How to win the War on Terrorism

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by Lincoln
This guy is living in a dream world. I guess he didn't take seriously the words of OBL althought he is telling us that we should take those words seriously. We are hated by these terrorists because we are associated in their minds with Israel. This is simply more antisemetic nonsense garbed in lofty liberal thought. They will attack us as long as we do not subscribe to the hatred of Jews that empowers them.

Ahem, read closer:

Parse Islamist demands into the acceptable and unreasonable, ignore the ridiculous and respond constructively to the mainstream. Take away the cause's raison d'être and the cause goes away. To be sure, there may always be a few lunatics willing to blow themselves up for Allah.

He isn't saying Al Queda isn't serious, he's saying Al Queda is a group of lunatics. But by robbing them of support from the mainstream by taking mainstream grievances seriously, its power and ability to be dangerous will be crippled.

You last sentence reeks of bigotry agains Muslims.

Rall's point stands. An unreasonable stubborness to acknowledge ANY wrongdoing on the part of the U.S.A. against Muslim countries will continue to be met with fanatical extremism by lunatics. We've done a lot of damage over there, are continuing to do so, and will be a target so long as we keep doing so.

[Stefu]

To not use a Nazi comparison, let's use one that lefties like Ted Rall might relate to better. Anti-abortion terrorists.

Suppose that Army of God blows up something more than an abortion clinic. Planned Parenthood headquarters, say. Or maybe they, too, target some symbol of decadent, liberal, abortion-loving America, like Empire State Building. What matters is that it's big, and lots of people die.

You wouldn't hear appeasement rhetoric from the Left, then. No, for once, Left would be in unison demanding all kinds of stuff - that every member of Army of God is tracked down and imprisoned/executed, depending on strength of that particular leftist's convictions about death penalty. They'd demand federal protection of abortion clinics and federal surveillance of more radical Christian groups, even ones that haven't had any connection to clinic bombers. Crackdown on anti-abortion protests, perhaps - stuff like that.

There wouldn't be Ted Rall-equivalents from the Right saying that you know, those Army of God types are just doing this because they feel nothing else is working, that they are freedom fighters instead of terrorists, and that maybe we should give in to their 'less radical' beliefs, like outlawing abortion, without giving in to their 'more radical' beliefs, like executing abortionists and aborting former-mothers. If there would be, the Left would scream about how you can't appease those Christian fundamentalists and how outlawing abortion is just a stepping stone to complete theocratic tyranny.

[Pythagoras]

Originally posted by Lincoln
This guy is living in a dream world. I guess he didn't take seriously the words of OBL althought he is telling us that we should take those words seriously. We are hated by these terrorists because we are associated in their minds with Israel. This is simply more antisemetic nonsense garbed in lofty liberal thought. They will attack us as long as we do not subscribe to the hatred of Jews that empowers them.

I think its infinitely more complicated then that. Of course OBL and crew are screwed up and should be taken into custody. Thats the short term. In the long term, we have to change the political structure of these societies so that violence is not teh preferred method for change. Once that is done, we can say we are winning the war on terror. Hopefully Afghanistan will be taken care of by the administration, and not neglected.

[Stefu]

BTW, how many people of the Left are willing to say they'll prefer a world where radical Islam in Taliban vein rules from Morocco to Indonesia, if it means that there won't be any more strikes on America? That sounds rather... selfish, doesn't it? Putting national interests before the world's interests, that kind of stuff?

[Ecthy]

Stefu, the point is taking away ground for radicals, thus leaving the world without strikes in America and radical regimes in the muslim world as well. Don't be so destructive.

[Pythagoras]

Stefu thats the nature of every nation's foreign policy. Everybody's out for numero uno. I mean think of all those Arab states that give the Palestinians the shaft then whine to Israel that they oppress Palestinians. Think of America during the early 19th century with the crisis in Haiti.

[Chris 62]

So basically, according to this article, surrender to terrorists and let them ditate what you can and cannot do from now on is the only choice.

And some of you applauded it.

[Stefu]

Yes. When America rolls over and bares it's tummy, and Saudi Arabia gets taken over by radical fundamentalists, and OBL gets clarification that hey, this terror stuff is doing it's job, i.e. causing enough terror in America that it's willing to give up, that will surely set the cause of radical Islam back by centuries!

Radical Islamists don't like what America is doing, true, but they also don't like what their own, non-radical governments are doing, ie. not enforcing Sharia with proper vengefulness, and if America bares it's tummy, then fight for Islamic revolution in their own countries becomes even more important for them - and fall of Saudi-Arabian monarchy gives them confidence that it can be done. Not to mention all the money coming from Saudi Arabia to support them - and yes, I know Saudis already support fundies, but fall of Saudi-Arabia would mean fundies get even more money. And recruits. And influence. And if America continues to stay out, then one by one, the non-fundie governments will fall. From Morocco to Indonesia.

[Stefu]

Stefu thats the nature of every nation's foreign policy. Everybody's out for numero uno.

But for some reason Left doesn't seem to like it when talkin' bout America's oil interests in Middle East.

[Stefu]

Oh, and Ted Rall is a hack who can't draw and thus is forced to cause controversy and say what the ample audience of anti-Americans want to be said to stay in spotlight. He's Ann Coulter of the Left.

[Bereta_Eder]

i read just some pieaces opf ted rall, of course hes absolutely right and what amazes me as that common sense constitutes such an amazemtn to some

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by Chris 62
So basically, according to this article, surrender to terrorists and let them ditate what you can and cannot do from now on is the only choice.

And some of you applauded it.

Can we say "going to the opposite extreme?"

Give me a break, that's not what Rall is saying at all. Do you rightist folks read? Or was learning to read things too much of a "liberal" education for you?



Rall isn't talking about appeasing terrorists, not even remotely. He's talking about addressing the legitimate concerns of MAINSTREAM Muslim nations in order to steal the thunder of extremist terrorist groups.

What part of "Parse Islamist demands into the acceptable and unreasonable" is so hard to understand? The unreasonable is represented by OBL and company. The reasonable is mainstream Muslim concern.

You guys jump to irrational conclusions faster than Lincoln does whenever Ashcroft speaks...

[Bereta_Eder]

and that part with churchil was very amuzing thanks!

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by Stefu
But for some reason Left doesn't seem to like it when talkin' bout America's oil interests in Middle East.

That's because the Left wisely knows that it is not in America's best interest to be so dependent on Middle East oil tyrants and that alternative fuel sources are feasible and far more desirable.

[Stefu]

That's because the Left wisely knows that it is not in America's best interest to be so dependent on Middle East oil tyrants and that alternative fuel sources are feasible and far more desirable.

That might be true to an extent, but doesn't quite come close to explaining the moral outrage. "Gulf War was a WAR FOR OIL! We are letting Iraqi children die because of OIL INTERESTS! We would have helped Rwanda IF RWANDA HAD HAD OIL! AFGHAN PIPELINE! MWAARGH!"