[quote]Chewie wrote:
How have you failed to see that I am supporting your argument about imperialism? The only difference is that you think we should go around hugging people and I see imperialism as a necessary evil. [/quote]
I noticed that alright. Now how about telling the “we just wanted to help the poor Iraqis” crowd to get a clue?
[quote]What would you tell your grandchild when he ask you what you did in the war on terror?
It is beginning to seem like you would say:
“I supported the enemy.”[/quote]
Let’s break it down. Feel free to interrupt if you disagree with any point…
Most of the people shooting at you in Iraq have nothing to do with Al-Qaeda. The bulk of the insurgency are Shi’ite followers of Al-Sadr (who wouldn’t be caught dead being associated with a Sunni group) and secular Ba’athists. That said, members of Al-Qaeda in Iraq still represent a genuine threat for the welfare of Iraqis as illustrated by the daily carnage. With those people, talk is useless. They should be liquidated because they represent an immediate danger (not for you across the pond, but for Iraqis trying to get on with their lives). With me so far? I thought so…
Trouble begins when you use the military to eradicate a problem that can be solved with the police. When going around invading countries, you actually foster those radical groups. In fact, I bet that at some point they were turning down people because they had too many applicants. But that you probably knew as well. What I try to do, is educated people and try to cut the root of the problem by advocating a non-interventionist West as well as tempering radicals from both sides.
The “enemy” is elusive. It may be your next door neighbor, so going around in tanks shooting at everyone is evidently not a solution. The only way out is to understand the causes and make sure you cut the steady flow of recruits they seem to have been enjoying. Then, police work will (slowly but surely) get rid of the already indoctrinated ones. Just because you have a hammer, you start thinking everything’s a nail. And God knows you managed to build the mighty huge hammer that is the US military force.
I’m not saying sit down and relax. I’m saying what any terrorism expert would tell you: You can’t beat them with military power. They feed on that stuff. Intelligence combined with local police efforts will do a lot more to stop terrorist attacks than any battalion ever could.
Grandson, I took the time to understand the problem, acknowledged the fatality component of it, then resisted a fear-triggered emotional half-assed response that would only exacerbate the problem. Sadly, it seems humans behave wisely only after exhausting every other mean possible. In short, I tried to spread a peace message.
Now, watch as Chewie and his friends turn this into “if you’re not with us, you’re with the terrorists” crap…