This is known as “rationalizing.” It may make you feel better about what we do, but it doesn’t change it from evil to good. The underlying purpose is really irrelevant. If some of the people committing acts of US terrorism (your words) actually enjoy doing it for its own sake, is it still justified?
History is written by the winners. Had we lost WW2, our history books would describe the triumph of German/Japanese safety over American tyranny.
As WW2 was winding down, German soldiers did everything they could to surrender to Americans, and avoid surrendering to Russians. Why? Because they knew what would happen to them if the Russians got them. That’s a real sign of good triumphing over evil. For good to triumph, individuals must make good choices.
Muslim countries that have progressed have not done so on the basis of anything endmic to Islam. We pump their oil, we defend them from one another, we taught them how to integrate with western nations.
Lebanon (despite being in the thrall of Syria today) was a prosperous nation because it was a banking center – spawned by European interests.
Egypt gets $3Billion a year from the US or it would be the next Afghanistan. Turkey is part of Europe, so it has had the most western influence on it.
The same cannot be done with the Bible as people do with the Koran. Today, no major movement or government advocate murder and pillage in the name of Christ. None.
Preceisely because Islam is a mental illness, we are going to have to maintain a presence in Iraq and Afghanistan for years in order to stabilize the region. It won’t be pretty, but it will beat the alternative of the entire region being run under the auspices of Al Qaeda.
It is not irrational to fear Islam, anymore than fear of cancer is irrational. What’s irrational is ignoring malignancy, or treating it like it were a pimple rather than a tumor.
You are talking apples and oranges. I am talking Islam, you are talking US. The US is not a religion, nor an officially Christian country. Then you say that the US is good and the USSR was evil. I don’t see your point(s).
Same thing, over and over. Your interpretation of the Koran coincides with the extremists’. But you ignore the majority who practice the faith with a different interpretation.
Some people belive God hates homosexuals based on what they read in the Bible. Others do not. What matters is what you do in furtherance of your belief.
The AFSC did good work. To some Americans, it seems, disagreeing with your government’s actions make you a traitor. Oh, that’s right. The same thing happens in totalitarian countries, too.
You just proved my point. Under the right circumstances, progress can be made. Just we in the West made progress when eased religion out of our governments, the same can happen in the Muslim world.
I still don’t understand why you think it’s worth American lives to try to stabilize a region of such “mental illness.” According to you, it’s not possible.
“You are talking apples and oranges. I am talking Islam, you are talking US. The US is not a religion, nor an officially Christian country. Then you say that the US is good and the USSR was evil. I don’t see your point(s).”
That’s because I wasn’t responding to you, I was responding to Plot Tracker (PT).
**Same thing, over and over. Your interpretation of the Koran coincides with the extremists’. But you ignore the majority who practice the faith with a different interpretation.
The largest Muslim nation is Indonesia. Most Indos do not speak Arabic, the only language Muslims can pray in. They know enough to recite prayers for the most part, but cannot read the Koran. Same with Paks and Afghans. Plus, Muslims have a higher rate of illiteracy, so even in Arab lands they can’t read it. But there is no doubt that the extremists are practicing pure Islam as directed by Muhammad. The Muslims who are not engaged in violent jihad are nominal Muslims.
**Some people belive God hates homosexuals based on what they read in the Bible. Others do not. What matters is what you do in furtherance of your belief.
Neither Christ nor any apostle commanded Christians to kill sodomists, so no equating of the Bible and the Koran is called for. This is a red herring.
**The AFSC did good work. To some Americans, it seems, disagreeing with your government’s actions make you a traitor. Oh, that’s right. The same thing happens in totalitarian countries, too.
Telling the truth about Islam or communist fronts is apparently problematic for you. I’m sorry that you have such a low regard for the truth. Why don’t you just stick your head back in the sand, or wherever it usually is?
Agreed, I’ve always said history is written by the winner – I just hope we (the US) always wins.
Not rationalizing – please provide your definition. You don’t have to “feel good” about doing something to bring an end to blood shed and devastation. If you feel good about it, you’re a sick person.
Killing for the sake of killing or to coerce someone or some group to think the way you do is the classic definition of “terrorism.”
Let’s be intellectually honest here – this is not really about what we have done in the past or in the future – WE are characterized as Terrorist throughout the middle east – so when we condemn terrorist actions, they call themselves victims of our terrorist actions.
So, I believe you and I are fighting a battle that is way too broad for me to understand. You, however, seem perfectly capable of understanding the full breadth of it.
No offense taken, and thanks for the clarification.
We got into a sidetrack regarding terrorism committed by us, the good guys. There’s a difference between “feeling good” about what you’ve done and “enjoying” it. If we commit acts of terror in what we believe is defense of our way of life, we don’t necessarily enjoy the acts themselves, but after some time we come to the conclusion that it was the right thing to do: we feel good about our decision; we have justified it. Watching Jack Bauer do “whatever it takes” is grand TV entertainment, but it has no relation to reality.
I want all Islamic terrorists hunted down and exterminated. But demonmizing all Muslims for the words found in the Koran makes the goal harder to achieve.
