Realist, the Hitler comment was in response to yours about voting and was not intended to be a flame towards you, just a comment. When I was in Germany, I got very few to discuss Hitler with me, but of those that did, all echoed that Hitler was voted in by one third of the voters, but that something like only 20% turned out. That is what I mean by voter apathy. It is just an illustration of what can happen when we depend on others to vote in our leaders and we ourselves become apathetic towards selecting leaders. Once in power and by pitting one group against another and the deep depression Germany was in, Hitler garnered even more votes.
For your comments on the two political parties, I have to agree. Personally, I don't care much for it being basically a two party system. I would even go so far as to call for the disbandment of political parties and start seeking national interest over party interest. With the constant changing of which party is in control, we are basically on a roller coaster ride with government. And, we, the members of middle class America are stuck between two controlling interest groups, the wealthy and the lower class. We end up footing the bill for both of them.
As to why we are targeted, it is all of western culture being targeted, of which we are the largest and wealthiest, so the juiciest target. Many of our freedoms, especially towards women, go against the radical teachings of the terrorist groups who wish to once again be a world power. Along with that, we also have the radical christians who would also destroy them and any who disagree with them. The only difference so far is that they haven't organized well enough to attack mainstream America, in my opinion.
But, we also have a very effective military that would be used to quell an armed insurrection by these radical christian groups too. Radical Islam does not seem to have that force to face in their own countries, so it falls on the free west to free the world of these radical groups. We have been apathetic too long and allowed these groups to get a very deep and effective foothold, so it will be a very long and protracted fight to root them out and destroy them. My prayer is that they also go after the other terrorists groups before they rise up against us too. By that, I mean the Klan and White Supremacists and other radical right groups here in the US. I would hate to see them wait until they have grown as well organized as radical Islam is today.
Lew W
