quick defenses.
I'm not gonna bother to offer a rebuttle to everything, but a quick few that stand out. People here are under the assumption that I'm pro American or Pro-war, in reality, I'm pro-not-getting-my-ass-blown-off. I don't care for any government, let alone the US government. If the US government was completely ousted something else equally as evil would be quick to replace it, there is no such thing as a honest government and you people are fooling yourselves by thinking your's gives a damn about you. ALL politicians are career politicians, EVERYWHERE. However, I care less for countries full of people who want me dead for no other reason than where I was born. These people dont understand that citizens dont control their government, just like it is in their country, just like it is in your country.
so on with the long-winded opinionated rantings,
"U.S. moral high ground" has never existed, its all been propoganda for as long as this country has been around. Are you aware this country has been at war since its conception? There has never been a time when the US has not had troops in a foreign country, or killing people right here at home. It's only now with the level of free mass communication that it can't be hidden anymore. This situation in Iraq exists solely BECAUSE of oil, the people who control it, and what it has done to the economy in the countries it comes from. this whole extremist issue has risen up because people in these countries believe that jihad is the way to bring down US imperialism. Mistaken or not, they believe it and will continue to kill until they are stamped out - unfortunately for us(the Americans who are being killed but cant do anything to stop either side), it's harder to kill ideas than it is to kill people.
which brings another point across, I saw it mentioned that somebody believed that, because single bombings here and there wont bring down the US, that we should just forget about it and leave them alone. Like enduring the bombings will bring some kind of victory over evil. Heres reality for you sir, bombings kill people. Less bombing kill less people. You may not be at risk in BFE Iowa, but people who live in places that terrorists deem important are at risk. sorry you have to wait longer and have your water bottle confiscated(never happened to me, and I just flew during an orange alert), but I value my life - something suicide bombers don't.
to the guy who says "do unto others.." - You watch the news? been to any sites that carry videos on the internet? you can probably catch a couple decapitations with knifes that werent exactly quick and easy. You people have your definitions of torture messed up. Pain torture produces no results, people can endure pain - hell it's a hobby in the US(tattoos), real torture - psychological torture, takes time. Thats the torture that produces results. So, abductions are needed. You think the CIA cant tell if somebodys lying? There are CIA agents that put polygraph to shame. If somebody knows something its gonna come out, in time. SO, to answer the question - if some power swept in and killed my family would I fight them? absolutely, but I wouldnt expect any quarter from them either. And by the way - some power did sweep in and kill some of my family, they did it on a plane in New York. And I have been to Iraq, I've been on streets where everybody is waiting for a chance to shoot me in the back, there is no love for the united states in Iraq. They dont care if you haven't personally done anything to affront them, you're american and you deserve to die. You aren't a human being to these people. I was only there for 2 weeks consulting with an Iraqi firm on networking issues and I had to peep around every corner, lock every bolt on my door and keep one eye open when I slept. I also got spit on twice at random. If it wasn't for my companys use of the much loathed "corporate security" forces(who, as Im told by a co-worker, engaged in outright warfare in front of the building we use as corporate housing 3 weeks after my departure), I would most likely be a dead man right now. The things we are loathe to do to get results they would love to do for fun. The real hypocrisy lies in the fact that you people think fighting an enemy as willing combatants is somehow wrong. In Iraq, everybody has seen something, or knows something and theyre not going to tell the US army/intelligence anything freely because they support it. Torture is necessary. The people who are perpetuating the hysteria in these countries need to be dealt with. The situation is out of control when people are likely to be murdered and have their corpse defaced just for being alive.
to the person who says afghanistan is only now a major supplier of heroin...
thats because previously to the US hunt for terrorists, the area was ruled by a terrorist regime know as the taliban. You may have heard of them, you know, those guys who kill at will for doing anything remotely unorthodox muslim. They are so bold as to have had several videos floating around the internet of them executing people en masse, most of which by bounding and slitting of the throat. men, women, children, all. AND previous to the muslim resurgence, Afghanistan might not have been huge suppliers of heroin, but they were the key source of the number one ingredient - opium. read history k? thanks.
to J, 'Mr. came from dictatorship and now has a axe to grind', NEWS FLASH!! the US is ruled by corporations not the government. Corporations are interested in one thing - profits. they throw the average citizen a bone every now and then, but most laws passed in this country are done so to either protect profits or make profits. so knowing this, you realize the government is basically a corporation. This country has the most citizens behind bars per capita than any other nation in the world. 1 in 10 has been behind bars. thats amazing. Slowly the Prison system in America is heading from state run to privately run. The profit off the "justice system" in america is the most in any country in the world. This country holds prisoners, and converts them to slaves. Yet you people still have the gall to call this a "free" country? where are the freedoms? the freedom to criticize a government that really doesnt matter? the freedom to put your vote in for the pre-selected officials? the freedom to lobby for some new ridiculous law that the government can twist into a way to make more money? Your freedoms are imaginary. the only difference between this country and the others is, here you can say what you want - so long as it's not against the law. try acting on it in any kind of way and see if youre so free.
you do as the government tells you to do or you go to prison and/or pay fines.
to the "oh my god you racist whiteys, leave the brownies alone" - get over yourself. if these people were stark, snow white I'd still advocate they be abducted and held. For the record, Im a card holding Native American with more than half in my bloodline from both sides of the family, I grew up on a reservation. I pass for a whitey, but everybody thinks my brother is mexican - genetics, go figure. I realize racism exists, however you're putting it in places it doesnt belong. This more than anything is what hurts civil rights movements everywhere. shame on you.
this ended up longer than intended, but it conveys things you all need to consider before you down the use of torture of as an acceptable practice.