Posted on 09/28/2001 2:44:17 PM PDT by Yaelle
Please help me. I will be spending the evening tomorrow surrounded by old friends who are well-read (NYT, WP, LAT, NPR, CNN) and educated, yet as liberal as can be. One is even a Hollywood liberal, smart though as misguided as you can imagine.
He argued with me today that anyone who would feel uneasy getting on a plane with a group of Arab men IS A RACIST. That any fear one would have in such a situation, even so soon after the atrocities, would be irrational. I tried to hold my own on this point, saying that the time elapsed since the tragedy was so short that the fear is still rational at this point. I think we merely agreed to disagree, because he thought that any Arab currently asked to leave a plane should win a lawsuit against the airline. I am no racist, and I think it is very sad that any innocent should be so humiliated, but I feel that the innocent Arabs so accused are simply more victims of the terrorists and their attacks.
I am expecting mild anti-Bush sentiment, anti-protracted war opinions, perhaps the "America may have asked for this with all their horrible activities in the world" stuff, and an inordinate focus on "hate crimes" tomorrow. I am a poor arguer contrasted with the man mentioned above, but not for lack of passion.
I need nice, neat, friendly but firm arguments to counter any of the above positions. To whom could I turn but my eloquent Freepers? Anyone want to help? Give me your best. I will be grateful!
For instance, do they know what Bin Laden wants? (He wants all Muslim Holy Sites turned over to Islamic governments and the US military out of the Middle East.) So the question is, do we give him what he wants or no? If we do, won't we encourage terrorism?
If they want us to abandon Israel, ask them if you think it's right for us to drop a responsibility we took on 60 years ago? What will happen to the Israelis if we abandon them? Do we want that on our consciences? What if there is another Holocaust?
Ask them what they think will happen in Kuwait if we leave? What will Saddam Hussein do? Do they want that?
If they mention that SH invaded Kuwait because we somehow indicated that we might not do anything about it, do they think that indicates that "we gave him permission?" Was permission ours to give? (No) Then we couldn't have given it. Are we saying that from now on, a country's borders mean nothing to us? If larger countries invade smaller countries, are we to do nothing? Do they want us to be isolationists?
If their answers lead back to anything that sounds like "We should let the UN be the judge" then they are ultimately socialists and want a one-world government. Ask them how they feel about Microsoft's monopoly? If they dislike monopolies, why would they support an oligarchy?
Ax 'em if any Taliban man should be permitted to beat the snot out of any woman who shows more than the whites of her eyes...
Also ax 'em if destroying 20% of New York's office space wasn't an act of war, what WOULD they consider an act of war...
If band of a seven-foot-tall Chinese men start robbing liquor stores around town, should a liquor store owner not feel just a teensy bit uneasy if three seven-fotters drop by one afternoon?
LOL, thanks for the suggestion, but I am a girl, and I don't think I'd quite have the "aim" for the job!
If you logon to texasmonthly.com and sign up, you could get a grrrrreaat article about Ron Paul. There's a conservative for you.
If not, then just put either the word "constitution" or anything from it you can remember in a sentence and they'll either provide awesome firework-tantrums or leave you alone.
Good luck, and if all else fails tell them they're invited over to your house on "Ronald Reagan Day."
Okay, so that's two lines... (-:
Mr. Lib gave that argument today. "Do you think we should just deport all non-citizens, because non-citizens caused the attack???" as though that were the most racist suggestion around. I suppose if a green man robbed a bank, he would have all the blue men stopped.
Ask him if he would go into an IRS building if he saw a white guy wearing camoflauge clothing in a Ryder truck out front. No? He's a RACIST too.
EXCELLENT!!
When you point this out, they'll say "We had to oppose Hitler". Just reply that the particular reason they are for having fought the war is irrelevant. If they are for any war that's been fought, they're not against war. They're just against this particular war. Everyone can claim to be against war if you limit it to wars they disagree with. I was against our war in Kosovo and I supported the Gulf War, so I guess I can claim to be "against war". Don't let them get away with this "I'm against war" BS.
Oh my god that is so good.... that is SO good... BUMP!
Pretty darned stupid?? But I wanna! And I want to sit back smugly afterward and enjoy the refreshments.
That being said, ask them how we won World War II?
When we said we would bring Japan to its knees, we did. We were never bothered by them militarily again. I hear you.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.