win respect, it only serves to temporarily intimidate people into submission and build resentment - which compounds until it hits a boiling point where the subjugated strike back using whatever means are are at their disposal. the net effect is a cycle of escalation that only breeds more violence.
this kind of macho philosophy is a prescription for terrorism. groups that are not recognized as nation-states and do not have the economic or social machinery to wage war with armies have to fight with car bombs and other weapons of terrorism.
Quote:
Originally posted by irateplatypus
these people fundamentally hate the ideals and institutions that i love and value. they have proven that they are willing to give their own lives, as well as the lives of innocent women and children, in efforts designed to take them away from me or frighten me into not using them. i have no interest in cowering, i have no interest in appeasing these people.
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ugh. here's a quote from today's
washington post :
"We love America -- Faulkner, Hemingway, Coca-Cola and Marilyn Monroe -- but we have something against your government," said Luis Gonzales, 56, a high school Spanish literature teacher, as he stopped to view the rows of candles, flowers and makeshift signs at the central Puerta del Sol. "Aznar took us into a war that wasn't our war but only for the benefit of the extreme right and the American companies."
Quote:
Originally posted by irateplatypus
of course, you'll probably call me a combative american with a chip on my shoulder. in that case, you'd probably also be right.
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as they say in 12-step programs, admitting you have a problem is the first step to getting help.
