NationStates Jolt Archive


It's a long way from "over," boys and girls!

Eutrusca
14-01-2005, 22:30
Al Qaeda threat looms over U.S., official warns

By Jerry Seper
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

Al Qaeda terrorists continue to pose a significant threat to the United States, which includes the use of nuclear devices and so-called "dirty bombs," but U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Robert C. Bonner believes his agency can stop that threat at the U.S. borders.
"After September 11, we knew we had to act quickly to protect our country, our citizens and our economy. And act we did," Mr. Bonner said yesterday during a CBP trade conference at the agency's Washington headquarters. "We reorganized a huge portion of our federal government. We ratcheted up our border security. And we implemented sweeping initiatives to protect global trade and travel — and the global economy.
"We 're not done yet, but combating terrorism is the number one priority of our country — now and for the foreseeable future. Yet, it is critical that we maintain the sense of urgency and action that galvanized us and the world against terrorism," he said.
Mr. Bonner told 800 business and community leaders, trade representatives and importers that the threat of future terrorist attacks in the United States is real, adding that al Qaeda's leaders have vowed to "strike America again, even harder than September 11."
He said there was "credible intelligence" that al Qaeda, led by Osama bin Laden, was plotting multiple terrorist attacks in this country to influence the 2004 presidential elections, but was "unable to do so." But he warned that U.S. authorities could not underestimate al Qaeda's patience and determination to strike America again.
"We must not become complacent. We must not let down our guard," he said.
To defend the country, he said, CBP has implemented a maritime security system — working in conjunction with border agents and inspectors at and between the nation's ports of entry — to detect terrorists and deter their efforts to enter the country or bring their weapons of mass destruction into the United States.
Chess Squares
14-01-2005, 22:45
government + terrorism = boy who cries wolf

they say it every so often to scare idiots and reinsure patriotism and stupid blind unquestioning support because hte bad guys are coming! maybe and they are going to kill us all! perhaps

and whenever they need more support they say september 11th as much as possible, like that segment from the dialy show, teh guy said september 11th like 15 damn times, and i mpretty sure it wsant different parts of a speech spliced together
New Granada
14-01-2005, 22:55
Who cares really.


Maybe in a "pre iraq" or "pre election" world the americans deserved symapthy, but from here on out they have brought whatever comes upon themselves and the world knows it.
New Granada
14-01-2005, 22:58
Terrorism is a crock of shit.

Al qaeda is the boogeyman.
Kryozerkia
14-01-2005, 23:13
Who needs al-Qaeda to instill fear in the hearts of Americans when they have their own government?
Refused Party Program
14-01-2005, 23:24
Who needs al-Qaeda to instill fear in the hearts of Americans when they have their own government?


:D
Alien Born
14-01-2005, 23:26
Did anyone really expect it to "be over" at any time, in any sense. Once you have let the cat out of the bag you really do have a difficult time putting it back in, particularly if it has kittens every time someone goes boo.

Terrorism /Guerrila warefare etc. simply do not end quickly. The ends to these conflicts have, historically, been on the timescale of cultural assimilation. This includes all of the colonisations and empire building that happened before the invention of terrorism per se.
FreeSweden
14-01-2005, 23:26
And someone makes money on their fear. :D

Terrorism will never stop...
Eutrusca
14-01-2005, 23:28
Who needs al-Qaeda to instill fear in the hearts of Americans when they have their own government?
How very perceptive. I'm an American and I have no fear of my own government whatsoever. I do, however, have a healthy skepticism about government in general. I don't "fear" al Queda, although I have an intense revulsion, one might even say "hatred" of them.
Myrmidonisia
14-01-2005, 23:50
Who needs al-Qaeda to instill fear in the hearts of Americans when they have their own government?
There are a lot of things that I would like to see the government stay away from. Me, personally, my finances, and other private information. On the other hand, I can't do to much to protect the country against terrorists. I'm beginning to think the different agencies that make up the government might have a clue about how to recognize a terrorist plot when they see it, though.

How many opportunities have terrorists had to do something really bad? As many chances as there are seconds in the day, days in the year, and so on. The last terrorist attack on citizens in this country was in 2001, three years ago. I just don't think we have been that lucky. Either Al Queda has given up, or our government has made it a lot harder for them. And I don't think they've given up.
All Things Fabulous
15-01-2005, 00:12
The threat still looms...

no shite...

