You miss my point. I want to relentlessly strike down the argument that the US should be held to one standard, the rest of the world to another. This anti-American bashing is dangerous for the whole world. What if the US becomes isolationist again? As much as I would love just one week of suffering for those of you would would welcome such a prospect, cheap I told you so’s on my part would result in too much suffering to really be gratifying.
Therefore I want to know from the professional protesters on the Left just what their moral compass is. I want to know why one outrageous situation after another in the Middle East is met with silence and the US is treated as the No. 1 most dangerous nation, No. 1 enemy of rights etc. etc. Ridiculous. There should be one set of standards and we should hold everyone to that.
This is why we need to prepare the world for the violence that will soon take place in Fallujah. Innocent people are killed in wars and there will be many innocent deaths in Fallujah, but we cannot pretend anymore that this is a reason for not cleaning up that rat’s nest once and for all. These sensibilities have kept us from advancing our aims in Iraq. Because of that innocent women and children are being blown up daily in Baghdad. I want people to remember this when we do move on Fallujah because I don’t hear anyone crying for these victims today but I guarantee you that when we go into Fallujah, you will hear endless weaping, wailing and gnashing of teeth about the evil US and its wanton disregard of civilian casualties. Let’s see if I am right. I fear that I will be.[/quote]
Fred, sorry, but you are comparing apples with oranges. I would not expect an ordinary US citizens to act to the same standard as i would the USG, therefore comparing the USG to terrorists does not work.
Barbarity is something we have come to expect from these terrorists etc, whether that is right or not is another question, but we do not expect it from the USG or their representatives.
Western governments represent us and are accountable to us, so we are ultimately responsible for their actions. Terrorist groups and even many (not all) Islamic nations do NOT represent their citizens. They can’t always be held accountable. That’s why we set the bar high for ourselves. If a member of Saddam Hussein’s rogue militia mistreats a civilian, we abhor it, but are not surprised. If John Doe from Ohio sexually abuses or mistreats a detainee we are, and should be,concerned.
Well you still have not proved your point. Bad actions by Americans are punished. Do you doubt this? So are you saying we must prevent all bad actions by Americans or we are just as bad as the terrorists?
Then, if the terrorists choose to hide behind women and children and these women and children are killed in the process, why isn’t the left screaming about the terrorists and insurgents. Why is it screaming that “even one dead Iraqi is too many” to the US government? Did we deliberately target them?
So no. I do not think this is comparing apples and oranges from my point of argument but it might be if you look at what many on the left are saying. Who is more responsible for deaths in Iraq? And why shouldn’t those perpetrators be roundly criticized and certainly more loudly than the US government? Bewildering. Please do try to explain the left to me.
[quote]UNITED NATIONS (AP) – Sudan’s foreign minister pledged Thursday to allow more African troops and police to help end the conflict in Darfur, responding to international demands for quick action to protect civilians.
Mustafa Osman Ismail told reporters after addressing a closed-door meeting of the Security Council that he discussed the issue of an expanded African Union force in Darfur with African Union officials “just a few days ago.”
His comments came after the Security Council approved a resolution authorizing a beefed-up African force with a broader mandate and a call Thursday by U.N. Human Rights Commissioner Louise Arbour for international police to work in tadem with Sudanese police whom she described as ineffective.[/quote]
Strange isn’t it? Yet another conflict that has been boiling for 20 to 30 years without stop has suddenly taken a turn for the better and it is happening not under Jimmy Carter’s presidency but Bush’s. What is going on? First Libya backs down, then Syria and now Sudan. What do you suppose is causing this? When I read my horoscope today I realize that Mars was in conjunction with Chiron and my rising star sign and those of Bush mean that he will be very lucky this year and that nothing that happens will in any way be based on his policies. Rather they represent the fruition of American policies set in motion more than 30 years ago under the Carter administration. See the Libyans, Syrians and Sudanese just cannot read too well so it took them this long to realize what all these endless negotiations and policy directives were supposed to mean all these many decades. Right?
They’re not very bright strategists. With the U.S. military bogged down in Iraq, a spring offensive against Iran’s incipient nuclear arsenal in the offing with what’s left over and our international alliances in tatters, now would be an opportune time to pull some shit.
Is what you meant to type? I thought you were all for belting the shit out of people that belt the shit out of old women or children.
[quote=“Tigerman”]
If that is how you feel, then I assume that you have no objection to profiling certain peoples… right?[/quote]
I’m not sure I see the link here, but if you mean do I think it ok to profile terrorist as…terrorists then yep, no problems.
When you prance around on the world stage as you do condeming acts of inhumane treatment and then cross your own principles by committing acts involving inhumanity, it paints you in a very bad light indeed.
I think it’s called leading by example.
We are used to terrorism. Thats’s why it doesn’t make the front pages anymore.
How dare we prance, eh? Best left to the French non?
Give me an example of where the American government has done something bad. Give me an example of where bad Americans are not punished? Give me an example where America has praised such bad actions and/or failed to condemn and punish the guilty to ensure justice is served?
Then, for any infractions mentioned above, please tell me which other nations are also guilty and why they are not being roundly condemned to the same degree.
Stop avoiding the real issue. America is treated unfairly and irrationally by overly emotional people who are afraid of globalization or resent its power and wealth. If that is not the case, then offers something constructive. What are your solutions? Do you have any? I doubt it.
Prance, but lead by example. Job done, problem solved. Then there is no comeback.
Fred, you speak utter bollocks sometimes. This is not the case. You can prance around the stage all you want, but people will notice when you say “Do as I say, not as I do.”
And because we prance, our actions should be condemned more than those of terrorists? Perhaps we should switch to sashaying or mincing then. Would that satisfy our ever-critical “friends?”
Having sat around with their thumbs up their a$$ doing nothing while Yugoslavia disintegrated - I really think that the EU should be asking itself where it’s outrage is.
Let’s have another conference call and tell those Serbs how bad they are. are…or Algeria, or Darfur…or wherever. It is easy for Europe to point the finger - it does nothing at all.
On occasion the French will send a small platoon of troops to one of thier failed colonies
