I understand emotionally where some (many) of you are coming from on this, but I
don't think that's the correct course of action. Sure, I want to see someone get
spanked big-time for this, but nuking a country of civilians isn't the answer.
Neither is attempting genocide against any group.
First, Afghanistan is in the middle of a revolution right now. The Taliban is in
control of most of the country and is harboring Osama bin Laden. But does that
make all Afghani citizens guilty? How many of us would like to be personally
blamed for the actions of (choose one or more) Bush/Clinton/Reagan/Nixon/etc.?
The bombing in Kabul today was probably in retaliation for the attempted
asassination of the opposition leader a few days ago. Would I like to see the
Taliban taken out? Sure. WOuld I like to see all the citizens killed for
something they had no control over? No.
Second, if we escalate to nukes, that will make the terrorists feel justified in
using chemical or biological weapons against us (or any other Western power for
that matter). Not a pretty picture. They may get to that point anyway, but let's
not give them the excuse.
Third, if we strike back against a civilian target, that will make them hate us
even more. Then we devolve on both sides into the same vicious cycle of
attack/counterattack that is engulfing the whole Middle East right now. "Give in
to the dark side of the Force and forever will it rule your life." Okay, so a
fictional movie character said it, it's still true.
Finally, genocide has been attempted by many groups over the centuries and it
has always failed. Nazi Germany. Pol Pot regime in Cambodia. Indonesia in East
Timor. The list goes on and on. It ALWAYS fails. The side attempting it is
always condemned by history.
It isn't a matter of being politically correct, it is a question of being
morally correct. If we are going to be the bastion of freedom and fairness, and
also be the biggest kid on the block, we MUST act with some restraint. Strength,
yes, but carefully targeted and applied with restraint. Notice how quiet Moammar
Khaddafi has been lately?
Gordon Glasgow
Renton, WA
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net
> [mailto:owner-datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net]On Behalf Of
> jon_wissler@pngc.com
> Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2001 5:29 PM
> To: datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net
> Subject: Re: Tragedy in the USA -Eyewitness Account
>
>
> Here here on the nukes. I'm tired of being everybody elses politically
> correct whipping boy. Call me a redneck, but I'm tired of it. The rest
> of the world community seems to live by their own rules, I say it's time
> to take some people "out" that cause a huge danger to the 95% of us that
> try to live peacefully and respectfully with one another.
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