I'm more scared of losing my freedoms than of terrorism. These news reports read like propaganda to me-- "Rest assured, you're government will protect you!" They're just trying to scare us into letting them take our freedoms away and NEVER mention anything the government has actually done to stop terrorists. I'd like to see a headline that reads "Yesterday the CIA intercepted a ship full of components to construct a dirty bomb." or something to that effect. That would make me feel safe, not all this horsehockey about how great the government is in preparing for terrorist attacks. I'm sure they THOUGHT they were prepared before 9/11, too.
Soviet Narco State
15-01-2005, 00:17
Eh admit it or no Americans love terrorism. Life is so more rich and exciting when you think there are "sleeper cells" lurking in every corner of the country, that each trip to Wal-Mart could be your last, that if we aren't vigilant in reporting every Middle Eastern looking person to the Dept of Homeland Security the terrorists will win.
PIcaRDMPCia
15-01-2005, 00:18
It's a scare tactic, designed to allow people to agree that the Patriot Act should revoke more freedoms so that we can turn into a facist state. Well, maybe not that extensive, but it's still a scare tactic; did anyone other than me notice how the terror level went down quietly without a hint of news coverage after the election?
Alinania
15-01-2005, 00:18
Is it just me or do others find it interesting that such an article appears at the same time the wmd investigations in iraq are finished and still nothing has been found? (sorry to bring that up again, just felt like pointing out the very curious timing ;))
PIcaRDMPCia
15-01-2005, 00:34
Is it just me or do others find it interesting that such an article appears at the same time the wmd investigations in iraq are finished and still nothing has been found? (sorry to bring that up again, just felt like pointing out the very curious timing ;))
Of course it did; the administration has to fool the populace into thinking it's doing something.
Soviet Narco State
15-01-2005, 00:37
Of course it did; the administration has to fool the populace into thinking it's doing something.
It is letting the terrorists win???
PIcaRDMPCia
15-01-2005, 00:40
The terrorist threat is overrated, and they're not doing much anyway.
Spoffin
15-01-2005, 01:18
I don't "fear" al Queda, although I have an intense revulsion, one might even say "hatred" of them.
I probably would do, but I don't even really believe they exist.
Hughski
15-01-2005, 01:52
The terrorist threat is overrated, and they're not doing much anyway.

Never, ever, ever "misunderestimate" your opponent!
Vegas-Rex
15-01-2005, 02:08
The problem with ever claiming that the terrorist threat is over is that terrorism is not something you can fight with soldiers, its a tactic. The only real way to stop terrorism is to somehow make other types of warfare work, and in today's world they don't. No one cares about the death of soldiers anymore, especially in the first world, so civilians have to be targeted. We can't go back to the old ways where you could just march into the capitol and recieve surrendor because of today's information technology. There will always be terrorists, so the only thing we can do is try to have the best ones.
Cannot think of a name
15-01-2005, 02:52
Is it just me or do others find it interesting that such an article appears at the same time the wmd investigations in iraq are finished and still nothing has been found? (sorry to bring that up again, just felt like pointing out the very curious timing ;))
Lets see-

Administration getting flack about the search for WMDs coming to a close with nothing.

Flack over the appointment of a pro-torture Attorney General.

Criticism from human rights organizations that have said that we can no longer claim to lead the world in human rights and that our actions are making conditions worse world-wide.

Hey!-new vague terror threat. What'd ya know. Like clockwork. And who responds to that bell like Pavlov's dogs? It's like the tides....
Yeehaaa
15-01-2005, 02:58
Terrorists are everywhere.
Zekhaust
15-01-2005, 02:58
Al Qaeda threat looms over U.S., official warns

By Jerry Seper
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

Al Qaeda terrorists continue to pose a significant threat to the United States, which includes the use of nuclear devices and so-called "dirty bombs," but U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Robert C. Bonner believes his agency can stop that threat at the U.S. borders.
"After September 11, we knew we had to act quickly to protect our country, our citizens and our economy. And act we did," Mr. Bonner said yesterday during a CBP trade conference at the agency's Washington headquarters. "We reorganized a huge portion of our federal government. We ratcheted up our border security. And we implemented sweeping initiatives to protect global trade and travel — and the global economy.
"We 're not done yet, but combating terrorism is the number one priority of our country — now and for the foreseeable future. Yet, it is critical that we maintain the sense of urgency and action that galvanized us and the world against terrorism," he said.
Mr. Bonner told 800 business and community leaders, trade representatives and importers that the threat of future terrorist attacks in the United States is real, adding that al Qaeda's leaders have vowed to "strike America again, even harder than September 11."
He said there was "credible intelligence" that al Qaeda, led by Osama bin Laden, was plotting multiple terrorist attacks in this country to influence the 2004 presidential elections, but was "unable to do so." But he warned that U.S. authorities could not underestimate al Qaeda's patience and determination to strike America again.
"We must not become complacent. We must not let down our guard," he said.
To defend the country, he said, CBP has implemented a maritime security system — working in conjunction with border agents and inspectors at and between the nation's ports of entry — to detect terrorists and deter their efforts to enter the country or bring their weapons of mass destruction into the United States.


