Originally Posted by TheStripey1

Hatred is a republican family value as they are always speaking of it. I don't know any lefties who actually HATE bush... we all despise him for what he has done to our country, but hate him? no...

Originally Posted by Skerlnik

I'm trying to sort out my thoughts on this whole terrorism thing, here:

We're just not going to "stop" terrorism. It's a long-used tactic for politically marginalized people, and any sort of policy that thinks the U.S. is going to eliminate it is probably misguided and unrealistic.

I took a lot of heat for my opinion just after 9/11, but I still think it's valid: we need to focus more on reducing ourselves as a target for hatred, as opposed to trying to impose our will and approaching it like a standard problem.

We are a culture/religion that is diametrically opposite of Islam, and it's inevitable that we're going to be the poster-child that represents everything they hate. We are a very easy, large, omnipresent target for it. But, rather than loudly insisting we are always right and just and that all shall bow before our will, maybe they have a valid point to make, and it would be wiser to acquiesce, somewhat.

I've always said, here, that we need to cut Israel loose. Remain allies, sure, but we are FAR from neutral, and that really hurts the trust in dealings with Arab countries. We need to demonstrate that we recognize that the Middle East is not our personal playground, that it is THIER realm, and that we don't want to interefere, except in really exceptional cases, and ONLY with UN/world sanction.

It's about reducing the target painted on our backs. If you're worried about being robbed, either you can kill everyone in town, OR take measures to deflect attention, make yourself less of an easy target...have a good alarm system, bar the windows, etc. A passive approach can be just as effective a deterrent as a beligerent one, and loads less expensive. Nobody slams planes into downtown Oslo.

I have been told that any sort of "weakness" just "lets the terrorists win", but I am trying to approach this as sort of a preventative maintenance issue. Maybe they have a damned good reason to consider us The Great Satan: we are always in their faces.

Iran-wise, I think it's rather disingenuous to be all in their business about these nukes. If China invaded and took over Canada, I bet we'd be pretty freaked out, too. Of course, I don't like nukes, but they have as much right as WE do to have them. Glass houses and all that.

I'm still musing about it, and I expect to get pilloried, here, but I think we approach this stuff the wrong way. I am very much a non-interventionist, and just not into needlessly whacking the hornets' nest, and then whining then the hornets have had enough. Since the 9/11 hijackers didn't leave a specific note as to why they hit us, I have to think of our behavior and attitude towards the region historically.

To me, 9/11 was a clear message to back the hell off. Considering the last seven years, I still think I am right.

Originally Posted by Robert Ingersoll

If you've not read Confessions of an Economic Hitman, Skerlnik, you should. It's all about how the U.S. is so exposed & meddlesome & about how to do as you suggest: pull back. Great stuff from a guy who used to perpetrate some of the things that cause "blowback."

Originally Posted by Drakej

A little off topic but where did you hear about that book? Their is only one place that I have heard it mentioned. He is coming out with another book here pretty soon as well I believe. The premise does not sound that far out there but it is something that would be pretty hard to fact check sadly.

Originally Posted by Robert Ingersoll

If you've not read Confessions of an Economic Hitman, Skerlnik, you should. It's all about how the U.S. is so exposed & meddlesome & about how to do as you suggest: pull back. Great stuff from a guy who used to perpetrate some of the things that cause "blowback."