Bigthink - Idea Comments Feed

Comment on: Re: Why do the terrorists hate us?

Bigthink — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:13:49 +0100

One of the paragraphs in the text box by the video was never stated in the video. It never showed him saying "And it%u2019s gonna be a long, hard struggle. It%u2019s gonna be a long war."

Comment on: Re: Why do the terrorists hate us?

Bigthink — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 21:37:09 +0100

oh my, cold war warrior still running windows 2.0 in his brain.

Comment on: Re: Why do the terrorists hate us?

Bigthink — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 03:47:52 +0100

Has anyone seen those 9-11 movies? They sure got some good points.

I don't trust the mainstream. WE ALL KNOW THE VOTING IS MANIPULATED. www.blackboxvoting.org

So why not question EVERYTHING? Oh I guess that's 'CRAZY INTERNET' CHAT!

Americans are smarter than FAUX NEWS!

VOTE PAUL.

Comment on: Re: Why do the terrorists hate us?

Bigthink — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 22:24:00 +0100

I disagree. First, I think we ought to avoid abusing terms as terrorist. And we should erase that word from our speech as well, for it happens to be a keyword, a conventional definition solely referred to the enemy. We can talk of course of terrorism as a tool, a weapon, a deadly instrument that can be used (and it actually is) by a large amount of entities, such as states, people, armies, guerrillas and so on and so forth.
Given such a premise, we can say that terrorist is someone who use ...the weapon of terrorism. To be clear, if I am a Commander, a General, a Chief of Staff or something, and I lead an attack against unarmed civilians, bomb a resort or use any device whose aim is terrorizing civilians, then I am a contingent terrorist, no matter what kind of entity I'm in. And if I plan and make conjectures about leading such kind of actions I'm a terrorist as well, no matter what the mainstream media would say. Either if tomorrow people would call me a hero, or - it happened - will make me a Prime Minister.
Fighting terrorism, as much as fighting nuclear weapons or machine-guns is a nonsense. There is no countermeasure to it by the use of violence, on the contrary, violence feed it.
And nonsense is talking of fundamentalism as it were the symptom of irrational hatred for US/western believes, ideals and way of life, thus leading the actions of those people whose weakness suggested the cheapest weapon to fight what they perceive - and mainly is - mere injustice perpetrated by arrogant, pushy military and economic power. Islamists or something, say, don't give a damn about our believes in as much as we do not send them bombs to emphasize that their land, nuclear facilities and oil fit better with our way of life.

Comment on: Re: Why do the terrorists hate us?

Bigthink — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 14:56:36 +0100

Touche to TheSnoo! We commit just as many atrocities on our home turf against our own people yet we forget to create movements to diminish the hatred that can be considered even more profound than that of foreign terrorists against us.

Comment on: Re: Why do the terrorists hate us?

Bigthink — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 21:56:41 +0100

You say that the fundamentalism is perverting an honourable religion; but what about the fundamentalist christians which the Republican party has protected in America for years. Is the terrorists hating America really that much different than the religious right hating gays or other minorities?

Comment on: Re: Why do the terrorists hate us?

Bigthink — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 16:52:22 +0100

Yikes! Sorry for all the typos. Wish I had an "edit" button.

Comment on: Re: Why do the terrorists hate us?

Bigthink — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 16:51:04 +0100

I disagree. I bet that if these individuals were given the same freedoms you think they want to destroy, they would enjoy it. The reason they hate us is not because we're free, it's because they're not because we haven't allowed them to be.

Many European nations enjoy the same freedoms we do and are not the target of terrorist plots, so why else could it be that we're hated and some place like Finland is not? The US is greaet, and I'm proud and thankful to be an American, but we need to quit believing that we're this unrivaled beacon of freedom. If terrorists attack because they hate freedom, how come Helsinki hasn't been hit? Maybe because we're Finland's not kicking their doors down and dropping bombs on their homes.

This is a disgusting answer.

Comment on: Re: Why do the terrorists hate us?

Bigthink — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 10:31:58 +0100

If the United States followed a policy of spreading democracy by example. And not violating the sovereignty of foriegn countries by stationing troops, or setting up corporate interests to protect the petrol dollar. And if we weren't over there, would they still attack us?

If all of our actions in the past 60 years had been different, no quagmires, keeping the dollar invested in metals not oil, and not picking and chosing which security council resolutions to enforce. Would they still attack?