I <3 propaganda.

I bet Machiavelli must be getting a hard-on seeing how our country is being ruled. Fear control much?
Yeehaaa
15-01-2005, 03:00
Only the nine C's can keep you safe: compliance, conservativism, capitalism, creationism, consumerism, christianity, and conformism, control of the media and coercion.
Freebeez
15-01-2005, 03:05
:headbang: We've re-elected an idiot as president, who believes God blesses everything he does/will do, and once joked he wouldn't mind a dictatorship if he was dictator. I fear my government, and am appalled at how easily my people are brainwashed by the crap put out by Republicans, Rush Limbaugh, and Fox News. Everything was blamed on Clinton, Democrats, and Liberals, while trillions in surplus were frittered away to the biggest deficit ever. Little or nothing has been spent making this country any safer, and about 40% of good, church-going Republicans believe it's vital to deprive American Muslims of their civil rights in order to keep Al Qaida from doing another 9/11. How sad. It took eight years between the first WTC attack back in the early 90s and 9/11, so we can probably expect another attack in the next three years or so. The terror alerts are nothing but propaganda meant to scare us into accepting Republican rule FOREVER, if they can manage it. No, I'm not surprised at all to see our constitutional rights being trashed. McCarthy was a Republican, you know. They had Communism then. Now they have Muslims and Liberals. It's going to get worse, I'm afraid....
Festivals
15-01-2005, 03:08
agreed, terrorism is the best thing that's happened to republicans since the civil war
Our Earth
15-01-2005, 03:09
Ah, fearmongering, that's definitely the best way to combat terrorism.

Beware everyone, Eutrusca is a terrorist, stay away from him or he'll blow you up with his suicide bomb.
Eutrusca
15-01-2005, 03:17
Ah, fearmongering, that's definitely the best way to combat terrorism.

Beware everyone, Eutrusca is a terrorist, stay away from him or he'll blow you up with his suicide bomb.
Yup! That's me all right ... the lil ole terrorist with his lil ole bomb. I intend to call an emergency meeting of all the demented, reality-challenged leftists, all the deluded, holier-than-thou fundamentalists, and all the Hollywood syncophants, then blow them all to kingdom come with a stupid-seeking stink-bomb! :D
Marabal
15-01-2005, 03:20
Recently, The Al queada lost 147 million dollars that the UN interceptted. They need funds, but It's getting harder and harder to get them.
Chess Squares
15-01-2005, 03:22
Recently, The Al queada lost 147 million dollars that the UN interceptted. They need funds, but It's getting harder and harder to get them.
...bin laden is rich off his ass what are you talknig about. its not like their poor and its definately not like they are using some complicated means of killing people like f18s or whatever or living in mansions that would cost millions of dollars
Our Earth
15-01-2005, 03:22
Yup! That's me all right ... the lil ole terrorist with his lil ole bomb. I intend to call an emergency meeting of all the demented, reality-challenged leftists, all the deluded, holier-than-thou fundamentalists, and all the Hollywood syncophants, then blow them all to kingdom come with a stupid-seeking stink-bomb! :D

Wow, that was some clever parroting of "pundits" you did there. Some day when you grow up and get a real brain from the Wizard you'll realize how stupid you've been. You may still consider yourself Conservative, and your values may not change significantly, but you'll understand that everything you have said and done in the name of patriotism has been a sham and all the result of the brainwashing you've been subjected to (or have subjected yourself to). Some day you'll stop being a pawn, a dupe, a drone, a robot, and that will be a wonderful day for the world. But until then, it's in your best interest to shut up so you don't destroy your chance for happiness in the future now without realizing it.
Eutrusca
15-01-2005, 03:22
Recently, The Al queada lost 147 million dollars that the UN interceptted. They need funds, but It's getting harder and harder to get them.
Finally! Someone with a rational post! Yayyyy! :D
Chess Squares
15-01-2005, 03:23
reality challenged = realists

