The way the rest of the world looks at us is the one thing you SHOULD be conerned about when adressing these issues. The reason these are issues, especally when adressing terrorism, is because of the way the United States is viewed in the rest of the world. We are seen by most countries, especally arab countries, as evil occupiers of countries and the supporter of other countries (especally Isreal) that are evil occupiers in their eyes. In many minds we invaded Iraq and now refuse to leave. The solution to these problems is to improve the world image of the United States. We need to work more with the world community. We need to stop saying screw the world we will do what we want. As a country we often act like a spoiled rich kid who always gets what he wants and throws a huge temper tantrum if we do not.[b said:Quote[/b] (Lauderdale @ Oct. 30 2006,2:46)]My list of high priority issues is:
-The war on terror
-Iraq
-Afghanistan
-Iran
-North Korea
They are really one and the same issue.
The least of my worries…What the rest of the world thinks of us.
[b said:Quote[/b] ]Hey Guys, if there is a way to split the thread, I don't know what it is
Would that have prevented 9/11? What did we do prior to invading Afghanistan and Iraq that got the Arab world so PO'd at us? Why is there so much hate in that part of the world? Seperation of church and state would certainly improve the situation.[b said:Quote[/b] ]We are seen by most countries, especally arab countries, as evil occupiers of countries and the supporter of other countries (especally Isreal) that are evil occupiers in their eyes. In many minds we invaded Iraq and now refuse to leave. The solution to these problems is to improve the world image of the United States.
Well said Caps but then things are going pretty well for most of us. I have faith in our Republic.[b said:Quote[/b] ]We need someone who will make us proud to be Americans again, because for a lot of us, these are not the good ol' days.
[b said:Quote[/b] ]Would that have prevented 9/11? What did we do prior to invading Afghanistan and Iraq that got the Arab world so PO'd at us?
I understand that and you are correct. I believe we should have just let the whole Middle East “have at it” from day one and waited until the dust cleared.[b said:Quote[/b] ]Jeez, that's the whole basis of this. Our involvement over there has been going on for a long, long time.
Very well said Capslock.[b said:Quote[/b] (Capslock @ Oct. 31 2006,6:55)][b said:Quote[/b] ]Would that have prevented 9/11? What did we do prior to invading Afghanistan and Iraq that got the Arab world so PO'd at us?
Jeez, that's the whole basis of this. Our involvement over there has been going on for a long, long time. The whole Islamic Revolution stemmed from our support of an evil (secular) dictator in Iran, the Shah. Our military presense in Saudi Arabia has angered fundamentalists for a long time. And we back the Taliban (against Russia), then hate them. We back Saddam (against Iran) then invade and overthrow him. Heck the entirety of Iraq is an artificial conglomeration of three regions that were subject to Brittish rule until after WWII. (Brittain invaded Iraq in 1941 to secure oil rights lest they fall into Nazi hands.)
But maybe the biggest reason they hate us over there is our unconditional support if Israel. Yes, most of that is religious intolerance, but Israel was just sort of shoved among them without a whole lot of input from the neighbors there. So you have an increasingly strident religious rule in the region, in part due to our imperialistic and capitalistic interference, and partly due to the poverty and lack of education they suffer with.
I can say with a good deal of confidence that they do not hate us for our freedom or standard of living. Most of the 9/11 hijackers were pretty well off. Most were Saudi, aligned with OBL in their criticism of US military presence in their most holy lands in Saudi Arabia. That's where the 9/11 attacks came from. Now, they hate us because we invaded and occupy Iraq for no good reason, killing as many as 600,000 people by some counts. This confirmed their worst fears about American intentions in the region. Honestly, I don't think many were too upset that we toppled the Taliban in Afghanistan (now THEY are the "no fun of any kind" party.)
Capslock
When I said that I was refering to most people in general. If there is one thing I got sick of hearing when I told people that I was going/have been to the Middle East it was "why, THEY attacked us" as in all muslims and all arabs were the same, its one of my only little pet peeves and i have seen arab Muslims refered to as THEY, which implies a one minded homogenous group.[b said:Quote[/b] (JustLikeAPill @ Oct. 31 2006,10:36)]Which is why we need a more secular government! The US is always sticking with isreal because it's "God's chosen land".
"Also as a side note please everyone stop treating Arab Musilms, Muslims, and Arabs as interchangable. Also please do not treat them as one homogenous group with a shared set of values and beliefs, as many, infact every Muslim (even the 3 Iraqis I met who had fled their home country) I have ever talked to found what happened on 9/11 an outrage and completely unacceptable. "
Were we? I don't know any Muslims as I live in the middle of nowhere, but I think it would be cool to. Middle eastern men are HOT!
[b said:Quote[/b] ]-Was there anything that we, the British, Spain or Italy did to the Muslims that would justify the murder of thousands of people Caps?
[b said:Quote[/b] ]So, John Kerry was duped into voting for the invasion before he voted against it?
No, that's just a desperate, last-minute campaign tactic. Kerry botched a joke, but unlike the President, Kerry didn't duck out of his military duty. He's a decorated combat veteran, and I believe has more respect for the soldiers than Bush. There's something wrong with an administration of chickenhawks lecturing someone like Kerry about the military. Has Bush apologized for going AWOL on his National Guard unit? Isn't that just a tad more substantial than an isolated quip made by a combat veteran at an appearance? There's a lot of apologizing for a lot of things that has to happen before I worry about John Kerry. With the polls swinging the Democrats way, this is just another desperate, manufactured issue aimed at somehow turning the tide in the last days of the election. But it's just John Kerry, who isn't running for anything, and it's not going to work.[b said:Quote[/b] ]-John Kerry said that a person who doesn't get a good education gets stuck in Iraq. Is it time for him to apologize to our soldiers?
[b said:Quote[/b] ]Also although i was not checking out the men, Arab women are extremly beutiful, its too bad they wouldnt talk to me.
No, there certainly wasn't. This, however, does NOT mean that people greivances against us aren't justified. I'm not sure you were trying to imply that, but if you were, it's a straw man.[b said:Quote[/b] ]-Was there anything that we, the British, Spain or Italy did to the Muslims that would justify the murder of thousands of people Caps?
[b said:Quote[/b] ]-So, John Kerry was duped into voting for the invasion before he voted against it?
[b said:Quote[/b] ]-John Kerry said that a person who doesn't get a good education gets stuck in Iraq. Is it time for him to apologize to our soldiers?