Good morning Liberals

[z]

A Truly Great Article From England

 

Written by Tony Parsons

 

Wednesday October 30, 2002

 

ONE year ago, the world witnessed a unique kind of broadcasting - the mass murder of thousands, live on television.

 

 

As a lesson in the pitiless cruelty of the human race, September 11 was up

there with Pol Pot's mountain of skulls in Cambodia, or the skeletal bodies

stacked like garbage in the Nazi concentration camps.

 

 

An unspeakable act so cruel, so calculated and so utterly merciless that

surely the world could agree on one thing - nobody deserves this fate.

 

 

Surely there could be consensus: the victims were truly innocent, the

perpetrators truly evil.

 

 

But to the world's eternal shame, 9/11 is increasingly seen as America's

comeuppance.

 

 

Incredibly, anti-Americanism has increased over the last year.

 

 

There has always been a simmering resentment to the USA in this country -

too loud, too rich, too full of themselves and so much happier than

Europeans - but it has become an epidemic.

 

 

And it seems incredible to me. More than that, it turns my stomach.

 

 

America is this country's greatest friend and our staunchest ally. We are

bonded to the US by culture, language and blood.

 

 

A little over half a century ago, around half a million Americans died for

our freedoms, as well as their own. Have we forgotten so soon?

 

 

And exactly a year ago, thousands of ordinary men, women and children - not

just Americans, but from dozens of countries - were butchered by a small

group of religious fanatics. Are we so quick to betray them?

 

 

What touched the heart about those who died in the twin towers and on the

planes was that we recognised them. Young fathers and mothers, somebody's

son and somebody's daughter, husbands and wives. And children. Some unborn.

 

 

And these people brought it on themselves? And their nation is to blame for

their meticulously planned slaughter?

 

 

These days you don't have to be some dust-encrusted nut job in Kabul or

Karachi or Finsbury Park to see America as the Great Satan.

 

 

The anti-American alliance is made up of self-loathing liberals who blame

the Americans for every ill in the Third World, and conservatives suffering

from power-envy, bitter that the world's only superpower can do what it

likes without having to ask permission.

 

 

The truth is that America has behaved with enormous restraint since

September 11.

 

 

Remember, remember.

 

 

Remember the gut-wrenching tapes of weeping men phoning their wives to say,

"I love you," before they were burned alive. Remember those people leaping

to their deaths from the top of burning skyscrapers.

 

 

Remember the hundreds of firemen buried alive. Remember the smiling face of

that beautiful little girl who was on one of the planes with her mum.

Remember, remember - and realise that America has never retaliated for 9/11

in anything like the way it could have.

 

 

So a few al-Qaeda tourists got locked without a trial in Camp X-ray? Pass

the Kleenex.

 

 

So some Afghan wedding receptions were shot up after they merrily fired

their semi-automatics in a sky full of American planes? A shame, but maybe

next time they should stick to confetti.

 

 

AMERICA could have turned a large chunk of the world into a parking lot.

That it didn't is a sign of strength.

 

 

American voices are already being raised against attacking Iraq - that's

what a democracy is for. How many in the Islamic world will have a minute's

silence for the slaughtered innocents of 9/11? How many Islamic leaders will

have the guts to say that the mass murder of 9/11 was an abomination?

 

 

When the news of 9/11 broke on the West Bank, those freedom-loving

Palestinians were dancing in the street. America watched all of that - and

didn't push the button. We should thank the stars that America is the most

powerful nation in the world. I still find it incredible that 9/11 did not

provoke all-out war. Not a "war on terrorism". A real war.

 

 

The fundamentalist dudes are talking about "opening the gates of hell", if

America attacks Iraq. Well, America could have opened the gates of hell like

you wouldn't believe.

 

 

The US is the most militarily powerful nation that ever strode the face of

the earth.

 

 

The campaign in Afghanistan may have been less than perfect and the planned

war on Iraq may be misconceived.

 

 

But don't blame America for not bringing peace and light to these wretched

countries. How many democracies are there in the Middle East, or in the

Muslim world? You can count them on the fingers of one hand - assuming you

haven't had any chopped off for minor shoplifting.

