A Grave Reminder and Much Gratitude

[Pilgrim]

Of course, maritime piracy is at an all-time high point right now, and there seems to be little anyone can do about it. Fewer than 5% are ever caught.

Not a very promising precedent or omen, methinks. Unfortunately, the parallel seems reasonably appropriate to me.

 

[Paisley]

There is an article on the methods of fighting terrorism, and the issues of privacy and fairness, in today's Wall Street Journal. The link is free.

I, myself, would not want to be on a jury trying someone with alleged ties to terrorist organizations.

Scotrace, that's an interesting comparison between terrorism and piracy. If I remember right, that's what the U.S. Marines were doing "on the shores of Tripoli." At that point (the early 1800s), American ships were still being harassed by England and other countries as well as pirates, despite our determination to stay out of their conflicts.

 

[Lincsong]

Considering that a 1995 bombing used nitro-impregnated cotton, a watch and a couple of batteries, I can see why carry-ons are being restricted. I don't have a problem with gels, liquids, toothpaste and hair goo being kept out of carry-ons. Any of those could be used to carry an inner container of explosive, or could be set up to mix with another fluid.

Who NEEDS to carry their toothpaste or hair goo on a plane? No one.

Well, considering that I've lost several checked bags and it usually takes 24-36 hours for them to find and deliver them to the hotel, I like to carry my toothpaste, shaving cream, hair gel, toothbrush, disposable razor, one pair of clean underwear in the carry-on. Plus I have a 5 0'clock shadow at 2 p.m., Therefore, I place these in my carry-on because if the checked bag gets lost, at least I'll be presentable in the morning.

 

[Andykev]

Dignity? CANNOT HAPPEN

"We must combat terrorists, but we must do it with dignity.:
"

You cannot combat terrorist "with dignity". Killing humans, be they enemies of the state, terrorists, Nazi's, or whatever....is not dignified.

It has to be NECESSARY, LEGAL, and done within JUSTICE of the society.

The victor determines what is just, and history will determine the morality of the deed.

When I said "ruthless", remember, "it is a cold heart that kills". You have to not only match the threat with equal violence, but you have to exceed the threat to win.

I want to win. WE, US, Christians, Americans, Brits...etc. We cannot cave in or concede. This is WAR. Do not deny it. Your own countrymen did unspeakable acts in WWII against an attacking force, the NAZI's. What is different now? Except the muslem is not wearing a uniform, and marching to "Deutchland Uber Alles".

 

[Lincsong]

I want to win. WE, US, Christians, Americans, Brits...etc. We cannot cave in or concede. This is WAR. Do not deny it. Your own countrymen did unspeakable acts in WWII against an attacking force, the NAZI's. What is different now? Except the muslem is not wearing a uniform, and marching to "Deutchland Uber Alles".

Or willing to commit hari-kiri in the name of the Emperor whom they believed was descended from the Sun God.:rage:

 

[Dietrich]

I want to win. WE, US, Christians, Americans, Brits...etc. We cannot cave in or concede. This is WAR. Do not deny it. Your own countrymen did unspeakable acts in WWII against an attacking force, the NAZI's. What is different now? Except the muslem is not wearing a uniform, and marching to "Deutchland Uber Alles".

I can't speak for Americans, but the British never did anything unspeakable during the second world war. We fought and we killed but we did that in accordance with our moral and legal values. POWs were treated with respect. Medics were never attacked. Neutral countries were left untouched. We did not ransack, we did not rape. Enemy spies were indeed executed, but were tried fairly. We behaved as gentlemen when faced with the gravest threat to civilisation and we prevailed with our heads held high. You and your family will not know what it is like to experience Blitzkreig, to see cities like Sheffield literally levelled by German bombs, to make a two ounce butter ration last a week, to see sixty thousand civillians killed. We were sustained by our moral superiority over the Nazis. Not nationalism or hatred, but the knowledge that we were right, they were wrong and history would judge us so.

Today we are fighting for justice and liberty. If winning means the cold-blooded killing of civillians, the abolition of constitutional/magna carta rights and the trampling of sovereignty then may we hang our heads in shame at winning the battle and losing what we fought for. Al-Qaeda will not invade, nor will they storm the White House or Downing Street. There are no military objectives, no land to capture, no borders to control. Their weapon is fear, they fight for the territory of our attitudes, ideas and laws. If we lose our dignity in this battle, we lose it to the terrorists. Every law we break and core value we ignore is given as a victory to the very people we are fighting. We cannot claim to be fighting for liberty and justice if we give up those values in the battle.

 

[Harp]

Life, Liberty, and Justice

There is much truth to your perspective that we should not forfeit
common decency, values, or rights to life, liberty, and justice while
fighting a determined foe.

 

[carebear]

drifted, sorry

My hat is off to those who attempt to do their jobs and help ensure our safety while remaining within the bounds of the Constitution.

 

["Doc" Devereux]

Going back to where this started

And even then it's a little fftopic:

 

[Paisley]

More Analogies

There was an article in the last Hoover Digest comparing this war with the Spartan-Athenian war. Athens was a little like the United States--prosperous, cosmopolitan, a leader of the civilized world. Sparta was more primitive and generally considered less important--and it attacked Athens.

To make another analogy, long before the time of Christ, and even before Buddha, India was a advanced, peaceful, matriarchal society. The Aryans of central Asia were more primitive and patriarchal--and they attacked India.

The Indians and Athenians (our counterparts) were beaten.

The Aryans introduced the caste system to India, which survives, albeit illegally, to this day.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

[QUOTE="Doc" Devereux]And even then it's a little fftopic:
IMAGE REMOVED FOR SPACE[/QUOTE]

lol lol lol lol lol lol lol

bk

 

[Briscoeteque]

There was an article in the last Hoover Digest comparing this war with the Spartan-Athenian war. Athens was a little like the United States--prosperous, cosmopolitan, a leader of the civilized world. Sparta was more primitive and generally considered less important--and it attacked Athens.

To make another analogy, long before the time of Christ, and even before Buddha, India was a advanced, peaceful, matriarchal society. The Aryans of central Asia were more primitive and patriarchal--and they attacked India.

The Indians and Athenians (our counterparts) were beaten.

The Aryans introduced the caste system to India, which survives, albeit illegally, to this day.

I don't know much about India, but Athens lost the Pelopannesian wars because they completely alienated the rest of the Greek world with their arrogence. Very few city states sided with Athens because of Athens' lack of respect for her prosperous trading allies, like Corinth. That's hardly an example of anything.

Now I think the US position about keeping flights safe makes sense, but they should also allow shops in the secure area to sell things like toothpaste and shaving utilities. The UK's restrictions are far too much, however. They can't bring books through the security, or laptops, or iPods. Everything they can have, which is very little, has to be in a clear ziplock bag. Should those levels of restrictions reach the US, things could get very bad. People would decide to stay home rather than face that kind of aggrevation, and believe it or not, less tourism would put some serious hurt on the economy. The alternatives the airplane travel, like trains and buses, are absolutely awful shape, and the Airline companies already have to be bailed out by the Government just to stay open.