Debate!! Do you really think that if we are just nicer that terrorists will stop?

[Microcell]

I firmly believe that the answer is no. We could bend over backwards and be just ultra nice to as many people as possible and planes will still crash into buildings and people will be kidnapped and killed. What they want is for us to drastically change our way of life. Women would have to quit their jobs and stay home with the girls who should not go to school. We all would need to stay married to our husbands until they say they don't want us, and any man worth is salt would need to be beating us and our girls. They would need to show our boys how to beat their wives if they don't cover up their faces. We would all need to move out of our nice houses and live simply, perhaps in a shack? Making over 20,000 a year would be a huge problem, because obviously, you are not religious if you covet the almighty dollar. This is how they think!!!! We can be as nice as anything, but until we are non materialistic, ultra religious, and realize that women are to be a sub species to men, they will still attack. These terrorists don't want a pregnant woman looking at them even.

My Dh and I were talking and we truly wonder if it came to it, some people wouldn't surrender before actually defending ourselves against these people in an effort to be nice. This is scary.

Edited to add:
I got too emotional writing this, so I took out a possibly offensive comment! Sorry. I will be so glad when the elections are over, whichever way it goes!

 

[disneyatl]

NO

 

[minniepumpernickel]

Are you refering to The Taliban, and regimes like that? I don't think that anyone is advocating we should adopt a system like that?

 

[AllyandJack]

I used to think that if we had just minded our own business when it came to other nation's problems that we could have spared ourselves this grief. I'm no so sure it would have helped though.

Would a bigger alliance help us? Maybe. But, we can't sit around and wait for people to come to our aid. It would be nice if other countries that we helped would back us up. But, if they don't believe in our fight, we can't force them into it. I just wish we would have thought of that when we were out there fighting other nation's battles. I hope our next president, whomever he is, fights for US and lets everyone one fend for themselves.

But...it's too late to be nice. We can't go back and butt out, so now we just have to defend ourselves (perish the thought).

Besides, Russia was against us and they still got hit (it appears).

So, no, I don't think it would make a difference. It's sad, too. Wouldn't it be great if that was the answer to it all?

 

[Ibelieveinfairies]

I agree with you that terrorists are ultra-fanatical...there is nothing that we could do to make them "like" us or even not want to try to eradicate us...but they are fanatical.

I think in defense of people who advocate for a nicer, more gentle world would say that they are speaking to the moderate majority...the majority of people who are associated with terrorists solely because they share a nationality/religion/etc. are not fanatical people and would come to mirror any understanding and tolerance we could show them.

It's a difficult world where no clear answers are going to be found to the ongoing violence and terror...and it's not new...it's been around since the creation of mankind. I would say that for me, I hope to continue to live a positive life where I can make positive influences on the people I have a chance to meet and come into contact with...I think that will come back to me and the world in many good ways and help keep the negative at bay.

 

[Frank Babaganoush]

In the 9/11 report the question was posed. What can we do to stop these attacks?

Al Qaeda’s answer is an unrealistic, “America should abandon the Middle East, convert to Islam, and end immorality and godlessness of its society and culture”

Even if we did all of these things it would not stop.

 

[Maleficent13]

Originally posted by Microcell
Do you get that?????

Um, my answer to the title of the thread was going to be no, followed by perhaps an explanation of why I think that, but I think I'll pass. This sounds like it's gonna get out of hand pretty quick.

 

[wvrevy]

Wow...You really have drank the kool aid there, haven't ya' ?

You really think that the terrorists hate us because of our way of life ? You think some guy in Syrai gives a crap that my wife has a job outside the home ? Come on...They may not think of us kindly because of something like that, but you honestly believe these people are blowing themselves up over women wearing bikinis ?

It's not about our "way of life"...It's about how our actions, politically, have affected them and their lives. It's about our support of Israel and our alliance with Saudi Arabia. It's about our trespassing, in their eyes, on their sacred lands. It's got NOTHING to do with "our freedom", and everything to do with THEIRS.

