http://www.motherjones.org/news/featurex/2007/03/iraq_effect_1.html
This article compares worldwide terrorism from the period after 9/11 to the invasion of Iraq and after the Iraq invasion to now. We see a seven-fold increase. Ugh.
Why are we a target of Islamic extremism? Well, maybe the reason is that "terrorists" have repeatedly told us that our meddling in Middle Eastern affairs (politically, economically, and of course, militarily) and blind support for Israel makes us a target for their religious Jihad. Now, withdrawal is not "acquiescing to the terrorists' demands", it is simply a logical step to preserve American national security. What do we get from our alliance with Israel? Terrorism. What does Israel get from their alliance with us? A major world superpower supporting your every move (right or wrong) and thus a huge advantage that the rest of the Middle East does not enjoy (although Russia has recently said they will help Iran if they are attacked - and Bush is throwing the words "World War III" around regarding Iran). Obviously, this favoritism causes a variety of problems. Hit it, George Washington:
"A passionate attachment of one nation for another produces a variety of evils. Sympathy for the favorite nation, facilitating the illusion of an imaginary common interest in cases where no real common interest exists, and infusing into one nation the enmities of the other, betrays the former into a participation in the quarrels and wars of the latter without justification. It leads also to concessions to the favorite nation of privileges denied to others which is apt doubly to injure the nation making the concessions; by unnecessarily parting with what ought to have been retained, and by exciting jealousy, ill-will, and a disposition to retaliate, in the parties from whom equal privileges are withheld. And it gives to ambitious, corrupted, or deluded citizens who devote themselves to the favorite nation, facility to betray or sacrifice the interests of their own country, without odium, sometimes even with popularity; gilding, with the appearances of a virtuous sense of obligation, a commendable deference for public opinion, or a laudable zeal for public good, the foolish compliances of ambition, corruption, or infatuation."
"Commerce with all nations, alliance with none, should be our motto." -Thomas Jefferson
Our Founding Fathers would be sick of how we are handling the situation. Instead of commerce, we threaten nations with economic sanctions. What better way to build trust and create mutually beneficial arrangements than to threaten a nation's economic stability and force them to come to the table to accept our demands.
We don't get much oil from Iraq, but oil companies are international corporations. Even worse, is that they don't really care if the price of oil skyrockets, that simply means more profits. Price of oil in 1990 - 14 bucks a barrel. Post Desert Storm - 40 bucks a barrel. Price of oil in 2001 - hovering around 50 bucks a barrel. Today - 90 bucks a barrel. Record profits by every major oil corporation. Ohhhh the oil companies love us, the oil sheiks scattered throughout the Middle East love us, but the billions of people affected by oil and the situations arising out of its control should unequivocally despise the problems we perpetually promote.
Well, their plans for world domination are inevitably going to fail (apparently they still haven't learned the lesson from the fall of Rome, Babylon, Napoleon, Hitler, Ghengis Khan, etc...) but a passionate, intelligent and moral group of individuals is the only defense.
"When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it - always." -Mahatma Gandhi
“If you see injustice and say nothing, you have taken the side of the oppressor." -Desmund Tutu
"We should all be concerned with the future because we will have to spend our lives there." -Charles F. Kettering
"My country is the world, my religion is to do good." -Ralph Waldo Emerson
"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts." -Bertrand Russell
“Make yourselves sheep and the wolves will eat you.” -Benjamin Franklin
"The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it comes stronger than their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism - ownership of government by an individual, by a group." -FDR
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -Edmund Burke
7thdirection
14 Comments
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So long as men worship the Caesars and Napoleans, Caesars and Napoleans will duly arise and make them miserable.
Aldous Huxley ( Ends and Means ch.8 )
I love the good 'ole idealism doesn't work argument, nevermind that it cannot be proven because it has never been empirically tested (in written human history, anyway). But wait, why don't we look at how other systems work? Just about every natural system on earth (chemicals, atoms, molecules, galaxies) all operate within perfectly balanced cooperative principles. To think that we are somehow exempt from natural law is all the proof you need of the destructive nature of the over-expanded ego.
The notion of top-down structural human hierarchies is so deeply ingrained in the collective psyche that we think this is how reality "is" and should be structured. In complex natural organizations (including our bodies) - we find that there is no "leader" directing "followers" but a functional distribution of semi-autonomous wholes. If a single cell decides to aggrandize itself at the expense of the harmony of the whole, we call that cancer.
The initial commotion that set off this CURRENT stage of conflict in the Middle East was the establishment of the state of Israel in Palestine (who was not involved in any way with WW2) Why the fuck wasn't it established in Germany? Didn't they kill all the Jews? What about Montana? We aren't using it much. There's plenty of room.
Jewish rabbis that support Ahmadinejad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GsdC_ZboeE
"Terrorism" has existed for thousands of years. Being deathly afraid of terrorism and fighting wars in the sake of somehow stopping it is a recent, retarded development. Since totally destroying Israel would be reasonably difficult, I think at this point a perfectly half/half split of the region between Israel and Palestine is both acceptable and doable - as long as Israel doesn't again encroach on lands that aren't theirs, anyways.
