Kate wrote: > > Why do people believe that striking back is the only way to achieve justice? > I have never understood that reasoning.
I didn't think that acheiving justice was something that was being strived for here. What will achieve justice? The Marshall Plan? How do we achieve justice with a pacifist response, or lack of response? > I think it is important to understand why some people feel this way. Some of > it may have roots in US foreign policy & some may not. But for our us to > ignore this, at this time, would be dangerous in my opinion. I think there > is lots we can do to gain favor in the world & this is the time to do so. > But first we must understand. While we are digesting it all, formulating a policy, understanding it all, I suppose the terrorists living in Afghanistan will be knitting sweaters and hoping that we come to our senses. They will be planning and acting upon more terrorism, more mayhem, and more murder. Sure, understanding the problem is very important but that doesn't mean we should not try to find and destroy those terrorists and the camps where they are producing their terror. > > >>>I agree that there has been a very great deal of anti-American sentiment > expressed on this site. It's gone beyond criticizing to demonizing. When > you paint the US as more evil than the Taliban and Bin Laden, which I think > a > number of these posts have done, you demonize us. I've seen too many emails > along the lines of "poor victim bin laden, protecting his culture against > the > evil US". That is demonizing us.<<< > > There has been criticism of US foreign policy, past & present. That is not > anti-American. That is subject to debate. My opposition to the Vietnam war has been very vocal. They were my anti-american sentiments. At least to the policy and the involvement. Doesn't mean I did not love my country, did not mean I did not believe in dissent and governmental debate. Anymore than what I believe is Anti-American sentiment here makes someone a poor american, in my opinion. Seems to me it is a different meaning to the word and I find everyone here a passionate American. > Hs anyone said the US was evil? I haven't read that anywhere here. I have found the same meaning in some posts I have read here, whether by factual statement or inferral. > I just read the Michael Kelly articles. His representation of people who are > not in support of this war are based on an extremist charactiture rather > than a real understanding of the issues. In my opinion, his writing was > more inflamatory than thoughtful. Extremist? That goes both ways. I found the links Mary provided very good and informed and agreed with much of what he had to say. As far as inflammatory, that also goes both ways and pacifists are often inflammatory too. Differences of opinions doesn't mean we cannot be friends and I found many of your statements very good Kate. Thanks for posting. Mack