 

 

I love America, yet America is hated. I guess that makes me Bush's poodle.

But I would rather be a dog in New York City than a Prince in Riyadh. Above

all, America is hated because it is what every country wants to be - rich,

free, strong, open, optimistic.

 

 

Not ground down by the past, or religion, or some caste system. America is

the best friend this country ever had and we should start remembering that.

 

 

Or do you really think the USA is the root of all evil? Tell it to the loved

ones of the men and women who leaped to their death from the burning towers.

 

 

Tell it to the nursing mothers whose husbands died on one of the hijacked

planes, or were ripped apart in a collapsing skyscraper.

 

 

And tell it to the hundreds of young widows whose husbands worked for the

New York Fire Department. To our shame, George Bush gets a worse press than

Saddam Hussein.

 

 

Once we were told that Saddam gassed the Kurds, tortured his own people and

set up rape-camps in Kuwait. Now we are told he likes Quality Street. Save

me the orange centre, oh mighty one!

 

 

Remember, remember, September 11. One of the greatest atrocities in human

history was committed against America.

 

 

No, do more than remember. Never forget.

[AlpineK]

That's way too long to bother reading dipfuck.

[z]

It uses big words and stuff. Must be hard for you tree boy.

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

That's way too long to bother reading dipfuck

 

"dipfuck"

 

Ha haaaa ha ha hahahahaha! That's fawking priceless!

[Greg_W]

Puh-leaze, DFA. Don't try and make us think that you haven't been called a dipfuck before.

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

Well, yeah, but just when the Doctor is home for the holiday's. Otherwise, it's typically "worthless embodiment of the word 'duh'."

[Scott_J]

Home for the holiday, gee you never left mama's tit you fucking dip wad.

[glen]

Let's see if I understand the point of the article:

* They hate us because we have more money.

* They're lucky we didn't glass the whole region

* america is a "bringer of light" to the world.

 

It is absolutely true that the events of 9/11 were horrific. If that was not your reaction, then I am deeply disturbed- as I was distrubed by the visions flashed on the TV of the hordes of people in Palestine cheering them on. However, all information should be viewed in a critical light, and taken in context. It should be noted that the persons in Palestine were a small group of people comapred to the population of the entire middle east. It is also true that those particular individual's motivations for disliking the USA are more complex than SUV envy. The USA has been the major supplier of military aid to Israel and is thus seen as an ally of Israel. Both sides in that conflict have committed horrible acts of terrorism (see the US code of 1986 for a good definition of terrorism if you didn't believe that there was a good definition of it circa 2001). However, the dislike of the USA actually largely comes from the impression that the US has little value for human life in that part of the world, and it intent on setting up economic structures that suck resources out of their countries into our coffers. The US taking of life in that part of the world is viewed in light of military aid to countries that have used that aid directly in the use of genocide and 'counter-insurgency' against local rebellions (many of whom actually want to emplace democracies). For examples of this policy, see the aid to Turkey that was used against the Kurds in the 1990's, who, incidentally, were also subjected to genocide by Saddam with US aid in the 1980's. While US troops have not been involved in these actions, and they were likely not the aim of the aid, our foreign policy is far from having clean hands and a perfect track record. Just look at the UN World Court ruling that condemned the US for "International Acts of Terrorism" in response to our actions (again, largely through military support) in Nicaragua. The list goes on, and much of it is good material for debate. However, the common theme is that there is much more to the situation in the middle east than is being presented by Bush, or the mainstream media.

 

is the middle east lucky we didn't turn them to glass? Yes. Are we lucky that didn't happen? Absolutely. Waging a war with high civilian casualties will deepend resentment across the region, and will hurt our standing in the world. Powerful nations are transient and on the longer timescale, the US will not always be the biggest dog on the block. Pursuing a path based on international law, acting in accordance with other nations (instead of unilaterally) will produce a greater reduction in the terrorist threat in the long run, and will cost fewer american lives- not to mention arab lives.

 

(leaving soap box now).

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

It's "dipfuck," dumbshit. Damn.