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This is known as “rationalizing.” It may make you feel better about what we do, but it doesn’t change it from evil to good. The underlying purpose is really irrelevant. If some of the people committing acts of US terrorism (your words) actually enjoy doing it for its own sake, is it still justified?
History is written by the winners. Had we lost WW2, our history books would describe the triumph of German/Japanese safety over American tyranny.
As WW2 was winding down, German soldiers did everything they could to surrender to Americans, and avoid surrendering to Russians. Why? Because they knew what would happen to them if the Russians got them. That’s a real sign of good triumphing over evil. For good to triumph, individuals must make good choices.
Muslim countries that have progressed have not done so on the basis of anything endmic to Islam. We pump their oil, we defend them from one another, we taught them how to integrate with western nations.
Lebanon (despite being in the thrall of Syria today) was a prosperous nation because it was a banking center – spawned by European interests.
Egypt gets $3Billion a year from the US or it would be the next Afghanistan. Turkey is part of Europe, so it has had the most western influence on it.
The same cannot be done with the Bible as people do with the Koran. Today, no major movement or government advocate murder and pillage in the name of Christ. None.
Preceisely because Islam is a mental illness, we are going to have to maintain a presence in Iraq and Afghanistan for years in order to stabilize the region. It won’t be pretty, but it will beat the alternative of the entire region being run under the auspices of Al Qaeda.
It is not irrational to fear Islam, anymore than fear of cancer is irrational. What’s irrational is ignoring malignancy, or treating it like it were a pimple rather than a tumor.
You are talking apples and oranges. I am talking Islam, you are talking US. The US is not a religion, nor an officially Christian country. Then you say that the US is good and the USSR was evil. I don’t see your point(s).
Same thing, over and over. Your interpretation of the Koran coincides with the extremists’. But you ignore the majority who practice the faith with a different interpretation.
Some people belive God hates homosexuals based on what they read in the Bible. Others do not. What matters is what you do in furtherance of your belief.
The AFSC did good work. To some Americans, it seems, disagreeing with your government’s actions make you a traitor. Oh, that’s right. The same thing happens in totalitarian countries, too.
You just proved my point. Under the right circumstances, progress can be made. Just we in the West made progress when eased religion out of our governments, the same can happen in the Muslim world.
I still don’t understand why you think it’s worth American lives to try to stabilize a region of such “mental illness.” According to you, it’s not possible.
“You are talking apples and oranges. I am talking Islam, you are talking US. The US is not a religion, nor an officially Christian country. Then you say that the US is good and the USSR was evil. I don’t see your point(s).”
That’s because I wasn’t responding to you, I was responding to Plot Tracker (PT).
**Same thing, over and over. Your interpretation of the Koran coincides with the extremists’. But you ignore the majority who practice the faith with a different interpretation.
The largest Muslim nation is Indonesia. Most Indos do not speak Arabic, the only language Muslims can pray in. They know enough to recite prayers for the most part, but cannot read the Koran. Same with Paks and Afghans. Plus, Muslims have a higher rate of illiteracy, so even in Arab lands they can’t read it. But there is no doubt that the extremists are practicing pure Islam as directed by Muhammad. The Muslims who are not engaged in violent jihad are nominal Muslims.
**Some people belive God hates homosexuals based on what they read in the Bible. Others do not. What matters is what you do in furtherance of your belief.
Neither Christ nor any apostle commanded Christians to kill sodomists, so no equating of the Bible and the Koran is called for. This is a red herring.
**The AFSC did good work. To some Americans, it seems, disagreeing with your government’s actions make you a traitor. Oh, that’s right. The same thing happens in totalitarian countries, too.
Telling the truth about Islam or communist fronts is apparently problematic for you. I’m sorry that you have such a low regard for the truth. Why don’t you just stick your head back in the sand, or wherever it usually is?
Agreed, I’ve always said history is written by the winner – I just hope we (the US) always wins.
Not rationalizing – please provide your definition. You don’t have to “feel good” about doing something to bring an end to blood shed and devastation. If you feel good about it, you’re a sick person.
Killing for the sake of killing or to coerce someone or some group to think the way you do is the classic definition of “terrorism.”
Let’s be intellectually honest here – this is not really about what we have done in the past or in the future – WE are characterized as Terrorist throughout the middle east – so when we condemn terrorist actions, they call themselves victims of our terrorist actions.
So, I believe you and I are fighting a battle that is way too broad for me to understand. You, however, seem perfectly capable of understanding the full breadth of it.
Track Plotter.
My last line in my last posting about your intelligence was not intended as an insult.
I see how it could be misconstrued as such.
No offense taken, and thanks for the clarification.
We got into a sidetrack regarding terrorism committed by us, the good guys. There’s a difference between “feeling good” about what you’ve done and “enjoying” it. If we commit acts of terror in what we believe is defense of our way of life, we don’t necessarily enjoy the acts themselves, but after some time we come to the conclusion that it was the right thing to do: we feel good about our decision; we have justified it. Watching Jack Bauer do “whatever it takes” is grand TV entertainment, but it has no relation to reality.
I want all Islamic terrorists hunted down and exterminated. But demonmizing all Muslims for the words found in the Koran makes the goal harder to achieve.