What happened to these voices? Did they continue throughout the war? Were they silenced? Did they change their tune? Are there any octogenarian Freepers out there who can tell us? |
Posted on 09/16/2001 2:17:12 PM PDT by KevinDavis
The national cry for revenge is shameful. We Americans are presumably a people who do not believe in an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Yet many of our national leaders, most of the talking heads who have been babbling on television this week, and the mental defectives who repeat cliches on talk radio are demanding that we get even.
The desire to even the score is an understandable human reaction. Thousands of lives have been destroyed and thousands of families suffer from losses that will change their lives and in many cases ruin them. Yet no one--certainly not the president or any of those around him--is promising that we will avoid action that might lead to the death of more innocents.
Moreover, who are ''they'' with whom we must get even--30, 40, even a hundred fanatics? We must apprehend and punish criminals. Then what? Will we nuke Kabul or Baghdad? Will we blow Afghanistan from the 10th century back into the first? Will mass murder satisfy American blood lust? Do we want to become indistinguishable from our enemies? It would appear that many of us do.
The Pearl Harbor analogy is frivolous and dangerous. There is no militaristic enemy bent on conquering half the world. No mighty navy to sink. No brilliant air force to annihilate, no fanatical population to bring to its knees. We must capture a few terrorists, eliminate a couple of networks, improve our intelligence agencies. Indeed, if anyone is to be blamed for the tragedies in New York and Washington, it is Congress, which has not passed bipartisan legislation that would have improved our intelligence services. We hotly debate a dubious shield against missiles and skimp on funding to intercept terrorists. Perhaps the cries for vengeance we hear are a cover-up for that failure.
The too-easy use of the term "war" is scary. With whom are we to go to war? Iraq? Iran? Afghanistan? How will we fight them? Will we send combat troops into central Asia? Does anyone remember that the Russians tried that and it failed? Those who prate about "war" seem eager to have one.
President Bush knows full well that his legacy as president will depend on how he reacts. There are two models on which he might reflect. The first is that offered by John F. Kennedy who, when everyone else had signed off on an invasion of Cuba, would not give the go-ahead to an impatient military and thus avoided World War III. The other is Lyndon B. Johnson, who did not stand up to the military and escalated the war in Vietnam. In the short run, restraint looks like cowardice. In the long run, it becomes a mark of greatness. In the short run, the use of overwhelming military power looks like decisive leadership. In the long run, it ruins a presidency.
There appears to be nobody around the president on whom one could count on to counsel restraint. For all of Bush's fervent piety when he demands that God bless America, he does not seem to grasp that the religion to which he subscribes teaches that vengeance belongs to the Lord, not to us.
Also, he might follow the example of New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and other leaders and warn against abuse of Muslim and Arab Americans.
The media babblers are telling us that Americans have lost their innocence, that the country will never be the same. Such claims are nonsense. The serious fear is that the American government will sink to the level of our enemies, and that a revenge-hungry public will support them.
Yes, throwing Hitler in jail in 1924 really prevented a lot of problems.
THAT'S leadership in Greely's little mind!
He is right.Americans have been more like the entire population of Hiroshima for a battle ship. A million Germans for a Lusitania or a media idiot just for being stupid.
Ah yes, sure sign of a clintonite.
Probably the best thing would be to not read him, and not subscribe to any paper that carries his column. That is what I intend to do.
What happened to these voices? Did they continue throughout the war? Were they silenced? Did they change their tune? Are there any octogenarian Freepers out there who can tell us? |
Hey Andy, they KILLED as many as 10,000 of us. If we don't kill them, they kill MORE. GOT IT. Hello. McFly, anyone home?
Yet no one--certainly not the president or any of those around him--is promising that we will avoid action that might lead to the death of more innocents.
War is Hell. Innocents are killed in any war. German innocents were killed. Japanese Innocents were killed. US Innocents were JUST killed.
Moreover, who are ''they'' with whom we must get even--30, 40, even a hundred fanatics? We must apprehend and punish criminals.
This is war. They aren't 'criminals'. They are the ENEMY.
Then what? Will we nuke Kabul or Baghdad? Will we blow Afghanistan from the 10th century back into the first? Will mass murder satisfy American blood lust?
No Dipshit. It's not about bloodlust anymore. It's about stopping the enemy before they kill more of us. Do you want Chicago to be hit next?
Do we want to become indistinguishable from our enemies? It would appear that many of us do.
Shut the hell up. It order to stop these mass genocide committing fanatics, it requires us to do things that we don't want to do. I don't want an Anthrax bomb hitting this country. If the Jihadists are all dead or scared, that won't happen. If we back down, they will do that one of these days.
Pearl Harbor analogy is frivolous and dangerous. There is no militaristic enemy bent on conquering half the world. Pure Horseshit. The Jihads want to destroy the "Great Satan".
Indeed, if anyone is to be blamed for the tragedies in New York and Washington, it is Congress, which has not passed bipartisan legislation that would have improved our intelligence services.
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO. Are you that F'ING STUPID. The only ones to blame are the JIHADS. They CHOSE to destroy the WTC.
The too-easy use of the term "war" is scary. With whom are we to go to war? Iraq? Iran? Afghanistan? How will we fight them?
By any means necessary.
The other is Lyndon B. Johnson, who did not stand up to the military and escalated the war in Vietnam.
LBJ and Westmoreland and others micromanaged this and that was a politicians was fought with one hand behind the troops backs. Vietnam was winnable if it wasn't for the politicians. GWB should learn from that. Turn the military lose and let them run it.
For all of Bush's fervent piety when he demands that God bless America, he does not seem to grasp that the religion to which he subscribes teaches that vengeance belongs to the Lord, not to us.
God also allows for defending ourselves, and THAT's what we are doing.
Such claims are nonsense. The serious fear is that the American government will sink to the level of our enemies, and that a revenge-hungry public will support them.
Pick a better country jackass, and move there.
DFU - This belongs in the Hall of Shame.
Come on sleepy head,
it's been such a long long while.
That the world's almost forgotten
the brilliance of your smile.
Let's fly to Damascus
We'll go skipping cross the dunes.
We'll have such fun, we'll outshine the Sun,
and shout echoes off the Moon.
My bright shining boyo,
you've been sleeping far too long.
Time to climb from your deep deep bed,
and sing your happy song.
Come open your present,
take a look what you just got.
A brand new cobalt jacket!
Man I tell you these are hot.
Little Boy time to go now -
Bring your friend the Fat Man too.
We'll have such fun, we'll outshine the Sun,
and dance in the dust of Kabul.
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Someone 80 years old or so could probably tell us whether this sort of "let's be reasonable about these 5,000 murders" silliness was circulating in the press in the weeks following the attack on Pearl Harbor.