Compassion versus Military Action - Which Will End Global Terrorism?

In summary, the conversation discusses a report about Cheney asking for attack plans on Iran and the implications of preemptive action. The individuals have different views on whether preemptive action or responding to an attack is the best approach. They also discuss the motives behind the US foreign policy and the impact on global perception. There is also a discussion on the psychological effects of preemptive action and the potential consequences of such actions. The conversation highlights the divide in opinions and approaches to handling potential threats from Iran.
  • #71
edward said:
The U.S. will never have enough arms and spaceships, especially arms. If we don't have the arms China will send their repo man. If we want to build more arms to prevent this ... we sell more T- Bills to China.

All China has to do is stop all shipments of goods to the USA. In six months we will be on our knees. We no longer have factories that make consumer goods, or haven't you noticed.
The loss of Chia-Pets and Pocket Fishermen alone would be crippling!

I wonder if they do cappodemente here?
 
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  • #72
edward said:
The U.S. will never have enough arms and spaceships, especially arms. If we don't have the arms China will send their repo man. If we want to build more arms to prevent this ... we sell more T- Bills to China.

All China has to do is stop all shipments of goods to the USA. In six months we will be on our knees. We no longer have factories that make consumer goods, or haven't you noticed.
we only need food, shelter, and love to be healthy human beings... everything else is really a novelty... America is packed up with crap... why do you think ebay is so successful?
 
  • #73
outsider said:
we only need food, shelter, and love to be healthy human beings... everything else is really a novelty... America is packed up with crap... why do you think ebay is so successful?


OK let's start with food, all toasters, toaster ovens, microwave ovens, Blenders, food processors, and most cooking utensils ie skillets pots pans etc. are now made in China.

Need shelter: Run down to the Home Depot and buy some lumber and a box of nails quick. OH OH the nails are made in China, we need to get some super glue.

If we could be happy living in home made tents (the commercial ones are made in China) and eating Cambells soup heated over an open flame in grandpa's antique shaving mug we could get by. :-p :-p
 
  • #74
edward said:
OK let's start with food, all toasters, toaster ovens, microwave ovens, Blenders, food processors, and most cooking utensils ie skillets pots pans etc. are now made in China.

Need shelter: Run down to the Home Depot and buy some lumber and a box of nails quick. OH OH the nails are made in China, we need to get some super glue.

If we could be happy living in home made tents (the commercial ones are made in China) and eating Cambells soup heated over an open flame in grandpa's antique shaving mug we could get by. :-p :-p
Good un. You're preaching to the choir here. I'm the one who says Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is a matter of national security. If you look at economic statistics now, you'll see that sectors such as manufacturing are in the toilet. I'll check out the thread on out-sourcing...
 
  • #75
Getting back on topic.

It will require a combination of military action and compassion. Let's face it, the terrorist's that are already hard core are not going to go through a change of conscience simply because we are more compassionate and understanding.

The best way to reduce the number of future terrorist is a more equitable distribution of the worlds resources. If people are fed and happy and see that others they care for are fed and happy, they are less likely to strap on a bomb and blow themselves up in a subway.

It will not be easy, but the idea that we can coax all the terrorists into Iraq and fight them there is just ludicrous.
 
  • #76
Skyhunter said:
Getting back on topic.

It will require a combination of military action and compassion. Let's face it, the terrorist's that are already hard core are not going to go through a change of conscience simply because we are more compassionate and understanding.
Really?

You know that for a fact?

When was this ever tried?
 
  • #77
The Smoking Man said:
Really?

You know that for a fact?
Of course I don't know this for a fact. It is my opinion.

I do believe that there is a point of no return. I believe there are some who would have a change of conscience and others who would not.

My point is that if they are actively engaged in terrorism, have been thoroughly trained and brainwashed, they are not likely to have a change of heart.
The Smoking Man said:
When was this ever tried?
Good point. Never as far as I know.
 
