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Dragonlich · 07-10-2003, 12:03 PM

My take on things: The US arrests people, and puts them in a prison camp. The camp holds about 600 people. If the US were to pick up random people, there would have been many more in G'bay. Obviously, they're picking up a select few only.

Judging from the background of this whole war on terror, I suspect most, of not all of those in that camp are guilty of some pretty horrid crimes. You don't get send there for just insulting someone, or even threatening to kill someone; you get send there for actively waging a terror campaign against the anyone on the planet that doesn't share your narrowminded worldview. This is a crime punishable by death in both my book, and quite a lot of law books.

The US could have shot each and every one of these people, and nobody would have cared one bit; they'd have been nameless corpses somewhere in a far-away country. However, because of the background, these suspects are rounded up for interrogation, and to keep them out of harm's way. If the US were to try them, they might be acquitted and released, even if they later prove to be guilty (OJ is a good example of how things can go wrong). If the US were to kill them, they'd lose potential information, and quite a lot of PR. Therefore, the guys are kept in prison until the war is over, or at least until it has died down a bit. Then, they might be put on trial.

Given that we are at war with a brutal enemy, cowardly enough to hide amongst the innocent, we have to bend, or even break the rules a little to be able to fight them. I am willing to accept that. Other people here seem to believe we can win a war by playing fair, and upholding each and every law in the book just because we're the good guys. Well, I think there are no good guys in this war, only guys trying to stay alive and reach their objective. Our objective is to survive this onslaught and preserve our way of life; the terrorist's objective is to scare us into submission and eventually to take over the world, driving us back into the dark ages.

I'd like all humans to be friendly and happy, but the reality is different. If I have to choose, I'd choose to stick up for yours truly and friends, rather than for some nameless person in a country on the other side of the world. Tough luck.

07-10-2003, 12:03 PM	#28 (permalink)
Dragonlich 42, baby! Location: The Netherlands	My take on things: The US arrests people, and puts them in a prison camp. The camp holds about 600 people. If the US were to pick up random people, there would have been many more in G'bay. Obviously, they're picking up a select few only. Judging from the background of this whole war on terror, I suspect most, of not all of those in that camp are guilty of some pretty horrid crimes. You don't get send there for just insulting someone, or even threatening to kill someone; you get send there for actively waging a terror campaign against the anyone on the planet that doesn't share your narrowminded worldview. This is a crime punishable by death in both my book, and quite a lot of law books. The US could have shot each and every one of these people, and nobody would have cared one bit; they'd have been nameless corpses somewhere in a far-away country. However, because of the background, these suspects are rounded up for interrogation, and to keep them out of harm's way. If the US were to try them, they might be acquitted and released, even if they later prove to be guilty (OJ is a good example of how things can go wrong). If the US were to kill them, they'd lose potential information, and quite a lot of PR. Therefore, the guys are kept in prison until the war is over, or at least until it has died down a bit. Then, they might be put on trial. Given that we are at war with a brutal enemy, cowardly enough to hide amongst the innocent, we have to bend, or even break the rules a little to be able to fight them. I am willing to accept that. Other people here seem to believe we can win a war by playing fair, and upholding each and every law in the book just because we're the good guys. Well, I think there are no good guys in this war, only guys trying to stay alive and reach their objective. Our objective is to survive this onslaught and preserve our way of life; the terrorist's objective is to scare us into submission and eventually to take over the world, driving us back into the dark ages. I'd like all humans to be friendly and happy, but the reality is different. If I have to choose, I'd choose to stick up for yours truly and friends, rather than for some nameless person in a country on the other side of the world. Tough luck.