Not really into the bible much, I prefer books on the military.
Lets answer your points.
re : Tony come on, we are tired of the liberal mantra, throw money at it.
Sorry we are not discussing the welfare state here.
After the Second World War, Europe was exhausted there was nothing standing between the Soviet Army and the channel except an exhausted Britain, already stretched fighting a communist take over in Greece.
Your President came to the rescue with the Marshall plan, this aid rebuilt Europe and stopped the Soviet Advance dead in Europe, without it the Soviet empire would of Africa and the Middle east would of followed.
The world could of looked very differently then.
Rebuilding a countries infrastructure and helping them back on there feet seems a wise investment to me, after all once they are up and running they like Europe and parts of Asia which America helped rebuild become more markets for American goods.
re : The only thing that is going to sit them back on their haunches, and give them pause, is to bomb Mecca, and destroy their holy places. Power is all they understand and brutality
Well Hitler and Stalin would agree with you, although even though the Germans were extremely brutal in there anti Partisan operations throughout Europe during the last war, and I mean extremely brutal, wiping out whole population centres for any anti German activity, resistance to them grew and grew, brutality is always met by more brutality.
And no matter how much you may wish it I don’t think you will get the Western Military to behave like Communists or Nazis. For a start when I die I want to have a clean a slate as possible, and so do many others.
We will win this war, and we will win it while still staying decent human beings, if we become like the enemy then what is the choice for those on the other side who want to escape the yoke of oppression cast upon them by the dictators who call them self’s leaders.
Tony
I dont believe that. This is not a war somewhere else anymore. IT is personal. Americans in the Pacific fought as hard as the Japanese because of Peral Harbor. We killed many civilians because they killed many civilians. Same with the bombing of Germany.
Now, the terrorists did it withut a war even being declared openly, they declared war through their tactics. A personal war. One where there will be no quarter on either side except where western cameras are filming western troops, for the Afghanies already are known for no mercy.
This will be a bloody one, one the Muslims started, plain and simple. If they had only left Israel alone, we wouldn't be here.
They disdain material wealth, you cannot build their economy, build them sky scrapers, educate their children, build them hospitals and colleges and set each family up with a picket fenced cottage and a family dog. In fact the risk that we may do all that obviously fills them with murderous rage.
The only jealousy they have for our wealth is that it is not being used to institute their dark and oppressive idea of society. So their entire aim is to destroy us and take our wealth, very simple, very direct goal.
When one ignores the religious factor that is at play here, you run the danger of under estimating their evil. It is part of their culture to lie, to deceive, if they see they are losing they will lie that they have seen the light, they are a changed people. But that is only to buy time to build their strength again, and they look kind eyed and convincing, they can walk up smiling and put a knife in your heart and still feel good about themselves because they have totally compartmentalized their emotions.
Even though they may like you, consider you a nice person, even if they are greatful to you and happy to see you everytime you show up, they will still stick a knife in your heart and murder your entire family for Allah, and joyfully look foward to seeing you in the next life so you can continue your friendship. Now you figgure out how to deal with that, because I know how I would deal with it if the law would allow.