RE: Worlds... But not Hearts... apart (2 of 4)

Neil,

Thank you for your comments (and I thank Dean here, as well).

Iraq is an EXCELLENT example.


But the Truth is cold and emotionless.  It does not calculate the pros and
cons.  I, of course, hope that no harm comes to the people of Iraq who wept
for the loss of innocent life.  But there is a side of me which hopes that
Saddam steps up the persecution of his own people.  Because I fear that this
is the only way they will come to understand the Evil he represents.  And
act.

America cannot govern other countries of the world.  It's just not possible.
Besides the fact that our style of Democracy doesn't fit all regions of the
world, and is itself a work in progress.

The only long-term solution, to avoid years of repeated events like "The Day
of Terror" is for people in these countries to have governments which
respect human life as most, but certainly not all, in America do.  And the
same, or better, respect for human life than our government has.


jt

-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-nontech-admin@midrange.com
[mailto:midrange-nontech-admin@midrange.com]On Behalf Of
neilp@dpslink.com
Sent: Saturday, September 15, 2001 12:36 AM
To: midrange-nontech@midrange.com
Subject: Re: Worlds... But not Hearts... apart (2 of 4)


Some good points jt.
To take but one example, there's probably few countries Americans hate
more than Iraq.  However, the majority of the Iraqi people are victims of
their deranged leader and the government he controls.  He rules by terror,
and his own citizens are often the victims of that terror.  Many are
starving or living in poverty while he diverts millions and millions of
dollars into rebuilding his presidential palaces and his ability to wage
war.  It's not the sanctions against Iraq that are causing a shortage of
food and medicine, it's the sick SOB in charge diverting the money for
other purposes and trying to use the self-created shortage of food and
medicine as a propaganda tool to try and fool those gullible enough to
believe it into ending the sanctions.  Anyone who disagrees with his
opinions, or is even suspected of disloyalty, doesn't live long.  Iraq has
been judged by it's ruler, yet most Iraqis are just normal people.  I saw
a few seconds of video on CTV (Canadian TV network) this evening while
they were showing footage from around the world of the Day Of Remembrance.
 I don't know if any US TV networks aired it.  It showed Muslims at a
prayer service in a mosque in Baghdad, and an Iraqi man crying.  I just
hope Saddam doesn't see that footage, hunt down the individual, and "deal"
with him for showing human compassion for the victims of this terrible
tragedy that he himself could never feel.

...Neil






"jt" <jt@ee.net>
Sent by: midrange-nontech-admin@midrange.com
2001/09/14 22:00
Please respond to midrange-nontech


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        Subject:        Worlds...  But not Hearts... apart (2 of 4)


--------------- (written 9:00pm last night 09/13/01:)


Phil, and those who share similar views,

You wrote "I've lived my whole life knowing Muslims hate and kill
Americans.
Excuse me if I use my powers of observation and discrimination to
instantly
distinguish between friend and foe.  Let the foe prove he is really a
friend.  It is his burden, not mine."

Against my (and Lou Forlini's) better judgement, I cannot let these kinds
of
views pass uncontested.



I use my powers of observation and discrimination to find truth, in even
the
most incorrect statements.  You imply that ALL Muslims hate and kill
Americans, and the facts may not convince you otherwise.



But it IS true that it's time to find out who is really a friend and who
is
really a foe, of Americans.  By their actions, and not their words.  If
Americans have the will, those who want to cause harm to Americans will
perish.

But even in the countries that will evidently be at war with America,
there
are people that mean us no harm and some who even support us.  America has
the technology to remove the cancer without killing the patient, which is
US.  Many share your views that the innocent must die, in order for
America's enemies to die.  But, as others have noted, all that does is
ensure a never-ending supply of enemies.

And overlooks the same point that the "people" that perpetrated this crime
overlooked:  many times the enemies of America are the governments and
armies of other countries and not all, or even the majority, of it's
people.
If Americans have the will, America has the technology to take out those
governments, and their armies, that don't support us fully in this war.
And
if the people of those countries put a new government in place, with the
same hateful goals, then Americans will have to decide if America will
take
that one out too.

Furthermore, IMO, it would be best to let the people of these countries,
those we will be at war with, have any government they want...  So long as
it doesn't support, harbor, or even tolerate those who want to harm
innocent
people.  I agree, completely, with what you said about the need to
discriminate between friend and foe; but disagree completely with your
method of discrimination.

After this display of such Absolute Evil, it is all too easy to fall into
the trap of seeing things only in terms of absolutes.

I'm sure not saying that there is no Right and Wrong involved here, but
that
things can rarely be seen clearly in terms of only black and white.  That
is
my take from reading Neil's and Dale Draper's posts, anyway.

...

_______________________________________________




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