  • #78
edward said:
OK let's start with food, all toasters, toaster ovens, microwave ovens, Blenders, food processors, and most cooking utensils ie skillets pots pans etc. are now made in China.

Need shelter: Run down to the Home Depot and buy some lumber and a box of nails quick. OH OH the nails are made in China, we need to get some super glue.

If we could be happy living in home made tents (the commercial ones are made in China) and eating Cambells soup heated over an open flame in grandpa's antique shaving mug we could get by. :-p :-p
LOL :smile: ... these are all true... what about the glut of product? If we already have it, the need to buy a new one is a WANT and not a NEED. Theres plenty of old junk on ebay, swap meets, and garage sales... America will not tumble due to lack of consumer products... as long as we have agriculture, we can learn to adapt. Give us a reason to start from scratch and create jobs all over again? no? :cool:
 
  • #79
outsider said:
LOL :smile: ... these are all true... what about the glut of product? If we already have it, the need to buy a new one is a WANT and not a NEED. Theres plenty of old junk on ebay, swap meets, and garage sales... America will not tumble due to lack of consumer products... as long as we have agriculture, we can learn to adapt. Give us a reason to start from scratch and create jobs all over again? no? :cool:
Do you know that this will put you at the level of Cuba during the embargo? That's why they have such neet cars from the 1950's there.

One problem with the stuff you have though ... it was probably built recently and due to planned obsolesence, will only last about another 6 months.
 
  • #80
Skyhunter said:
Of course I don't know this for a fact. It is my opinion.

I do believe that there is a point of no return. I believe there are some who would have a change of conscience and others who would not.

My point is that if they are actively engaged in terrorism, have been thoroughly trained and brainwashed, they are not likely to have a change of heart.

Good point. Never as far as I know.
I'd hate to agree with this, but some people are trained from birth to be killers... for them, there is no normalcy (as we know it) or understanding of compassion. They are nothing more than human droids (soldiers for life). Very sad :frown: a whole generation of these soldiers must pass... unless they are subjected to further brainwashing.

TSM, it will take a lot of education... IMO, proper martial arts training would support this understanding. But I agree, too, that we have to start somewhere.
 
  • #81
The Smoking Man said:
Do you know that this will put you at the level of Cuba during the embargo? That's why they have such neet cars from the 1950's there.

One problem with the stuff you have though ... it was probably built recently and due to planned obsolesence, will only last about another 6 months.
Well, Cuba is a nice place (so I hear). And perhaps we will have to revert back to some basic lifestyles, this may encourage technology to make several advances toward a less consumer driven, media hungry society? Efficient use of supplies and personal responsibility... the propoganda could be (to the effect of): "contribute to the country by using less".

I'm still a wishful thinker... but the definition of stupidity - doing the same thing over and over... (yeah, you know the rest).
 
  • #82
outsider said:
I'd hate to agree with this, but some people are trained from birth to be killers... for them, there is no normalcy (as we know it) or understanding of compassion. They are nothing more than human droids (soldiers for life). Very sad :frown: a whole generation of these soldiers must pass... unless they are subjected to further brainwashing.
Rrrrriiiight. The Iraqui insurgents have been trained from birth to fight America.

outsider said:
TSM, it will take a lot of education... IMO, proper martial arts training would support this understanding. But I agree, too, that we have to start somewhere.
Oh joy, I was a martial arts teacher for 20 years. What would you like to know?
 
  • #83
outsider said:
Well, Cuba is a nice place (so I hear). And perhaps we will have to revert back to some basic lifestyles, this may encourage technology to make several advances toward a less consumer driven, media hungry society? Efficient use of supplies and personal responsibility... the propoganda could be (to the effect of): "contribute to the country by using less".
:smile: For some reason I forsee a much less... 'happy' result from a Chinese embargo on the US.
 
  • #84
Smurf said:
:smile: For some reason I forsee a much less... 'happy' result from a Chinese embargo on the US.
I'm not saying that it would be easy...
 
