Why the world must care about anti-US terrorism

by LDH 7 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  LDH

  Made this point on another post.

  I have heard repeatedly that what happened in NYC doesn't concern the rest of the world.

  But, while watching a show on TLC last night, some really made the issue clear about whether the rest of the world needs to be involved.

  They interviewed a high-ranking government official in Nairobi, Kenya.
  This man was reminiscing on the fact that during the bombing attacks on the US embassy in 1998, Osama bin Laden was willing to sacrifice 288 Kenyan lives to kill just 12 Americans. Over 5,000 were wounded. That doesn't count the Tanzanian embassy bombing.

  Now what the hell did Kenya or Tanzania have to do with the US other than they had a US Embassy on their soil?

  This man clearly understood that the whole world must be concerned because all citizens are in danger, not just white Americans.

  Will it be different when the anti-US terrorist bring their greivance to your soil and your citizens die as a by product of killing a handful of Americans?

  Lisa
• 

  Amazing

  Hi LDH: Good points. And, we can add that the WTC involved citizens here from many other countries. So even on USA soil, the chance that people of other nations will get killed are very high. Also, when this happened, the markets worldwide were affected, and hurting people of many nations. But even if only the USA markets went down, many people from other nations invest here and got hurt. We can also add that other nations in close alliance to the USA will at sometime or another be terrorized. There are more examples, but we can see from just these that the inter-related effects are too great and go way beyond the borders of the USA to be ignored by other nations.

  Thanks again. - Amazing
• 

  Commie Chris

  Far, far more people have died as a result of U.S. sponsored terrorism and death squads and U.S. supported dictatorships than have died as a result of Islamic or Arab terrorism. Much of the world is now very close to being dragged into a war which could well spiral out of control. I care very much about the loss of innocent lives in the WTC attack. It was an evil act by very twisted people. But to ignore the fact that U.S. foreign policy has brought (and continues to bring) massive suffering to much of the world, and to ignore the fact that these policies engender outrage and anger which will lead some to respond by attacking innocent Americans, is dangerously naive. Terrorism by all sides must be stopped, but the answer is not more violence. If Americans want to go on believing the absurd lie that their foreign policy promotes freedom and democracy rather than oppression and violence, and are not prepared to look seriously in their own government's complicity in the cycle of violence, they should not expect widespread support in a one-sided, self-serving "war on terrorism".
• 

  LDH

  Commie,

  The same show interviewed a GOOD FRIEND of Osama bin Laden's--the Sudanese 'power behind the government.'

  He specifically stated, as a supporter of bin laden, that the attitude you express here:

  the fact that U.S. foreign policy has brought (and continues to bring) massive suffering to much of the world, and to ignore the fact that these policies engender outrage and anger which will lead some to respond by attacking innocent Americans, is dangerously naive

  is quite wrong!

  Instead, Osama is a religious purist who is interested in keeping women under lock and key, and not allowing any other religion other than Islam to flourish. Not allowing any other foot other than a Muslim foot to touch holy Islamic ground.Alcohol is outlawed under the Taliban controlled Afghanistan, as is the criminal act of flying a kite.

  And it can't just be Islam, my friend. It has to be his version of Islam.

  Our nation's foreign policy has nothing to do with it. Our foreign policy has helped as many or more as it has hurt. Muslim or not.

  Osama bin Laden is not against the US' foreign policy. He is a religious fanatacist at it's worst! The very existence of the US endagers his vision of the world.

  You may wish to watch for the same show upcoming on Discovery Channel or TLC later again this week.

  It's called "Behind the Terror-Understanding the Enemy."

  Your allegations are popular but without basis. According to HIS supporters and allies.
• 

  HoChiMin

  Lisa,
  Good points.

  Commie Chris,

  How do you know if all Americans believe the "absurd lie" sentence quote from you below?

  >>"If Americans want to go on believing the absurd lie that their foreign policy promotes freedom and democracy rather than oppression and violence, and are not prepared to look seriously in their own government's complicity in the cycle of violence, they should not expect widespread support in a one-sided, self-serving "war on terrorism"."<<

  Are you blaming the victims of terrorism for their governments alleged "oppression and violence"? I view terrorist acts as someone coming in my home at night with ill intent, and would do all I could to prevent harm to my family. Wouldn't you? Well we know your not from the United States, but where would you be if terrorists struck Canada? Would you run and complain or would you support in thought at least? If Canada were to need support the United states would be there without a doubt.

  Maybe you should try a little trip to Afghanistan.

  HCM
• 

  Pathofthorns

  Good points Chris.

  Unfortunately, it would seem from the American perspective that their foreign policy cannot possibly be at fault and dropping bombs on innocent people to get at the terrorists cannot possibly be considered terrorism itself.

  As for Afghanistan having laws that might seem unreasonable from the American perspective, one must be careful not to impose our standards and viewpoints just because we do not understand another's culture.

  America also forbade alchohol in the past and had very strange laws on their books by today's standards. Terrorism is the subject, not women's rights, flying kites and drinking alcohol.

  Path
• 

  Tina

  Violence against women,lack of medical care,the inability to get an education,repressive laws,under such a regime towards women IS terrorism.

  Carl Sagan on balancing openness to new ideas with skeptical scrutiny..."if you are open to the point of gullibility and have not an ounce of skeptical sense-you cannot distinguish useful ideas from worthless ones."
• 

  LDH

  Path, Chris,

  Perhaps you didn't know it, but the United States is Afghanistan's largest source of humnaitarian aid.

  We can't help it that some other countries want to be like the US.

  Path is right, alcohol was outlawed in the US at one time. And look who was running the country at that time. Religious nuts. If it were up to Jerry Falwell and his group of nitwits, there'd STILL be no alcohol.

  Not to mention, under the Taliban controlled Afghanistan, if you do commit a crime, they have gone back to the old ways of cutting off hands and arms. So, maybe going to jail for a few months for making monshine ain't the worst that could happen.

  The issue here is NOT US foreign policy; again I state the issue is that the religious fanatacists want all non Arabs removed from Arab soil because their very presence defiles their holy ground.