jtom
Level 3 Rank
Posts: 248
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Post by jtom on Feb 27, 2010 19:20:51 GMT
SCPG02: Sorry, my take on Afghanistan is that it had something to do with capturing a guy hiding there named Bin Laden, who seems to have orchestrated an event in NYC, and those who protect him, calling themselves AL-QAEDA. What is the real reason the US is in Afghanistan? Are we anxious to gain control over all the poppy fields? Are we eager for a 51st state? Do we just like to waste billions of dollars and getting our own young adults killed just for fun?
Please enlighten me.
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jtom
Level 3 Rank
Posts: 248
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Post by jtom on Feb 27, 2010 19:46:53 GMT
aj1983: Thanks in return. One caveat that should have been mentioned is the danger in comparing the US to just about any other country in the world. Until recently, most countries, Western Europe in particular, had a high cultural homogeniety of its citizens. That is, most (note the 'most') of the population shared similar backrounds, common morals and social behavior, shared beliefs, religion, work ethic ... even similar physical characteristics. This has as obvious impact on consensus building as to what and how to do things collectively. It even impacts such things as the crime rate, and although I haven't researched it, I bet there's less income desparity, too.
The US has never had a homogeneous population. As late as pre-WWI, more than 6% of American schoolchildren received their primary education in German! Today, many are taught in Spanish. Where ever there is a difference between people, there tends to be a divide. There are cultural clashes and disagreements. Inevitably, instead of accepting 'different' as meaning simply that, there are those who think in terms of 'better' and 'worse'. Members of groups will support each other first, before non-members. And there are those who don't fit, or don't want to fit, in with any group. The mingling of every culture in the world in one country manifests problems that must be dealt with that no other country has had to face. The one common culture which we have tried to impress on each other is that, somehow, we will all try to live together (compare how the US responded in WW2 - merging all the cultures together for a common cause - with Germany's divisive 'it's them or us' attitude resulting in anyone perceived as 'different' being executed on sight.).
So I get irritated when the US is compared to other countries. We are unique. Those places in the world where multi-culturalism is evolving (primarily due to immigration) are beginning to experience the same growing pains this country has been dealing with since day one - and they are beginning to understand the problems which the US has managed (sometimes with great diffulty and a civil war) to work through for the last 200+ years.
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Post by scpg02 on Feb 27, 2010 21:15:09 GMT
SCPG02: Sorry, my take on Afghanistan is that it had something to do with capturing a guy hiding there named Bin Laden, who seems to have orchestrated an event in NYC, and those who protect him, calling themselves AL-QAEDA. What is the real reason the US is in Afghanistan? Are we anxious to gain control over all the poppy fields? Are we eager for a 51st state? Do we just like to waste billions of dollars and getting our own young adults killed just for fun? Please enlighten me. Your sarcasm tells me you don't want to be enlightened. You think you already know the truth and scoff at any information to the contrary. So what would be the point?
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jtom
Level 3 Rank
Posts: 248
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Post by jtom on Feb 27, 2010 23:14:20 GMT
I think the point would prove that you actually knew something about why the US is in Afghanistan instead of making unsubstantiated, ignorant remarks.
I'm not the only one reading this board. If you want the reputation of a left-coast, know-nothing, insulting, liberal looney, hey, that's your decision.
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Post by scpg02 on Feb 27, 2010 23:44:17 GMT
I think the point would prove that you actually knew something about why the US is in Afghanistan instead of making unsubstantiated, ignorant remarks. I'm not the only one reading this board. If you want the reputation of a left-coast, know-nothing, insulting, liberal looney, hey, that's your decision. LOL now that is funny. You engage in personal attacks and at the same time claim I'm insulting. Hmmm.
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jtom
Level 3 Rank
Posts: 248
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Post by jtom on Feb 28, 2010 5:25:29 GMT
"You have no clue what is going on." I believe those were your words, SCPG. If you're going to launch an unprovoked attack, don't complain about the response. You are insulting, and you earned the reply I gave. Bet it struck pretty close to the truth. If you walk like a duck, quack like a duck, and look like a duck....
You should back up your remarks or go troll somewhere else.
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Post by hairball on Feb 28, 2010 5:47:59 GMT
In late 2000 the Taliban declared opium growing and heroin production illegal. Those people the evil Taliban were beheading in crowded football stadiums? They were drug dealers. The Taliban waged the only successful war on drugs in history. Explain to me why the US is in Afghanistan jtom. Pretend I'm stupid. 'cos I'm not terribly impressed with 2 of my fellow Irish citizens being turned into gangsters/prostitutes every day because your government and their allies couldn't be arsed napalming poppy plantations while searching for a single man. Attachments:
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Post by sigurdur on Feb 28, 2010 6:09:47 GMT
The US is in Afgan because of oil. The pipeline needs to be built......right?
Actually, the military industrial complex is breaking the US and it doesn't care.
The US people have become cowards, lead by the fears from the "supposed" leaders. They are willing to sacrifice the nation for nothing. For the life of me, I can't understand how easily they have been swayed and follow the lies.