  • #85
The Smoking Man said:
Rrrrriiiight. The Iraqui insurgents have been trained from birth to fight America.
well, if you were born to war, and all you live everyday is war... then war is what you know... what other options do they have?
Oh joy, I was a martial arts teacher for 20 years. What would you like to know?
Don't you train people to be stronger, but not abuse the power? how do you maintain that people remain responsible with their abilities?
 
  • #86
Skyhunter said:
I do believe that there is a point of no return. I believe there are some who would have a change of conscience and others who would not.

My point is that if they are actively engaged in terrorism, have been thoroughly trained and brainwashed, they are not likely to have a change of heart.

Good point. Never as far as I know.
Funnily enough it has been tried and what's more it even worked. Ref the Provisional IRA.
 
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  • #87
outsider said:
well, if you were born to war, and all you live everyday is war... then war is what you know... what other options do they have?
Okay, if you find someone who's lived everyday at war, someone who hasn't ached for home when away fighting, someone who doesn't know that there's anything else to life... Well, get them laid for starts, that might open their eyes. Everyone can always learn new things.
 
  • #88
I read the article

pattylou said:
Hey kat,

I still don't have an axe to grind, but I saw a report that I found really chilling just now and it applies directly to you comment about an attack on Iran:


Check the link.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=20050802&articleId=791

I thought I would post it for anyone's interest that is following along. I don't know how reliable the assertion is, that Cheney is asking for attack plans, and I don't know how reliable the group is that reported this.

Of course there is the argument that we need to have plans ready for any contingency... But the subtext of the report sounds a lot more ominous than that. Why is a nuclear response on Tehran being proposed a priori for another terrorist attack from any comer? Wouldn't we analyze a terrorist attack afterwards, and best decide how to respond, depending on who perpetrated the attack, for example?

I hesitated posting this, because I don't want to "get into it." But then, I am frankly curious for your honest reaction to the report. Take off your conservative hat for a minute and just read the report as a human being. How does it strike you? Anyone else?

(Also see here: http://news.baou.com/main.php?action=recent&rid=20383 )

Doesnt seem too far fetched, remeber a historical blip in the American Air Force history, Hiroshima and Tagiioky, excuse the spelling but you know what I am talking abot, that was a pre-emptive strike to deter further attack from the Japanese. It seems that the nuclear boms used were not exactly needed, more like a test to see what the after effect of nuclear radiation would be on humans. I wouldn't be surprised if the Ari Force has a new bomb it wants to test. It concellation the towns and the people that experinced these horrifc attacks were able to rebuild their land to an impressive degree, and also progressed their philosophical social awareness, that war and the threat of it, is neither noble nor justified, and that the loss of one life is as great and meaning full as 10, 000, exibited in the suicide of the Japanese general, in respect for his decision to further withstand American infultration against his people. It seems that it is always America that is in need to defend human rights, yet it is always at the expense of others.

We should all perhaps consider this, "We are born, therefore we are alive, our existence is our gift and our ability to survive is our tool to which we maintain our presence, but must anyone have the ability or the perogative to jeopdise these fundamental rights?"

Regards

A.Christ
 
  • #89
American Economy sustained by international commerce

outsider said:
LOL :smile: ... these are all true... what about the glut of product? If we already have it, the need to buy a new one is a WANT and not a NEED. Theres plenty of old junk on ebay, swap meets, and garage sales... America will not tumble due to lack of consumer products... as long as we have agriculture, we can learn to adapt. Give us a reason to start from scratch and create jobs all over again? no? :cool:

It is of the educated opinion that Americas political structure can not sustain a collapse.

