I feel bad for Americans and how biased they are by their own media. As
a Canadian I have a unique perspective. We get both American and
Brittish media (and Canadian which is somewhere in the middle).
Americans have no idea what is causing this terrorism. They literally
didn't see it coming. US media shows nothing about what the negative
effets of their foreign policy and how the actions that bred this kind
of hatred incited this menace. They just don't know why. This is a
social level conflict, between two social giants, and that's it. Canada
and Britain beleive in freedom too, why is it that the US was targetted?
It's as plain to me as the nose on my face. Because of the thousands
that have been killed in the middle east. If my brother/father/mother
were killed I would want revenge too. Like the US blaming the Taliban
for Osama's actions, the terrorists blamed the US for Israel's actions.
And the connection is not entirely non-existant in either case. The US
can't afford to support Israel now though, if it means risking it's own
safety, and in that respect the terrorists will win, even if they are
all destroyed in the process.
Rob
> Lawrence, Jon, Platt, All,
>
> Sorry to butt into this discussion, but I haven't said anything in a
> while
> and I have some time before class starts. So here goes. . . .
>
> Platt wrote:
>
> We don't hear much from Muslims leaders who admire the West. Who
> are they? What do they admire about the West? How come Muslim
> clerics don't speak out against the Taliban?
>
> Didn't you see all those imams on TV denouncing the terrorist acts of
> the
> Taliban? What about Pakistan pledging support to the US in finding
> Osama bin
> Laden?
>
> Also:
>
> Radical Muslims are against Christianity, the religion of the West. US
> policies in Arab and Muslim worlds have largely been supported by
> other Western nations. The last few American interventions abroad--in
> Kuwait, Somalia and the Balkans--were all conducted in defense of
> Muslims. If Israel is what you have in mind, let us not forget that
> the UN
> created it.
>
> Radical Muslims are against foreign policy of the US, such as the
> sanctions
> in Iraq, more than they are Christianity. Also, whenever Israel
> violates the
> UN security council resolutions, the security council vote to
> reprimand it is
> always 14 to 1; the US being the only nation that lets Israel get away
> with
> these violations. There have been more than 69, if I am not mistaken.
> (I'll
> know for sure when Jonathan starts going off on me.)
>
> Platt:
>
> Hate is no excuse for terrorism. The only possible conversation
> between intellect/society and biological acts of terrorism is a
> soldier
> with a gun.
>
> No matter how many times you keep spouting this phrase, it is still
> the
> responsibility of the US to examine its foreign policy. I am not
> saying that
> this has anything to do with the attacks on the US; this is a
> completely
> different subject. I am not blaming the US for being attacked.
> However, we
> should be aware of how powerful hate is and we should take steps to
> present
> our country and what it stands for truthfully to the people of other
> nations
> in order to quell their hatred. How can you blame them for hating us
> when
> their media are constantly bombarding them with images of us being the
> 'Great
> Satan?'
>
> Platt:
>
> Please name the countries in the Muslim world which are liberal
> democracies
>
> Egypt and Pakistan are two, i believe.
>
> As a sidenote, let me say that I have heard plenty of offensive jokes
> that I
> won't repeat about Afghanistan and the Middle East in general where I
> am, and
> it makes me sick. It's this kind of stereotyping by supposedly
> intelligent
> people that is the cause for much of the ignorance about the Middle
> East.
> There's the attitude of, "They weren't born in the richest country in
> the
> world, so I can make fun of their culture and then enjoy watching
> Britney
> Spears dancing around like a filthy whore."
> And I am afraid to say anything against them because I may be
> perceived as a
> supporter of terrorism.
>
> Platt:
>
> Let us agree at the outset that it is "openess and
> inquiry"--the very things we value so highly--that the Tailban wants
> to
> snuff out.
>
> Agreed.
>
> Rasheed
>
>
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