Maybe it is often best to see what it would be like for a Chinese destroyer pulling into port of Norfolk on the way to patrol the Gulf oil fields. Or a air base in Kansas, or whatever your mind imagines.

There will always be extremist. But people are naturally not born stupid, if there is no evidence of an occupier. They how are they going to be convinced that America is to blame?

The Palestinians are not just attacking the Israelis because they are "evil". There is cause and effect.

The best way to end it, is to appeal to the youth of the world. Because you can't change peoples views once they lived a life and been set in their ways. Where we are talking about bombing Iran, it is going to push the young people to their governments.

And that is where McCain is right, that the bad guys know how to persuade people. It's so simple its stupid.

Be the example.

Comment on: Re: Why do the terrorists hate us?

Bigthink — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 04:03:53 +0100

I, in no way shape or form condone the acts of terrorists, but when analyzed from a broader spectrum, its clearly relevant to say that the United States, over the course of its existance has caused much of the hatred that other countries feel towards us. One of the biggest issues is the forcing of globalization and the free market unto other nations, when they clearly like things they way they have them worked out. When someone comes in and threatens the quality and safety of your nation, this is when terrorists and fundamentalists begin to take form. We play the role of the "World Power" who keeps everyone and everything in order, but excuse me if I'm mistaken, didn't the first precident ever set by George Washington say not to become involved in foreign affairs? Unfortunately that is what we do, but this also goes without saying that as a Nation we promise to help so many people, ah but not so fast, not without reciprocation, perhaps yet another reason why people dislike the west. McCain does not seem to be very educated on terrorists. It's very hard for me to grasp the idea that terrorists base their religion on destructing western culture. This is one of the most obsurd things I have ever heard in my life. He has no idea about terrorism and how it even began. He is discussing Muslim Extremists, and these terrorists make up such a small number of terrorists. It's hard for me to see a man like this running for president. How does he know so little on a subject that is affecting our everyday lives? I'd be worried if he won the 2008 Election.

Comment on: Re: Why do the terrorists hate us?

Bigthink — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 02:39:55 +0100

Firstly, setting up internet sites and radio stations will not help if the truth doesn't suggest America is undeserving of some of that hatred.

There are those who have made a career of creating problems and seeking conflicts. It is true that regardless of what America had done, these people would have hated the West, and had they not had America as a target scapegoat for their angers, they'd find something else.

But it is also true that America has done things, and is doing things that angers youths in some sensitive countries, and causes them to seek retribution against America. Look at how America's government aided in overthrowing Iranian democracy in 1953, and went on to support the tyrannical and oppressive shah. The pendulum swing from his rule is what lead to the fundamentalists who rule today. When we speak of Iran, we forget to mention that Iranians have genuine reason to hate us, and that nothing we've done or are doing suggests we're better people today than we were then. We kiss up to the Saudis regardless of their disregard for democracy and human rights. We bribed Mubarak's corrupt democracy for decades and helped him maintain his grip over his people. In Pakistan, people jokingly refer to Musharraf as "Busharraf", to suggest the man has no control of his own will. Our military aid buys the shells and missles Israelis have used to kill THOUSANDS of Palestinians. What is hidden in American media is that many Muslims have perfectly good reasons to hate America, and these reasons have nothing to do with religion. It has to do with being humiliated as nations and peoples. Religion is just the rallying cry used to unify the troops. This is the reason why clever and malevolent terrorist 'masterminds' find fodder willing to throw their lives away to the cause of injuring America.

The solution is for us to develop that alternative fuel we talk so much about. Pull our tentacles out of the Middle East. Support Israel, but firmly urge both sides to get this two state solution thing done with. If you find that a government is tyrannical, distance yourselves from them. You cannot speak of beliefs in human rights and democracy, associate with cruel dictators, and expect people to not see you as a hypocrite. Americans aren't the only ones with common sense.

Comment on: Re: Why do the terrorists hate us?

Bigthink — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 00:20:11 +0100

On 15-May-1948, why did the American Government advocated a doc8ument which called for the creation of the State of Israel?

Comment on: Re: Why do the terrorists hate us?

Bigthink — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 00:19:49 +0100

On 15-May-1948, why did the American Government advocated a doc8ument which called for the creation of the State of Israel?

Comment on: Re: Why do the terrorists hate us?

Bigthink — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 07:11:12 +0100

Terrorism is in no way our fault. Why is America to blame for the actions of terrorists? i dont care what America had done to them, slaughtering hundreds and thousands of people is inexscusable.