Quote:
Originally Posted by Aqualung
Wrong, a cop-out implies the absolution of guilt. At no point did I say, nor imply, that terrorists are not responsible for their own actions.
France has played a big part in Middle East. However, when was the last time there was a suicide bombing in France? I'd like a date.
Protests are not the same as suicide bombing. You are trying to divert the topic.
I shouldn't even bother to answer these questions because it implies that I am justifying terrorism, but I am going to go against my better judgment and risk a potential flame war.
Understanding is not the same as justification. This is a concept that is very difficult for certain people to understand, it seems. Whenever this topic is discussed, straw man arguments are thrown up, left and right. The reason understanding is needed is so you can pro-actively avoid these situations in the future. If conflict can be avoided, in the first place, that is the best course of action, is it not? Understanding is also needed so we can be assured that our tactics are actually successful.
To this point, I believe our tactics have been counter productive. The problem is WORSE than it was. This is because we, as a country, have refused to look at the problem objectively.
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Very interesting discussion, everyone. I'm trying to get it. I've often asked, as "mrsengel" did, that, if terrorism is caused by "others" (us, in this case) then at what point do the terrorists become responsible for the mayhem they cause- or are they never to blame, ever?
I disagree that we have an "empire". The US has very little true history of colonization. What we DO have is arguably an obnoxious, invasive, very irreverent, very materialistic culture which could be blamed, without too big a leap of the imagination, with "polluting" the cultures around a large part of the world. Bring this up against a fierce, xenophobic, puritanical theocracy, and I agree, the results could be (and have been) explosive.
There is much in our culture that I myself disapprove of. Parts of it, from a religious perspective, are anywhere from mildly annoying, through crude and vulgar, all the way up to downright blasphemous.
However, as a westerner, my conscience and common sense will not permit me to take violent action against this. Disgusted though I may be, I realize that with all the "irreverence", comes precious freedoms as well.
Most of the whole world manages to co-exist with the US without becoming violent toward us. We are made fun of, mocked, sneered at, and treated as uncultured clods perhaps, but only a small group seems to feel the need to call down murderous violence against us, no matter how annoying we may be. I realize the mullahs of the Middle East may curse us for defiling their culture, but I refuse to believe that any American businessman actually travels to the Middle East, holds a gun to anyone's head and "orders" them to eat at McDonalds- or to allow their teenagers to view MTV--or to "allow" their wives to bare their faces and wear makeup. Instead, what I see is a materialistic culture so all-pervasive it is almost impossible to resist; Believe me I know, for many Americans try to resist it, too. It's not easy.
The only argument, as I see it, is how do we accomodate someone who "can't help himself" from flying into a homocidal fury at the sight or the sound of us? Do we change our behavior to comply with his demands- or do we go on about our business, and consider him a "loony", and deal with him as such....Good Discussion !!
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