Now, all that said, do I think that there is anything we could realistically do to make them stop hating us ? Probably. Stop supporting Israel and completely pull our forces back from that part of the world. Is that something we should do ? Not in my opinion, no, it isn't.

It's a complicated problem, not one that is black and white. That's why we should probably have somebody in office that is capable of looking at a complex problem and seeing the nuances it contains, rather than someone who bulls his way ahead and damn the consequences.

 

[Octoberbride03]

Didn't we try the "being nice" stuff already? I mean Osama pulled something in the 90s(you choose) we let him live after putting a few holes in a mountain where he "might" be. Then his friends steal a few airplanes, knock down a couple towers and put a hole in the Pentagon, taking along a couple thousand ppl who had the bad luck of getting out of bed that morning.

Lets face it kids. It had nothing to do with "being nice". Only the terrorists know their reasoning for whaty they do, but we could crawl on our knees and they'd still do stuff like 9/11.

I think Being Nicer would really work out well. Don't you

 

[DoeWDW]

I believe that the fanatical terrorists' ideas are grounded in jealousy and fear. They are afraid that their people will see our way of life, our culture of freedom and will want that for themselves, instead of submitting to the fanatical religious powers-that-be.

I do think staying out of the Middle East would be a plus. Sure wish we could do more to live without the oil they produce. I hope to buy a hybrid for my next car.

However, as long as our culture is seen and coveted by the people of the Middle East, I think we are in danger.

 

[auntpolly]

I'm curious who you think is saying "being nicer" is what we should be doing?

I think you are confusing disagreeing with how President Bush has handled things with "being nice."

If we had been a little less out for ourselves over the years, maybe we wouldn't be in this mess right now, but we do, indeed have a mess right now. We just need somebody new dealing with it in a different way.

 

[Microcell]

Originally posted by minniepumpernickel
Are you refering to The Taliban, and regimes like that? I don't think that anyone is advocating we should adopt a system like that?

Peter Jennings said at the funeral of Pres. Reagan- to Barbara Walters. "I am so glad they are seeing this on Al-Jazera TV because maybe if the terrorists see how we revere our dead they would understand how nice we are"

Barbara- "Oh yes Peter..." I don't remember what she said after that! I was fuming!!!!

 

[Frank Babaganoush]

Israel is atthe heart of the matter.


In December, 2002, a statement titled "Letter to the American People," allegedly written by Usama Bin Ladin and disseminated over the Internet in Arabic claims that Israel's very existence is the main reason why Bin Ladin's al-Qaeda organization has declared war on the United States, "The creation and continuation of Israel is one of the greatest crimes, and you [the Americans] are the leaders of its criminals," the letter said, according to an English translation first published in the British journal The Observer. "There is no need to explain and prove the degree of American support for Israel. The creation of Israel is a crime, which must be erased. Each and every person whose hands have become polluted in the contribution toward this crime must pay its price, and pay for it heavily”

Israel is key here. Of course, we are not going to stop supporting them, nor should we. Even if we did it would not be enough. They would find another excuse

 

[rcyannacci]

Originally posted by wvrevy


It's not about our "way of life"...It's about how our actions, politically, have affected them and their lives. It's about our support of Israel and our alliance with Saudi Arabia. It's about our trespassing, in their eyes, on their sacred lands. It's got NOTHING to do with "our freedom", and everything to do with THEIRS.

I agree with wvrevy- it's got nothing to do with "nice"- it about how our policies, how our economic expansion in the name of "freedom" is pushing a way of life that is completely foreign to a number world populations.

Yes, there is major work that needs to be done in the world over human rights and women's issues. But progress can be accomplished without it following the American model of democracy. Our system of government, our notions of freedom, work in this country because of a certain set of natural resources, geographical landscape, shared social and religous history, etc.

In the past, the US has been able to lead as a world power without resorting to force because other nations respected our abilities as peacekeepers, negotiators, and advocates of human rights (we haven't been perfect, but we've had some good moments). Our current use of military force is a sign of weakness, not strength- a sign that we've lost this position of moral leadership and had to resort to brute force in order to enforce our beliefs.

