Skip to comments.
THEY JUST WON'T GET IT
New York Post ^
| 9/10/02
| DAVID GELERNTER
Posted on 09/10/2002 1:41:04 AM PDT by kattracks
Edited on 05/26/2004 5:08:26 PM PDT by Jim Robinson.
[history]
September 10, 2002 -- THE towers fell; a chasm opened in Manhattan - and another chasm revealed itself in the moral make-up of the nation. The philosophical divide is so deep, it is hard to explain in words. On the other hand, not all the news is bad. Much is profoundly good.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-20, 21-40, 41-56 next last
1
posted on
09/10/2002 1:41:04 AM PDT
by
kattracks
To: kattracks
You know we got hit bad if uberliberal NY Times is even being pro-American.
2
posted on
09/10/2002 1:42:19 AM PDT
by
Monty22
To: kattracks
I agree with much said.
HOWEVER, UNDERSTANDING IS FAR BETTER THAN IGNORANCE OR LACK OF UNDERSTANDING.
IT MAY COST pride, or sensibilities or comfort or a lot of things but understanding is still better than lack of understanding.
Even if sister was murdered--understanding could afford more peace and quasi-closure than lack of understanding gnawing endlessly at one's heart, mind and soul.
3
posted on
09/10/2002 1:48:20 AM PDT
by
Quix
To: kattracks
UNDERSTANDING
IS
*******NOT*******
EQUAL
TO
JUSTIFICATION OR EXCUSING SOMETHING.
4
posted on
09/10/2002 1:49:01 AM PDT
by
Quix
To: kattracks
The professor directly across the hall (a world-famous mathematician) responded by printing a flag on a departmental printer, posting it in the center of a bulletin boards and then, when some unknown person unposted it, printing and posting it again - and this time it stayed.
when some unknown person unposted it, ...hmmmm!
To: Monty22
It's not The New York Times, Monty22--it's the Post (owned by conservative Rupert Murdoch.) The Times wouldn't touch this one with a ten-foot pole.
To: Quix
The very thought that an 8th century culture can live in peace with a 21st century culture is to put a lie to any claim of "intellectualism" on the left. Navel gazing is no substitute for rational risk assessment.
To: Quix
You're right. Understanding is a good thing. So let's all go nuts trying to understand a group of people who defy understanding. Then let's grind them into the ground.
8
posted on
09/10/2002 1:53:55 AM PDT
by
kattracks
To: Quix
CODSWALLOP !
This isn't a " turn the other cheek " kind of thing. It's a life and death ( as well as death to the Chritian and Jewish faths ) kinda thing. Those who took the tome, to " understand " the mentality behind 9/11 know this. WHY DON'T YOU ?
" CLOSURE " ? Oh yes, those of us, who actually lost people we knew, and real patriots, want " closure" ; just NOT, evidently, what you appear to mean by that word and your example.
9
posted on
09/10/2002 1:59:07 AM PDT
by
nopardons
To: Calico Cat
Heh, sorry about that and thanks for the correction.
10
posted on
09/10/2002 2:04:08 AM PDT
by
Monty22
To: kattracks
Understanding is great... we've spent one whole year in undrestanding. Now it's "Their" turn to do some "understanding".
To: Quix
We understand very well, we understand that we have been attacked by a large to very large group, known as Islamists, who are determined to do many evil things for evil reasons. Seeing that we have a complete understanding of them, it is now time for us to make absolutely certain that none of these evil people are in a position to do any more harm. Unfortunately it is likely to require that we kill them all.
To: Lucius Cornelius Sulla
I'm greived by those facts but can readily concur. . . in principle. I might quibble about "all" but certainly all those with any hint of such stridency would be far safer to us dead than alive.
I hate death and violence, and for sure war.
But usually, death dealers only understand death--and quit dealing out death only upon their . . . DEATH.
13
posted on
09/10/2002 2:15:03 AM PDT
by
Quix
To: kattracks
Understanding in this instance is merely following the advice of Sun Tsu:
Know thy enemy, know thyself, in a thousand battles, a thousand victories.
We should acquire knowledge of the Islamists and about their culture for the purposes of assessing their weaknesses and destroying them.
Regards, Ivan
14
posted on
09/10/2002 2:16:29 AM PDT
by
MadIvan
To: MadIvan
Spot on; as always. :-)
To: nopardons
Spot on; as always. :-) I would hasten to add that one of their key weaknesses is their lack of appreciation for genuine ladies. ;)
Not a malady, I am happy to say, that I suffer from. ;)
Regards, Ivan
16
posted on
09/10/2002 2:21:38 AM PDT
by
MadIvan
To: kattracks
He was a professor in the humanities (although not at Yale, where I teach); he said, The right approach to the events of 9/11 is to try to understand just why those people hate us so much, or words to the effectIf someone even DARED to talk like that to me, I think I would turn around and seriously say, "You know, you are right. I am glad you agree with me. I have always thought we needed to understand Hitler better. He was SO misunderstood. What Nazi Germany REALLY needed was compassion. We just didn't understand the German Nazi culture at that time. Do you know how repressed they were by the superpowers?"
I could go on and on. I bet that would shut them up in a hurry.
To: Monty22
Couldn't have been that bad...This was the New York Post.
To: kattracks
Words don't escape you here!!! I just love your statement.. I might have to use it a few times today, hope you don't mind.....
19
posted on
09/10/2002 3:42:57 AM PDT
by
.45MAN
To: Quix
That "understanding" is brutally simple. The want to kill you because of what you believe and effects of what you believe on the surrounding world.
It is good to be able to identify those who want to kill you and to be able to predict their behavior if at all possible. Beyond that it soon becomes a waste of resources.
Did we need to understand Nazism or Japanese kamikazes to defeat them? I hope to never be able to fully "understand" either of these in my lifetime.
If you want to get down to it, is it possible to understand why someone killed your daughter? Is it possible to "understand" insanity and/or evil?
This isn't a trade dispute
Just my opinion...
20
posted on
09/10/2002 4:10:55 AM PDT
by
DB
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-20, 21-40, 41-56 next last
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.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson