Comments on: Eight Years Later

By: Travis

Travis — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 19:49:35 +0000

Chance – If a person wanted to attack another person, he would obviously want to find some reasoning to justify doing so. I understand the theories, and I understand Al Qaeda’s arguments, but in the court of deductive reasoning, they don’t wash.

I realize we had a base in Saudi Arabia when we ran Iraq out of Kuwait during Desert Storm. Does that justify killing 3000 innocent Americans? I realize we fought in Afghanistan, WITH the Muslim world, to run the Soviets out from 1979 to 1989. Surely that doesn’t justify killing 3000 Americans. While our foreign presence was strong in the decades before 9/11, there was still no real justification for a preemptive strike. I recommend Peter Bergen’s book “The Osama Bin Laden I know” for a detailed account of Al Qaeda’s reasoning for why they attacked us; they basically throw everything against the wall to see what could stick for justifying 9/11. I argued above that we should bring Bin Laden to justice for a sense of closure in the matter.

And when I said Americans were being Americans, I mean an American brand of capitalism and commercialism was offensive to Radical Islam, which is stuck in the 3rd Century in every sense of the word, besides the fact that they have 1980s era armament, brought to them courtesy of the American presence during their Afghan-Soviet War (aka Charlie Wilson’s War).

We can’t go back and do everything perfectly, in what you call ideal foreign policy, in the vein of Thomas Jefferson, now promoted by Ron Paul. I’ve read his book, too, and understand his argument, too, but this is the classic argument between idealism and realism; foreign policy lives in the real world, and not in a philosophy book. I think we have a lot to learn about our foreign policy to avoid any “nation-building,” but we must remember that, like it or not, as the sheriff in the saloon, we have responsibilities in the world, and must live up to them, if we are to remain a powerful and free nation.

By: Chance

Chance — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 05:45:42 +0000

aha! Americans were being Americans. Or, Americans were busy being Americans. Or, perhaps Americans were, just being Americans. Not sure how you mean that. But, I do believe that your right about what our number one goal should be. I also agree that would should live in the present. But, one that doesnt learn history is sure to repeat it. I find it hard to believe that people in the Ancient Near East/Middle East dont resent American Foreign Policy. In the world that we have created it would be hard to have, what I would call, an Ideal FP. But, I do believe we could take some strides in trying to maybe make living with most Sunni sects happen. Osama bin Laden, to me, is in great control of these “radical islams”. And sure, maybe if we cut of the head the snake will die. But to whole-heartedly believe that they hate us because of Capitalism and Christianity is hard for me to do. Now, as Im sure Jack is going to point out, Christianity and Capitalism is enough to start a global Jihad against the U.S. I know this. But before the first Gulf War, when Bin Laden was still fighting Soviets I think he started to entertain this idea of Americans in his head. He was undoubtedly mad that the Americans pulled out of Afganistan. And, maybe he finally realized that Afganistan was the “Soviet Vietnam”. Maybe he realized that nobody cared about Afganistan(the only “true” islamic country in his eyes before his time) and that, just like Korea and Vietnam, Afganistan was being used for the Cold War. Sometime in 2003 he said, “We believe that the worst thieves in the world today and the worst terrorists are the Americans. Nothing could stop you except perhaps retaliation in kind.We do not have to differentiate between military or civilian. As far as we are concerned, they are all targets.”

And Im not even going to go into Clinton’s bombing of the middle East during the 90′s. Although, it would contribute to our bad image.

Maybe its too late to change how we are viewed by the world. If so then so be it. But I believe, either way, its important that Americans think about the above and see that maybe we could have prevented it.

By: Mama D

Mama D — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 03:06:56 +0000

Thank you for reminding us what it’s all about. I am so proud of you!

By: Travis

Travis — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 00:39:55 +0000

Americans were attacked because they were Americans. If you’re talking about “blowback” specifically, Charlie Wilson’s War, or our military presence abroad, I’ll entertain the idea, but we are here now, and must live in the present, preparing for the future by what we have learned in the past; that’s why I finished the post on that particular note. Obviously, though, your question is rhetorical, so you tell me what we should do now. Go home for good? Ignore the 3000 smoldering bodies? Or something else, and if so, what?

By: Chance

Chance — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 00:01:23 +0000

Travis, why do you think 9-11 happened? Why do you think Islamic radicals killed over 3000 americans gladly? Just curious.