Hypothetically: If Europe, east Asia, and soon the other independent economic systems were to say to America **** You no more importing or exporting. Americans would be left in a situation where they would have to support themselves. It is fact that you debt is so high that if you were too loose roughly 40-60% of your business capacity, ie, that of international importing and exporting the economic situation, america would in reality have no money, therefore taxes would have to go up! If you know anything about the American economy you would realize that America isn't actually self-sufficient, if it were then, its Governments would not have to win debates through roadshows and pantomime promotion, in fact no government republic or democratic would win an election if it knew taxes had to be increased, therefore its entire political structure would fall to pieces, there would be no money to promote policies, finance campaigns across its states or support its people in economic distress. If America was as powerful and rich as it assumes, why is most of its national income spent on war fare, Because they are so scared of this happening that they would rather blow the world to pieces than admit defeat. If America is to support itself without external influence then it needs the money and infrastructure to do so. America does not have a welfare state, nor does it have the capacity to accommodate its population. This is already obvious seen in the Towns that are missed out by the campaign trail, forgotten because they are the reality of Americas situation. The towns that aren't campaigned in are decided on the fact that the people in it are not affected by the government, if the governments cease to exist, which would indefinitely happen if there was no money to substantiate their existence then the whole country would be plunged into the same situation, and believe it or not, the political knowledge of the American people in many peoples opinions is one of ignorance and delusion, not to mention the fact they all have guns, anyone with anything will end up either trying to secure and protect their own piece or want to take more from those who have more of it.

P.S i am not a fanaticist or an American hater but the sooner America realizes a world exist beyond their own and that people just like them, with the same born given rights as they have exist, and that ignoring that they exist or that when they do acknowledge them they fear their abilities, is almost a crime against humanity.

No harm or insult intended

Regards

A.Christ
 
  • #90
Quick note

Art said:
Funnily enough it has been tried and what's more it even worked. Ref the Provisional IRA.

The I.R.A. is politically disbanded and if anyone in N. Ireland was to so much as sneeze out of place the cease fire would be broken, America would therefore be obliged to put the Jerry Adams, and his band of merry men in the same category as Osama, Hussein, and all the other TERRORISTS they are suppressing and launching tactical strikes against. The provisionals in all their glory would in reality **** a brick, shown in the fact that they need to beat up kids on the streets of Belfast for drinking alcohol without permission. The I.R.A. and its associated fractions is no longer, forget about them or they will become symbols like Guy Fawkes. Remember him, the original plotter, in England they have a day where he is burnt at a stake, fireworks are released and people sing, shout, and rejoice his death and the monarchy.
 
  • #91
AntonioChrist said:
It is of the educated opinion that Americas political structure can not sustain a collapse.

Hypothetically: If Europe, east Asia, and soon the other independent economic systems were to say to America **** You no more importing or exporting. Americans would be left in a situation where they would have to support themselves. It is fact that you debt is so high that if you were too loose roughly 40-60% of your business capacity, ie, that of international importing and exporting the economic situation, america would in reality have no money, therefore taxes would have to go up! If you know anything about the American economy you would realize that America isn't actually self-sufficient, if it were then, its Governments would not have to win debates through roadshows and pantomime promotion, in fact no government republic or democratic would win an election if it knew taxes had to be increased, therefore its entire political structure would fall to pieces, there would be no money to promote policies, finance campaigns across its states or support its people in economic distress. If America was as powerful and rich as it assumes, why is most of its national income spent on war fare, Because they are so scared of this happening that they would rather blow the world to pieces than admit defeat. If America is to support itself without external influence then it needs the money and infrastructure to do so. America does not have a welfare state, nor does it have the capacity to accommodate its population. This is already obvious seen in the Towns that are missed out by the campaign trail, forgotten because they are the reality of Americas situation. The towns that aren't campaigned in are decided on the fact that the people in it are not affected by the government, if the governments cease to exist, which would indefinitely happen if there was no money to substantiate their existence then the whole country would be plunged into the same situation, and believe it or not, the political knowledge of the American people in many peoples opinions is one of ignorance and delusion, not to mention the fact they all have guns, anyone with anything will end up either trying to secure and protect their own piece or want to take more from those who have more of it.

P.S i am not a fanaticist or an American hater but the sooner America realizes a world exist beyond their own and that people just like them, with the same born given rights as they have exist, and that ignoring that they exist or that when they do acknowledge them they fear their abilities, is almost a crime against humanity.

