[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
{snip}
> If the US would be crazy enough to use nuclear weapons, then you better
> pray that your god has mercy on all Americans -- because there is no doubt
> in my mind that many more of them will then die in terrorist attacks.
I join with Jeroen in decrying the suggestion that nuclear weapons
should be used in retaliation. Killing additional innocent people is
not the way to stop terrorism.
> {snip} It seems reasonable to believe
> that some number of Americans well over 10,000 - quite possibly as high as
> 50,000 - innocent Americans were murdered by animals today for the "crime"
> of being Americans.
An act which does not justify killing innocents.
> If we find out that another country was responsible
> for this assault, a nuclear retaliation would be appropriate and
> proportionate to what has just happened.
No. The only just and proportionate action is the arrest and
conviction of the people who were knowingly involved in the planning
and execution of these horrible acts.
> Now is not the time for your rantings.
Now is _not_ the time for advocating the additional death of
innocents.
> I find it astonishing that _even you_ would make your first
> statement after this massacre be critical of our response.
His statement was critical of your suggestion that nuclear weapons
should be used. I find it astonishing that you would find it
astonishing that someone would be critical of such a suggestion.
> Given what has
> just happened, we can respond however we damn well please, and the rest of
> the world had better either help us or get the hell out of our way.
Acting in that way plays directly into the hands of the creeps who
committed these acts. Surely you do not wish to become the demon that
they seek to harm?
> We are at war. We just don't know whom we are going to make suffer
> because of that.
Making innocent people suffer is not what civilized people do.
> We soon will. When we find out, those cowards will be exterminated.
I'm not at all surprised that people would want to exterminate such
creeps - but if people who had Nothing To Do With These Crimes are
also harmed the retaliation will cause more people to believe that
the United States _deserves_ to be attacked - and by even more lethal
means...
> I don't think there's anyone in the United States who is feeling
> particularly merciful right now.
Mercy is the only way out of the the cycle of revenge. General
Marshall knew that, and because the U.S. implemented the 'Marshall
Plan' Germany and all of Europe are now strong and reliable allies.
> Any country that harbored these people
> would, I have no doubt, be considered immediately at war with the United
> States.
And what if no country harbored them? Perhaps a government was
involved with this - but perhaps no government was. Someone may be a
citizen of 'X', or have arrived from 'Y', but that doesn't mean that
either the government of 'X' or 'Y' were involved - and it does not
mean that the people of that country in any way endorsed the action.
(And this is particularly true if 'X' or 'Y' are not democratic free
countries.)
> {snip} They will not have very
> long to regret their mistake.
If there is retaliation that harms innocents then you can be
absolutely certain that relatives of those innocents will be saying
the same thing... Justified Anger is not an intrinsic monopoly of the
United States. Nor does Justified Anger provide prior absolution for
actions it prompts.
I love the United States far too much to endorse it lashing out
against innocent people. Actions should only be taken against those
who are actually guilty.
regards,
christopher
--
Christopher Gwyn
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