 

[Microcell]

Originally posted by wvrevy
Wow...You really have drank the kool aid there, haven't ya' ?

You really think that the terrorists hate us because of our way of life ? You think some guy in Syrai gives a crap that my wife has a job outside the home ? Come on...They may not think of us kindly because of something like that, but you honestly believe these people are blowing themselves up over women wearing bikinis ?

Yes, entire manefestos have been written by terrorists on our society and how we are leading the entire world away from godliness (for lack of a better term). This is one of the reasons for thier hatred of us. Isreal too, of course I didn't mean to leave that out. I am not pulling this out of thin air. Osama Bin Laden has talked about both subjects.

I do agree with Maleficent about the fact that this thread may get out of hand quickly so moderators, if you must pull this, I understand! I just really think people need to seek knowledge on this subject before voting. So many voters just don't know all sides of an issue and there was an interviewer asking people that support Kerry what he does for a living and like 8 out of ten thought he was the Governor of Massachussetts or didn't know that he is a Senator. UGH!

 

[auntpolly]

Originally posted by Microcell
Yes, entire manefestos have been written by terrorists on our society and how we are leading the entire world away from godliness (for lack of a better term). This is their entire basis for thier hatred of us. They tell us that. I am not pulling this out of thin air. Osama Bin Laden has talked about it.

I think you are trying to over-simplify something that is extremely complicated. What complicates things more is that we haven't been given all the facts.

Terrorists need to be dealt with, but a change in foreign policy could make it much easier to do that.

 

[Funkyzeit mit Bruno]

There is absolutely nothing we could do to that will convince terrorists to voluntarily stop attacking us. Appeasing them in the Middle East will provoke others to commit terrorist acts against us in order to change our foreign policy elsewhere.

Even if we did give in to their demands in the Middle East I think they will keep coming after us because the US is the the main obstacle to their political goals (establishing muslim super-states, destroying Israel and whatever else goes on in their diseased minds). The US is their rival not only because of our military might, but also because we are a powerful player in the battle for the hearts and minds of muslim youth. So to some extent, yes, our freedom and permisiveness is part of the equation.

Ultimately the problem is THEM, not US. In the long run the only way to end terrorism in the Middle East is to encourage consensual governments there so that the people will feel they control their own destiny.

 

[Mamu]

No! As long as we are a democrat society with the freedom to choose the way we want to live. There will always be radical fanatics who want to distroy our way of life.

Their taught hate and murder their own in the name of their god. What would being kinder to them and their cause, Accomplish?

 

[Saffron]

We could be really, really, really nice to "them". But that won't stop a terrorist attack against the US by ANY militant/religious extremist group.

We could be really, really, really, mean to "them". But that won't stop a terrorist attack against the US by ANY militant/religious extremist group.

Blowing Iraq off the face of the Earth won't stop extremist terrorist cells from doing what they do. Turning Iraq into a peaceful Democracy where freedom reigns lound and proud won't stop extremist terrorist cells from doing what they do.

Terrorism has no face. It comes from outside of the USA, inside the USA, foreigners, our own people, those that want us to change our policies in foreign lands, those that want us to change our way of life here at home. Terrorism is a complicated issue, one that any person elected to the be president will have to deal with, no matter who is elected president.

 

[CEDmom]

Originally posted by Saffron
We could be really, really, really nice to "them". But that won't stop a terrorist attack against the US by ANY militant/religious extremist group.

We could be really, really, really, mean to "them". But that won't stop a terrorist attack against the US by ANY militant/religious extremist group.

Blowing Iraq off the face of the Earth won't stop extremist terrorist cells from doing what they do. Turning Iraq into a peaceful Democracy where freedom reigns lound and proud won't stop extremist terrorist cells from doing what they do.

Terrorism has no face. It comes from outside of the USA, inside the USA, foreigners, our own people, those that want us to change our policies in foreign lands, those that want us to change our way of life here at home. Terrorism is a complicated issue, one that any person elected to the be president will have to deal with, no matter who is elected president.

Very well said, I couldn't agree more.