No harm or insult intended

Regards

A.Christ
None taken... thank you for the explanation. From what you have just said, what type of education would be required?

smurf said:
Okay, if you find someone who's lived everyday at war, someone who hasn't ached for home when away fighting, someone who doesn't know that there's anything else to life... Well, get them laid for starts, that might open their eyes. Everyone can always learn new things.
getting laid is a funny response... i enjoyed that... but they probably been getting laid with their bunkmate or hostages already. There are no rules in a world of violence... :frown:

As for the everyone can always learn new things... I basically agree, but if you take the stereotypical "trailerpark" people for example, how easy of a task would that be? How do you prevent them from reverting back to previously learned behaviour? I'm envisioning "A Clockwork Orange"-Kubrick
 
  • #92
Skyhunter said:
Getting back on topic.

It will require a combination of military action and compassion. Let's face it, the terrorist's that are already hard core are not going to go through a change of conscience simply because we are more compassionate and understanding.

The best way to reduce the number of future terrorist is a more equitable distribution of the worlds resources. If people are fed and happy and see that others they care for are fed and happy, they are less likely to strap on a bomb and blow themselves up in a subway.

It will not be easy, but the idea that we can coax all the terrorists into Iraq and fight them there is just ludicrous.
someone give this man a nobel peace prize! ... they can have the money... give the people peace & happiness (everyone drives a vw) free internet too! :biggrin:
 
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  • #93
outsider said:
someone give this man a nobel peace prize! ... they can have the money... give the people peace & happiness (everyone drives a vw) free internet too! :biggrin:
I can get them all into Iraq for a few minutes at least ... Announce a state visit by George W Bush. :biggrin:
 
  • #94
Skyhunter said:
The best way to reduce the number of future terrorist is a more equitable distribution of the worlds resources. If people are fed and happy and see that others they care for are fed and happy, they are less likely to strap on a bomb and blow themselves up in a subway.

It will not be easy, but the idea that we can coax all the terrorists into Iraq and fight them there is just ludicrous.
Base on what you said, US is trying to increase the number of future terrorist because they're always speaking about next wars they are going to start them. I don't know why but perhaps more terrorist attak could give them more opportunity and support to start another war. And more wars mean they can sell more weapons.
 
  • #95
outsider said:
someone give this man a nobel peace prize! ... they can have the money... give the people peace & happiness (everyone drives a vw) free internet too! :biggrin:
Yeah! Then in 20 years we have to come up with a real plan because we've destroyed the planet and the insurgency is now fighting for a few miles of clean land to grow food on.
 
  • #96
Lisa! said:
Base on what you said, US is trying to increase the number of future terrorist because they're always speaking about next wars they are going to start them. I don't know why but perhaps more terrorist attak could give them more opportunity and support to start another war. And more wars mean they can sell more weapons.
Oh yeah... how could we forget about americas thriving weapons industry?... peace would put them out of business... so, US is basically in the war business... hightech, germ, political, financial and literal
 
  • #97
Smurf said:
Yeah! Then in 20 years we have to come up with a real plan because we've destroyed the planet and the insurgency is now fighting for a few miles of clean land to grow food on.
science will advance agriculture to produce larger tastier crops faster by 10 years... so, no need for the insurgents :-p

no war means concentration of scientific community to solve environmental issues globally... all countries send a rep to an annual workshop hosted by Dr. David Suzuki to report progress and set new goals.
 
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  • #98
Antonio Christ said:
This is already obvious seen in the Towns that are missed out by the campaign trail, forgotten because they are the reality of Americas situation. The towns that aren't campaigned in are decided on the fact that the people in it are not affected by the government, if the governments cease to exist, which would indefinitely happen if there was no money to substantiate their existence then the whole country would be plunged into the same situation, and believe it or not, the political knowledge of the American people in many peoples opinions is one of ignorance and delusion, not to mention the fact they all have guns, anyone with anything will end up either trying to secure and protect their own piece or want to take more from those who have more of it.

