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Re: [OM] [OT] Terrorism thoughts

Subject: Re: [OM] [OT] Terrorism thoughts
From: "Andrew Dacey" <frugal@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2001 19:52:19 -0300
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tris Schuler" <tristanjohn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2001 6:12 PM
Subject: Re: [OM] [OT] Terrorism thoughts


> The problem I see is the bad logic which suggests these "rogues" are not
> supported by their nation-state populations. Were all Germans 100% behind
> the Nazi regime? No. Was the German populace mainly behind the Nazi
regime?
> Yes. Could that Nazi regime have come to power to begin with, much less
> sustained itself, without this support? No. Were the Allies, therefore,
> effectively at war with the German people, the German culture itself? Yes,
> we were. Was this "right"? It was inevitable. there was no other way
around
> the situation. What were we supposed to do, wait around until the German
> people came to its collective sense and killed Hitler? Does that strike
you
> as wisdom?

The situation isn't the same. The Nazis were elected and then started their
campaign, which was supported by the majority. IIRC, the Taliban regime took
power. Even if the government is supporting terrorists (which they probably
are), I don't believe that this is supported by the majority. It is one
small heavily armed group (Osama bin Ladan's group) being supported by
another small heavily armed group (the Taliban government). Just because the
Taliban government is in control of Afghanistan right now does not mean that
the Afghan population supports their actions or should be punished for those
actions. I agree that if Osama bin Ladan is responsible then the Taliban
government should also be punished, but that does not mean that the innocent
Afghan population should be punished. That will only create more people that
have a bone to pick with the US.

The same is true for Iraq. There were many groups within Iraq that did not
support Saddam. However, when the US attacked Iraq and also destroyed these
people's homes they became angry at the US and began to support Saddam. If
anything, the US's attacks on Iraq increased Saddam's support because the
US's attacks angered so many people that weren't strong Saddam supporters
before then.

> What to do? For openers, and besides hunting down and executing Osama bin
> Laden, we need to get rid of the ruling Taliban regime in Afghanistan,
> occupy that country, and remain in occupation until a rational form of
> government might be established, until the people who populate this region
> of the planet can be educated to pursue more thoughtful ways. How long
> would that require? A couple of generations at the least I gauge. Is that
> possible? Well, anything ought to be possible. With the will. I don't know
> how practical it is, though, given politics and the greed which drives
> capitalism. I do know that nothing less will suffice in the long run.

This aproach has never worked in the past, you should learn your history.
This is exactly the same thing the US did with Cuba when they kicked out the
Spanish and it directly resulted in Castro's revolution, which the US is
still having to deal with. Foreign occupation is never popular with the
local population and will only create more extreme nationalist movements
that have a bone to pick with the US, except this time they'd have the
support of the majority of the population too.

In addition, the US should also start excepting some of the blame for
creating Osama bin Ladan's group. bin Ladan was trained and equiped by the
CIA back when the Soviets were at war with Afghanistan. The US trained him
to be a terrorist in order to fight the Soviets. Now they face the
consequences of arming and supplying a dangerous individual. By your logic,
the US is just as guilty in yesterday's tragedy as the Taliban government
is. Should NATO then annihilate the US as well?

I'm not saying that this excuses yesterday's attack. I'm simply pointing out
that we generally tend to look only at the surface of an issue and not at
the deeper issues. bin Ladan is a dangerous criminal who should be punished,
but it's not just the Taliban government that has been supporting him. If it
weren't for the US's actions in the 80's he would not have been capable of
launching yesterday's attack.

----
Andrew "frugal" Dacey
frugal@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.tildefrugal.net/


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