Quote:
Originally posted by Lady Pi Phi
I'm not trying to start a fight here, but I will play the devil's advocate for a moment.
Maybe, just maybe the old saying "you can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped" applies here. Maybe there is a reason (and I'm not saying it's a good one) for their actions. And maybe, no matter the good intentions of the US, they just don't want you there.
Also, it seems that it is always the "super powers" that are held to a higher standard. You are expected to behave a certain way, and when you (speaking generally of course) don't, the world is a hell of a lot more critical.
So what really needs to happen is a global attitude adjustment.
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No problem with being held to a higher standard. I expected my troops to conduct themselves honorably and I believe that we should not tolerate anything less on our part. However, I do not agree with applying a lower standard to "them". That would certainly be an act of gross patronizing.
Whatever their reasons there can be no excuse for terrorism and murder as a policy of action. They may not want to be helped but that does not give them license to murder anyone anywhere and if they choose to attack us at home then they should expect to reap the whirlwind. Please note that I use the word "them" in a collective sense refering to terrorists.
I am saddened by the turn around in attitude. When we took out the few Iraqi units that wanted to fight and chased off the others that wanted to run the people came out and tearfully thanked us for rescueing them from the horror of Saddam and his Ba'ath thugs. We heard horrific stories from countless ordinary people about really terrible acts of barbarity. They were overcome with gratitude for our intervention on their behalf. Now they seem to have the attitude that it was all right for us to bleed to set them free but now please go away and stop polluting their "sacred" land. To me the only thing sacred about that land is that which was sanctified by the blood of those, both US and Iraqi, who lifted the horror from their backs at the cost of their own lives.
Since it is our announced intention to get out and go home as soon as they have a stable government that can function on its own it seems to me to be more productive to work toward that end rather than try to derail the efforts towards stability.
Now, this comment is Iraq centered but my thoughts extend to extremists throughout the area. Time to grow up kiddies.