[Fairweather]

Good article "Z". Don't let Alpine-"A Beacon in the Smog"- K get you down. He's just an Angry White Liberal who thinks using bio-diesel in the chipper he tows behind his (9mile-per-gallon) pickup truck gives him authority to spout off about mainstream America whenever his blood-estrogen level gets too high.

[AlpineK]

And Fairweather your just an Angry White Conservative.

 

As to my truck, you seem to be clueless about what kind of vehicle you need to run a tree service. A pickup is a wimp-ass vehicle when it comes to a real work trucks. My chipper rides behind a 20,000 GVW Chev C-50 with a dump. I bet it gets about 5 MPG. I use my pickup to tow air compressors and such.

 

Watch out though next week my new dump truck should be done being built. Yes it will run on biodiesel. Ya see I'm well on my way to changing things (at least for me). I will be drasticly reducing my businesses emissions of greenhouse gasses, but more importantly my business will be making money and I won't be buying my fuel from terrorists. In fact most of my fuel will be american made.

 

Just remember Fairweather every time you fill up your vehicle the Saudi's contribute a little more money to terrorist groups.

 

You truely are a major dipfuck.

[To_The_Top]

Quoting AlpineK:"I won't be buying my fuel from terrorists"

 

Well if you dont use biodiesel, and buy gas, here is a site that shows which companies do business with the middle east, show your support by buying gas at these stations, if you want.

web page

Ok, Im a diphuck if this doesnt work

[allthumbs]

Speaking of buying from terrorists, have you honyaks been catching the TV commercials about drug use and it's indirect link to terrorism. Guess you patriots better think about givin' up the ganga. hahaha

[To_The_Top]

Most of the good ganja is either local or from the state north of us. I wouldnt really know, as I dont partake much, and no I didnt at Muir when there with the rest over a year ago,

PS drive a patriotic high gas mileage car to keep the terrorists in the third world.

[iain]

yeah I particularly like that ad where the kid gets his head blown off accidently, blamed on ganja, but oh wait, there's a loaded gun on the table. That ad just made me furious.

[AlpineK]

I hear Trask has to sweep the loaded guns off his kitchen counter to make dinner.

 

As far as terrorism and drugs, well I bet you are contributing to terrorism if your shooting smack, coke too (maybe). If you smoke pot your contributing to canadians.

 

Oh yeah if your into crank your money goes straight to the trailer park.

[allthumbs]

BTW Alpine, yesterday I stopped by my local gunshop and picked up this new bobble for my bedside partner.

 

 

...then when I got home I celebrated with a Irish coffee and a couple tokes. I dug out a couple .12 gauge tracer rounds and plan on a mini-light show tonight when I blow the shit outta a mock-up target of Osama Binspankin'

[glen]

So, last night on 20/20, Barbara Walters was interviewing President Bush (OT: ever play the game, "Asshole"?). Anyways, questions got on to whether or not the Iraqi conflict had anything to do with oil, and if Bush was planning on changing Energy policy to reduce US dependence on foreign oil. I'm going to have to paraphrase a bit here, but he said something to the effect that the US is dependent on foreign oil and sometimes the foreign oil sources don't like the US.

 

BTW- it isn't really the actual act of purhasing gas that gives money to terrorists. It is the US foreign policy implementation in the name of preserving our economic interest which motivates at least some of them to become terrorists. The saudi gov't is afraid of Bin Laden also as BL views the saudi gov't as traitors for allowing the US to stay in their holy land.

[glen]

Sorry, here's the quote from the transcript of the 20/20 interview:

BUSH: .... You bet we've got to diversify our energy supply. As I like to tell people, I say, you know, "We're dependent upon foreign sources of oil, and sometimes those foreign sources don't like America."

[allthumbs]

What the hell is your point? We all know they don't like us, and we also know we get some of our oil from these cocksuckers. Tell me something I don't know.

[sexual_chocolate]

It's unfortunate that Bush's idea of what it means to "diversify our energy supply" is to increase domestic oil production, which means opening ANWR, and other wilderness areas.

 

Oh, and the thread topic? Won't even bother responding, but good morning to you, too.