Just a quick note: The parts of the country that aren't campaigned in are usually skipped over because one party or candidate already has such a grip on that region that there is no way he will lose it (for instance, there was little to no campaigning in California and Massachusetts because Kerry was going to win those states either way; there was little to no campaigning in Texas and Oklahoma because Bush was going to win those states either way). It isn't that if the government were to cease to exist, the rest of the country would join the reality that these towns are already in and that people with ignorant guns will start pillaging and whatever else that terrible run-on was trying to say.
 
  • #99
outsider said:
science will advance agriculture to produce larger tastier crops faster by 10 years... so, no need for the insurgents :-p
In that case they're fighting for the right to eat food that's not been chemically and genetically altered by American corporations. Same deal, just different business.
no war means concentration of scientific community to solve environmental issues globally... all countries send a rep to an annual workshop hosted by Dr. David Suzuki to report progress and set new goals.
David Suzuki would never support the production of another 3-4 billion or so vehicles. He also wouldn't support you're so called advanced agriculture, as he as expressed, like any smart person, a sever distrust for the genetic and chemical engineering of nature.
 
  • #100
Smurf said:
In that case they're fighting for the right to eat food that's not been chemically and genetically altered by American corporations. Same deal, just different business.

People would fight not to eat larger, tastier crops that grow faster and use up less land?

David Suzuki would never support the production of another 3-4 billion or so vehicles. He also wouldn't support you're so called advanced agriculture, as he as expressed, like any smart person, a sever distrust for the genetic and chemical engineering of nature.

Is there a crop in use today that hasn't been genetically altered? Or is he only opposed to splicing and would rather wait several generations to insert new genes through cross-breeding?
 
  • #101
loseyourname said:
People would fight not to eat larger, tastier crops that grow faster and use up less land?

Yeah, it's a b!tch when your bite of a sandwich kicks off a deadly food allergy becasue sombody spliced in a Shellfish Gene into wheat.

loseyourname said:
Is there a crop in use today that hasn't been genetically altered? Or is he only opposed to splicing and would rather wait several generations to insert new genes through cross-breeding?
The problems is not necessarily with what is known but with the UNKNOWN. Some cross contamination has happened with crops in the UK where certain weeds are now resistant to herbicides.

Do we need to engineer our own Kudzu now?
 
  • #102
Smurf said:
In that case they're fighting for the right to eat food that's not been chemically and genetically altered by American corporations. Same deal, just different business.

David Suzuki would never support the production of another 3-4 billion or so vehicles. He also wouldn't support you're so called advanced agriculture, as he as expressed, like any smart person, a sever distrust for the genetic and chemical engineering of nature.

Let's see... most people are not "smart"... but all people get hungry...

Red meat will kill ya?... no, in this case, green meat will kill ya...

people of the future will not know what REAL organic food will be... it's just not possible (unless you think we will stop reproducing)... Dr. Suzuki will have to face it and work with the factors and truths that exist... he will have to adjust his beliefs a bit.
 
  • #103
loseyourname said:
People would fight not to eat larger, tastier crops that grow faster and use up less land?
Not everyone judges with the same criteria as the US government.
 
  • #104
people of the future will not know what REAL organic food will be...
I fear you might be correct about that.
Let's see... most people are not "smart"... but all people get hungry...

snip

he will have to adjust his beliefs a bit.
What? Make a point dude, stop talking gibberish.
 
  • #105
Smurf said:
David Suzuki would never support the production of another 3-4 billion or so vehicles.
what vehicles are you talkin bout?
He also wouldn't support you're so called advanced agriculture, as he as expressed,
He will need to make some concessions on his beliefs as it's not likely organic food will exist for him to support...

like any smart person, a sever distrust for the genetic and chemical engineering of nature.
again, most people are not smart... but everyone gets hungry...

Choice is there for those who can afford it... everyone else will be shopping at walmart and costco
 

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