Why do terrorists hate America's way of life?

If they elect it, and can change their mind at some point in the future, then fine. They should have recurring, legitimate elections.

I don't think we need to revolutionize the world. With Iraq, we need the best possible solution to the current problems. We must also remember our successes and failures from the past to avoid making them again. The invasion of Iraq was under different presumed circumstances than any of the other countries you mentioned.

But those 'circumstances' were what? There was, we know now, no imminent threat to anyone. It would be a weird argument to say that we attacked a country for the wrong reasons but we are allowed to direct the population there anyway because of the fact we are there already.

What if it looks like the government they do choose won't provide regular elections or might not? Do we attack again later?

If the real rationale for this war had been humanitarian, as the administration claims quite in contradiction to what they initially said, and in contradiction to what Bush's statements preceding the election explicitly said "I don't believe in nation-building", then I would have supported actions to bring about such an improved humanitarian condition (I believe, this is my personal value, that such is the only justifiable cause for intervention in another country. Making things easy for us in terms of business or resource extraction (self interest) don't make the grade for me.

that I am me, and that I am truely free in my life. noone anywhere else has this freedom, and they want that for themselves. they dont hate us, they want to BE us....they are pissed because they think they have all been left out.

First of all, there are countries in the world where people have more freedom then in USA. Especially if they are not christian heterosexuals for example. One of the greatest american mistakes and myths is that you have more freedom then Europeans. It maybe was like that once (although never completely, because you never had more freedom then people in Switzerland or Sweden for example), but not anymore.
And, you know, freedom is not what you personally think it is - it's bit more complicated. Maybe in, let's say, Sweden, not every jerk can own a weapon, but homosexuals can get married and live peacefully without lots of bigots blaming them in every media, 16 year olds can watch a "Troy" in cinema (and still in entire history Sweden have less schools shootings then USA in one year), 20 year olds can go out and have fun, people can even see one tit on TV without anyone starting a witch hunt or screaming in horror...most of all in all or almost all european countries you can tell a joke and be sure that you will not end up in court.

Of course, you are completely entitled to think that it's not freedom but immoral sins which will put all us Europeans in Hell, but that has nothing to do with freedom.

Note: you specifically said "noone anywhere else has this freedom", you weren't talking about terrorists and countries that recruit most of them.

And you can believe that you have best freedom in the world but that will only do bad for you and your kids and grandkids. Because, believe it or not, you can hardly find european country with so much censorship as USA. And it's fine. It's your country and your choice. But, saying that noone has as much freedom as Americans have is for decades now far far far far away from truth.

While I agree with the general sentiment expressed you really should quit beleiving your own propaganda. Every time you post it makes it painfully clear that you have NO clue what it's like to live anywhere in North America.

it would be really nice, instead of putting shallow general remarks, to say what exactly is not correct in my posts.

Things that are mentioned as allowed in Europe are true.
Things that are mentioned as not allowed in USA are either worldwide known (such as homosexual marriages or tit horror) or were POSTED BY AMERICANS HERE ON A2K (such as "Troy"). So, I am not sure who is under propaganda here - I guess it's more propaganda that some Americans are influenced with (or I would rather called it a myth) that rest of the world is living in either terrible undemocratic and unfree societies or not exactly undemocratic but still far away from famous american personal freedom.

Sorry Fishin, but I am not bashing USA, just saying that Bvamp's opinion (that many of Americans have) is far from truth.
If you are heterosexual that thinks 16 year old is too dumb to watch "Troy" or has no reason to watch it and you also think that it's terror and teenager abusing if one tit is shown on TV - then I guess you have all freedoms you personally want for yourself.
I am sure, however, many Americans are not in all or any of those categories. I wonder what would they say who has much freedom.

By the way, I am not by those examples saying that USA is some kind of dictatorship where people are living without freedom. No, I am just saying that it's far from truth that no one else in the world has such freedom. Some have even bigger.

by the way, I certainly don't have knowledge about life in North America as North Americans themselves have. But, it's more then obvius, here on A2K or on any other forum or chat that only painfully clear thing is how many Americans don't have a single clue how people are living outside of USA. Which is fine until they start making wild assumptions.

And, by the way, you will not see Europeans starting this subject, no, it's always Americans, mostly without any obvius reason, starting to claim that they have biggest freedom and best democracy, and that rest of the world can only dream about it. Well, that's not true at all. And I don't see why anyone should be insulted with that fact, but I am sorry if someone is....

Let me preface this by saying that it is important to remember that things that people post here are generally just to have a discussion and are their impression of events. Very often they have little to do with what is actually in law. It's simply discussion of views.

Gay marriage isn't allowed in all states but it is now allowed in mine and Civil Unions are allowed in Vermont. That may not be a huge majority but then it isn't allowed all across Europe or anywhere else in the world either. In some it is, in some it isn't.

I'm not famaliar with the "Troy" comment that you are referring to but any 16 year old can go and see it if they want to and and their parent or guardian permits it. Movies have a voluntary rating system and movie theaters aren't supposed to let anyone under age 17 in to a movie rated "R" without a parents permission. Most theaters don't bother checking to begin with but that's beside the point. Note that all of this is voluntary - not written in law anywhere.

As for Janet Jackson's tit - yes. There was a lot of hoopla about it but it's all extremely silly. It has very little to do with an exposed breast being seen on TV though. My TV system has at least 4 porn channels available and naked people appear on several other channels regularly. The restriction has been in place for channels that are broadcast "over the air" so in effect there are maybe 10 channels out of the 800 available that are restricted.

I apologize for being snippy. I agree that many here in the US have no clue what it's like to live in Europe but what you read on A2K isn't exactly a clear picture of living in the US either.

I agree with you that forums are not exactly a clear picture of living in USA, but they are showing that Americans have no clue about Europe

"Troy" comment - I think au1929 posted it from some newspapers (I mean, it was surely from some papers - story about 16 year old girl watching "Troy" by herself and how terrible it is - I am just not sure if it was au1929 that posted it but I think it was) - but USA is not alone in it of course - in Australia they rated Harry Potter "R" at the beginning, later they changed it.

By the way, although it is a bit affection of personal freedom I have no problems with ratings, I just think that sometimes it's going to extreme. I really don't know why even 12 year old kid shouldn't see Troy, but, okay, I am not saying that my views should be accepted generally

And you don't need to apologize - one of problems with written opinions are that they often sound more harsh or more offensive then they actually are - you don't see expressions, you can't hear a tone of voice, etc... mine are not exceptions

"tradition" resides in the deep dark prehistoric core of the human mind; down where there is no reason, intelligence, or even thought; it is embedded, and any challenge to the 'ways of tradition' is fought with the same visceral, overeactive, violence that a mother bear uses to protect her cubs.

There is NO logic to it!

[don't misread my comment; the traditions of America, the courting of the consumer as 'corporate property', the love affair with the internal combustion engine, the criminal, casual production of waste, the facination with everyone else's business; these are the 'new' traditions]