Yes - The Crusades spring to mind.
Looking at 7ths reply to starrman i had to chuckle. The "Idealism" in question unfortunately as a system will never happen. We ceased to look at humans as a collective species many thousands of years ago, when tribes fought for the right for land. Humans grow knowing that people are not in harmony with others, and that this is an acceptable way of life. This is demonstrated by conflicts around the globe, caused by greed, and the urge to dominate or control, be that in terms of land, or in terms of minds, and its what we bring our children up with.
There is space on this world for everyone. There is enough food generated by our planet and industrial development to feed everyone. There is enough clean water for all to be able to drink. That is the simple truth of the matter yet wars, starvation and drought exist and are abundant. Why is that, if we know that there is enough to go round?
Terrorism starts early. It starts with societies telling their kids to believe in the superiority of that society. It starts with religions insisting that they are the only way to an afterlife.. and that all others are falsehoods... and these beliefs fed into kids until they are brainwashed. It starts with a child being bullied at school, and the child being told that they must have done something to attract the attention of that bully. It starts with the family, the immediate distinction between your own offspring being part of your clan, and the next door neighbours kids, and the nurture of what is "yours", rather than just what IS. It starts with the urge to continue the individuals genes, rather than the species as a whole.
I had to chuckle at "wake up and smell the coffee" too. The answers are simple really :
Abolish countries borders and names. Then there can be no confrontation over ownership.
Abolish religions. We are evolved far enough now to no longer need such superstitious ludicrous ravings re : supreme beings, to vindicate our existence, although doubtless those that have been programmed all their lives subliminally or voluntarily will object to this. Instead of religions, install into our young the idea of a collective "US". A pride in the species and a motivation to forward and protect it as a whole. Ah what it would be like to live in a place where the definition of an extremist fanatic was someone responsible for providing for 30 people, instead of just one or two!
We as humans do not need to be defined by our countries, our religions, etc. Nor should we be defined by what we own in material goods. We have the resources to provide for all, and so if people appear who decide they don't want to work etc, then they should still have the basic food shelter and water provided. After all... did they ask to be born? To insist a person works in order to vindicate an existence they had no say in, was abolished not all that long ago in most civilized countries. It was called slavery! And besides, if a person was brought up in an environment where all people were valued equally, and were taught all were worth the same, the responsibility instilled within them would like as not influence them to work / contribute accordingly. Selfishness is an invention orientated around the "I" rather than the us, and although it used to be a survival instinct, (eg for food a few thousand years ago) that instinct is no longer needed.
The "Real Terrorist Threat", is not a threat to any one society. It is a threat to our whole existence as a result of our own acceptance of the psychological sociological "terrorism" forced on us, and then propagated BY us on the next generation, by our refusal to view humanity as a species. It can be seen to be the mindset within the people existing today. Greed, imperialism, control, dominance, the promotion of the individual and the striving for power and wealth, for status and strength. Countries at war with countries while still other countries starve, or die of dehydration. The "Real Terrorist Threat" is, that if we don't take a look at implementing what is now scoffed at as idealism, in time to come our "superiority"complex and beliefs will result in world war three, and quite possibly the extinction of the human race as a species period!
The "Real Terrorist Threat"... is the fact that, many people reading this will make up excuses for why humans cannot live together, why idealism cannot work, why this, why that, why the other... and far worse than just creating reasons for it not to happen, they will actually BELIEVE those reasons... and attempt to convince others accordingly, thus keeping the mindset alive.
What really bothers me is... we are so far away from it actually happening, that the idea seems so alien and unimplementable. Which begs the question... are we too late?
Oddly enough, with the pressure on it's exports, on which it was economically dependant, it's government folded, and the two terrorists were released to serve out their minimal term of incarceration on a lovely tropical atoll, after which they returned home as heroes. But perish the thought that history should ever be remembered or that terrorism of any sort should be condemned.
http://en.wikipedia.org/w...ng_of_the_Rainbow_Warrior
While you put an interesting argument, I find it's myopia to be somewhat disturbing.
Oddly enough, with the pressure on it's exports, on which it was economically dependant, it's government folded, and the two terrorists were released to serve out their minimal term of incarceration on a lovely tropical atoll, after which they returned home as heroes. But perish the thought that history should ever be remembered or that terrorism of any sort should be condemned.
http://en.wikipedia.org/w...ng_of_the_Rainbow_Warrior
While you put an interesting argument, I find it's myopia to be somewhat disturbing.
Oddly enough, with the pressure on it's exports, on which it was economically dependant, it's government folded, and the two terrorists were released to serve out their minimal term of incarceration on a lovely tropical atoll, after which they returned home as heroes. But perish the thought that history should ever be remembered or that terrorism of any sort should be condemned.
http://en.wikipedia.org/w...ng_of_the_Rainbow_Warrior
While you put an interesting argument, I find it's myopia to be somewhat disturbing.
Hey you know AdGuy always gets the last word! ;)