The greater danger Iraq or North Korea?

Asherman
Climbing down from 'moral clarity'

http://csmonitor.com/2003/0228/p11s02-cods.html

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Great title, Au - I like the "climbing down" (as in off a high horse) imagery.

Great article - but sadly, I don't believe bush and his minions understand how, or are inclined, to descend from idealism to reality.

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"It seems to me that an American-led attack on Iraq in Muharram or March, and especially on Ashura on March 13, 2003, would be construed by Islamic extremists/terrorists as the most prophetic and surest argument that such an act was really an attack on Islam. As such, it would become the greatest potential recruitment propaganda for Islamic extremist/terrorists, as well as justification by them for any and all horrific acts against Americans and Westerners in general. It is my sincere hope that the Bush administration becomes aware of this propaganda nightmare, and if necessary, changes their war plans accordingly. Attacking Iraq on Ashura could turn out to be one of the most influential parallel events in history. It might be a deja vu of apocalyptic proportions."

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I'm sick of so many people worrying what the terrorists might think if we...

If we factor terrorists into our thinking at all, they win, because terrorism then becomes an effective tool for getting us to alter our policies. The only questions we need concern ourselves with regarding terrorists are:

1) Where are they?
- and -
2) Can we capture them or should we just kill them?

All this other crap is just agreeing to play by their rules. "Gee, America, don't go out into the world wearing that, you might get raped!" Rolling Eyes

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You're "sick' of that, huh? Well, I'm "sick" of the idiocy that says we shouldn't even think about what part America has in creating the mindset that hates enough to commit suicide and homicide; and poo-poohs any notions of considering the consequences of our impending violence. I think it's myopic and delusional. So there.

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snood wrote:

You're "sick' of that, huh? Well, I'm "sick" of the idiocy that says we shouldn't even think about what part America has in creating the mindset that hates enough to commit suicide and homicide; and poo-poohs any notions of considering the consequences of our impending violence. I think it's myopic and delusional. So there.

Well, I guess you told me. Rolling Eyes

Do you also think abortion clinics are responsible for antagonizing those that bomb abortion clinics? You can't have it both ways snood. It's the same argument. If America is responsible for "creating" terrorists who attack America, then abortion clinics are responsible for creating clinic bombers and those who shoot abortion doctors. Likewise, if clinics alter their practices because of the threat of clinic bombings, the bombings become an effective tool of altering clinic practices. It's as simple and absolutely inescapable as that.

If we say we are taking terrorists into account in our thinking, we tell terrorists that terrorism works. That's a message I'm not willing to send. Are you?

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I'm inclined to snood's point on this one. If you're not prepared to destroy your opponent, and I don't think we are, you really need to leave him a way out. U.S. vs Iraq is one thing, U.S. vs the Muslim world is quite another.

That opinion isn't written in stone, but to follow the analogy, this may be on the order of setting up the abortion clinic next door to the Baptist Church. Okay in principle, but unnecessairly provocative.

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Anybody
I have asked this before and never gotten an answer.
What exactly has the US done to warrent attacks from Al qaeda..
People on this forum have said we brought it on ourselves. Let's hear some specifics.

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roger wrote:

...but to follow the analogy, this may be on the order of setting up the abortion clinic next door to the Baptist Church. Okay in principle, but unnecessairly provocative.

At issue isn't whether or not the US should consider how any foreign policy might be perceived by other nations; that I think we should do. Likewise we should understand up front where what we choose to do is likely to engender some frustration, dislike, animosity, etc., and try to mitigate that where we can. BUT, that is a very different thing than specifically attempting to craft our foreign policy so as to placate terrorists.

We need to face reality. There is no foreign policy we can espouse that will please everyone in the world. By definition that means that anything we do--including doing nothing--will make someone unhappy with us. Whether those who are unhappy choose to attack women and children to make their point is not the fault of our nation or our leaders. That decision falls upon the evil men and women who make it, not on those they wish to persuade by their evil.

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Au - nothing.

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If anybody wants to talk about provocative, how about those four North Korean jets locking onto our spy plane in international waters, 150 miles off the coast of North Korea? Which is a greater threat, North Korea or Iraq? Isn't this the subject of this forum? c.i.

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cicerone imposter wrote:

If anybody wants to talk about provocative, how about those four North Korean jets locking onto our spy plane in international waters, 150 miles off the coast of North Korea? Which is a greater threat, North Korea or Iraq? Isn't this the subject of this forum? c.i.

Iraq.

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trespassers will wrote:

cicerone imposter wrote:
If anybody wants to talk about provocative, how about those four North Korean jets locking onto our spy plane in international waters, 150 miles off the coast of North Korea? Which is a greater threat, North Korea or Iraq? Isn't this the subject of this forum? c.i.

Iraq.

North Korea.

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North Korea - not The Bush Administration's wet dream!

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Hmmmmm..............

I'll saaaaaaayyyy....

North Korea.

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Let's see....

Enormous army.

Megalomaniac leader.

Actual WMDs (as opposed to erstwhile ones).

Working nuclear reactors to manufacture more.

Demonstrated willingness to sell just about any type weapon to anyone with the cash.

Possession of missiles with the theoretical capability to reach the US.

Yep, gotta go with North Korea....

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