News, Lessing Says Sept. 11 Attacks Not So Bad.

[smackie94]

Originally Posted by Minnehahapolitan

It takes alot of guts to call a respected author "abstract, idealist poop".

Reread what i wrote, i wasnt refering to her specifically in that statement, but how the AVERAGE person will look at a Nobel prize winner


It really didn't help your argument.
A victim is a victim, it doesn't matter that one died more horifically.

Um, yes it does, and the reason they died. That is why i call it ignorance.

She didn't downplay it at all, she put it in the context of tragedy. Sept. 11th was a tragedy for humanity, so was the IRA, so were the thousands that died in New Orleans, or the hundreds that died in London and Madrid. Yet, in light of this truism, we focus all energy into Sept. 11th.

she is thinking at a global level, i cant argue with that point, but those were all very different things for different reasons at different times with different results, other then death.
The IRA was an English problem that there were dealing with.
New orleans was a corrupt local govt, a big storm with results that had been predicted for at least ten years, yet they didnt act accordingly (locally)
The deaths in london...most closely related yet not nearly the same capacity as 9-11.

Madrid was a close but way different politically undertones and it was succesful in every manner

WE focus on 9-11 becasue of many factors, big attack, terrorist driven, fast and somewhat unexpected. and mainly its ours. and we will take more atcion because it is ours, we feel stringer about it for many reasons becasue it is ours.




When did Pres. Bush say, besides the day after London, that we should attack terrorism in response to The Tube Bombings?

we already were conducting operations and we do not generally take the lead in anti terror operations in ally countries when they are doing the same. it was theres to deal with just like we were dealing with ours and we would help them

She states, correctly, that we cannot be anymore deterred by Sept. 11th than Britiain was during the troubles, et. cetera.

I agree with this portion


In that frame, she is more patriotic than most Americans: she doesn't want terroristic acts to scare us, or to make us act irrationally, or so on.

I agree here in a sense, but additionally, but we need to take action instead of being deterred from living and taking the beating

We can remember without knee-jerk reactions.

we can also take action immediately without it being kneejerk

We can defend without ever-growing war

Wrong, war came to us and will keep coming

, we can prevent through better means than taking shampoo off airlines (when chemical plants are open target, and when LNG is still shipped into Boston Harbor).

I wont get started on Airport security measures, they are a farce, wher ethere is a will there is a way

Lessing was not commenting on Sept. 11, as much as our reaction to it. Not only does it not protect us, it made us more vulnerable.

Some of our reaction was good and appropriate whgile protecting us more, other stuff wasnt. i know a thing or two about terror and anti terror, with this in mind she comes across as ignorant

But we felt better, eh?

I didnt

sorry about the other post seeming so pissy. i said above i know a little about this kind of stuff and while her thinking isnt bad, it doesnt mean it is right.

[tinman01]

Her comment was a fair comment in that it refered to total casualties. Where it is unfair is its relavence. Compared to Palestine and the Middle East the terror of the IRA isn't that big of a deal.
Terror no matter how large or small is a disgraceful use of force normally against unarmed innocents.. By any measure its a terrible act.
Personally I could care less who wins the Nobel peace prize. It no doubt is every bit as political as you average beauty pagent.
In my mind she has earned her right to speak her thoughts no matter what we as individuals think of them.
Think about Micheal Moore has made millions saying worse with nothing to back him up. She at least has a life time of varied experiences to draw upon.

[smackie94]

anybody has that right, at least in that country

we also have the right the raise the BS flag on what she says. i might not like her for what she says about this but even putting her in the same statement as michael moore is just plain cruel

i just dont look upon her with awe as some who have defended her. especially on this topic.

[tinman01]

Originally Posted by smackie94

anybody has that right, at least in that country

we also have the right the raise the BS flag on what she says. i might not like her for what she says about this but even putting her in the same statement as michael moore is just plain cruel

i just dont look upon her with awe as some who have defended her. especially on this topic.

LOL I agree. I didn't mean to compare her to Moore quite the opposite..