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Post by scpg02 on Feb 28, 2010 6:18:02 GMT
"You have no clue what is going on." I believe those were your words, SCPG. If you're going to launch an unprovoked attack, don't complain about the response. You are insulting, and you earned the reply I gave. Bet it struck pretty close to the truth. If you walk like a duck, quack like a duck, and look like a duck.... You should back up your remarks or go troll somewhere else. Saying you have no clue what is going on is not an unprovoked attack but calling names, which you did, is. So let's examine the names you spewed. Ok what is a liberal? Classical liberalismI've already stated on this board at least once that I believed in limited government and greater personal freedom coupled with personal responsibility so I guess of this I am guilty. If I had to guess, I would put you in the Neo Con category but it is just a guess on my part. Left coast? Well I do live in California so again guilty. know-nothing, insulting,? I don't think anyone who has been reading my posts will buy that one. I have a large posting history on the web that anyone is free to research. I have a reputation for NOT responding with personal attacks. I think my response to you on this thread would back that up quite nicely. As for knowing nothing, well that is subjective and you are welcome to your opinions.
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Post by scpg02 on Feb 28, 2010 6:25:50 GMT
In late 2000 the Taliban declared opium growing and heroin production illegal. Those people the evil Taliban were beheading in crowded football stadiums? They were drug dealers. The Taliban waged the only successful war on drugs in history. Not only did the US invade Afghanistan 10 months after the Taliban shut down the opium but it is processed into heroine in Turkey, a US ally. I wish I had saved my links when I researched this but a quick web search brings up more than enough.
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Post by poitsplace on Feb 28, 2010 10:27:36 GMT
This sort of debate should probably take place in the general area of the boards...But seriously, any powerful nation would have retaliated under similar circumstances. It's a fairly simple "Give him to us or we'll try to get him ourselves." sort of thing.
But I think the grand conspiracy this thread is SUPPOSED to be about is either a conspiracy to take control under the threat of global warming...or a conspiracy to suppress information about global warming.
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Post by scpg02 on Feb 28, 2010 17:42:03 GMT
This sort of debate should probably take place in the general area of the boards...But seriously, any powerful nation would have retaliated under similar circumstances. It's a fairly simple "Give him to us or we'll try to get him ourselves." sort of thing. But I think the grand conspiracy this thread is SUPPOSED to be about is either a conspiracy to take control under the threat of global warming...or a conspiracy to suppress information about global warming. It's all part of the same conspiracy.
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jtom
Level 3 Rank
Posts: 248
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Post by jtom on Feb 28, 2010 18:17:30 GMT
The people of the US are in Afghanistan for one reason, and one reason only: to capture Bin Laden and Al Kaida. If any other group tries to help them, or gets in our way, then they become targets as well, which includes the Tali-ban. The average American doesn't give a flip about what's grown there or what 'good' the Tali-ban may have done. Nor do I.
If there is a 'lie' involved in us believing Laden, et al, were involved in the 9/11 attacks, or that they are somewhere in the Afghan/Pakistan region, Sigurdur, by all means explain it, but let me warn you of this: if those basic facts are true, we don't care what 'real' reasons others may have in us being in Afghanistan.
And Hairball, why aren't you asking your OWN government why they don't take this opportunity to wipe out the poppy plantations, since you are not too terribly impressed with 2 of your Irish citizens being turned into gangsters/prostitutes every day? Instead you complain that the US won't do your dirty work. That's not what we're there for. At least your gangsters/prostitutes had some degree of choice about what they are doing. The friends and acquaintances I had who died on 9/11 had no choice at all.
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dc51
Level 2 Rank
Posts: 97
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Post by dc51 on Feb 28, 2010 20:32:58 GMT
but their leadership is being put into question every time regular democratic elections take place in their respective countries. Which begs the question, are our elections real? I don't think so. The global elites in charge would never allow that. No, major elections are rigged here in the States. I am firmly convinced of this. They don't need to rig the vote, they simply have the system rigged so you can only vote for mickey mouse or donald duck and they both work for Disney, so whats the difference!! ;D
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Post by scpg02 on Feb 28, 2010 20:43:29 GMT
Which begs the question, are our elections real? I don't think so. The global elites in charge would never allow that. No, major elections are rigged here in the States. I am firmly convinced of this. They don't need to rig the vote, they simply have the system rigged so you can only vote for mickey mouse or donald duck and they both work for Disney, so whats the difference!! ;D LOL yeah that's part of it but sometimes the votes still need to be manipulated. If you start from the premise that election outcomes are predetermined then you have to ask yourself why the close election between Bush and Gore? The three disputed counties in Florida had 1.4, 1.5 and 1.6% voting error rates with the chad system. They pushed to move from chads to electronic voting machines. One state, also too close to call that year, had the latest and best electronic voting machines. Their error rate was 2.0%. So why the call to use a system that was less accurate? Simple answer, the votes are easier to rig with electronic machines. Once you take the red pill...
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