American imperialism to support economic excesses in out own country will not be tolerated by the world community. It is the one sure way to assure more terrorism.
Richard W.
These people were flea-bitten nomads, wandering around on top of huge wealth--and completely oblivious until we showed up, gave them the technology to access it, and made them zillionaires. Imperialism, eh? We made them hugely wealthy (at least the rulers, who only rarely seem to give a rat's a$$ about the 'common man') and have trillion-dollar Swiss bank accounts.
We've been paying them handsomely for the oil they could not use; what have we got?...terrorism. Now you suggest that taking the oil will cause terrorism.
If as I suggest we go to nuclear power and learn to exploit methane hydrates, we can kiss them a fond farewell and let them return to the 7th century. Of course, this might anger them and cause terrorism, eh?
Fact: these people understand only power, force, and fear. They respond only to those proven to be stronger and more ruthless. They hate our culture because we are clearly superior and they can't stand the humiliation.
As I have pointed out ('WE' being Western Culture):
• WE can send people to space and the moon, they cannot.
• WE can fly people and goods around the planet; they cannot.
• WE produce medical miracles that heal plagues that have tormented humanity for thousands of years; THEY can only use medical technology as an instrument of terror.
• WE invented computers, electric motors, AC current, the internal combustion engine, communications satellites, robots, miraculous chemicals, steel, composites, superconductors, semiconductors, television, radio, etc....THEY did not.
• The last contribution of the Islamic world to humanity was "Arabic numerals".
This causes an intolerable sense of humiliation to a backward culture which holds itself superior to all others.
This is not about Israel or "imperialism". It is part of a multi-century clash of cultures. Islam is expansionist; its clearly stated aim is to literally convert the entire world to its point of view. A free Western culture must eventually deal with such a threat. We may as well get it over with now, when there are only one billion of them.
--Boris
Oops. I left this one out. How rich.
"Economic excesses?" Who decides? I presume you are referring, e.g., to SUVs. Shall we put Richard W. in charge of what kind of vehicles people get to drive?
If Bill Gates can afford the upkeep on a Gigantor SUV, including the gas bill, what business is it of yours?
One man's economic excess is another man's reasonable standard of living. Our "economic excesses" seem to be what everybody else in the world wants.
"Economic excesses" are code words for radical egalitarianism--the philosophy which seeks to make everyone equal by making everyone equally poor.
I invite you to cease your own economic excess. Give all you own to the poor, and wander as a mendicant seeking alms. Live the lifestyle of Mother Teresa, or Heinrich Sosa. Then you might have the moral authority to remark on "economic excesses" from your $1500 Gateway computer, running on electricity generated from fossil fuels, having just completed Christmas dinner running to 3500 calories.
H-Y-P-O-C-R-I-T-E.
--Boris
This view is terrible. It is often used by liberals. It puts the blame for terrorism on our shoulders. It apologizes to terrorists for our national policy. It says that our actions have brought about terrorism and any continued action on our part which makes anybody mad is going to create more terror. There is no solution if you really feel this way.