the believer and truth seers = terrorists are everywhere and want to kill us and bush will save us !!111!
Eutrusca
15-01-2005, 03:28
Wow, that was some clever parroting of "pundits" you did there. Some day when you grow up and get a real brain from the Wizard you'll realize how stupid you've been. You may still consider yourself Conservative, and your values may not change significantly, but you'll understand that everything you have said and done in the name of patriotism has been a sham and all the result of the brainwashing you've been subjected to (or have subjected yourself to). Some day you'll stop being a pawn, a dupe, a drone, a robot, and that will be a wonderful day for the world. But until then, it's in your best interest to shut up so you don't destroy your chance for happiness in the future now without realizing it.
So my 19+ years in the US Army was time totally wasted, I've spent 61 years being a "pawn, dupe, drone, sham, robot, etc.," I have yet to "grow up" despite my age, and I'm stupid, have no values, brainwashed, and have no chance of happiness in my declining years? Wow! For someone who holds me in such contempt, you sure seem to know all there is to know about me.

BTW ... I'm not a "Conservative." :D
Chess Squares
15-01-2005, 03:30
So my 19+ years in the US Army was time totally wasted, I've spent 61 years being a "pawn, dupe, drone, sham, robot, etc.," I have yet to "grow up" despite my age, and I'm stupid, have no values, brainwashed, and have no chance of happiness in my declining years? Wow! For someone who holds me in such contempt, you sure seem to know all there is to know about me.

BTW ... I'm not a "Conservative." :D
oh, so you unpurposefully hate liberals and democrats, brilliant! i take it you acquired that brilliant taste from your "years" in the army where you were subject to a good deal of brainwashing to be a good little pawn
Eutrusca
15-01-2005, 03:36
oh, so you unpurposefully hate liberals and democrats, brilliant! i take it you acquired that brilliant taste from your "years" in the army where you were subject to a good deal of brainwashing to be a good little pawn
Hell, ChessSquare, you don't even believe I exist, much less anything I say! Why the hell should you care?

But just to set the record straight ( something I periodically have to do after your demeaning and antagonistic posts ), I never said I "hate liberals and democrats." Those are YOUR words, not mine. What I truly hate is the infernal arrogance many who CALL themselves "liberals" display. :D
Kryozerkia
15-01-2005, 03:36
If we're going to talk about fascism in the US, here's something that discusses the characteristics of such a form of government. While the US not there yet, there are certainly instances where it looks like it could very well be...

Fascism Anyone? (http://www.secularhumanism.org/library/fi/britt_23_2.htm)
Chess Squares
15-01-2005, 03:37
Hell, ChessSquare, you don't even believe I exist, much less anything I say! Why the hell should you care?

But just to set the record straight ( something I periodically have to do after your demeaning and antagonistic posts ), I never said I "hate liberals and democrats." Those are YOUR words, not mine. What I truly hate is the infernal arrogance many who CALL themselves "liberals" display. :D
as opposed to your own arrogance?
Our Earth
15-01-2005, 03:42
So my 19+ years in the US Army was time totally wasted, I've spent 61 years being a "pawn, dupe, drone, sham, robot, etc.," I have yet to "grow up" despite my age, and I'm stupid, have no values, brainwashed, and have no chance of happiness in my declining years? Wow! For someone who holds me in such contempt, you sure seem to know all there is to know about me.

BTW ... I'm not a "Conservative." :D

Your 19+ years in the Army weren't a waste of time... for the Army, but for you they probably had some good and some bad effects.

You didn't spend your whole 61 years as a pawn, you also spent some time as an infant, but around the time you learned to love and fear you became a pawn, and that was further compounded when you went through military training. Some time find a brainwashing manual online and compair the tactics it describes to those used in military basic training. They match almost exactly, it's startling to me that more people don't realize that "training" is just a euphamism for "brainwashing." This is not to say that it's necessarily detrimental, since "socialization" is another euphamism for "brainwashing" as are many other words we use to describe the changing of a persons psychology (therapy, for instance).

You are physically mature, but psychologically you're stuck, yes, there is a great deal of room for growth left in you. I've never said you're stupid, but you are lacking in understanding. I did not say you had no values, in fact I said your values might not change if you manage to expand grow psychologically, which implies that they need not change for you to mature. In other words, there is nothing wrong with your values, they're not where you have problems.

You have a chance for happiness, but far less if you continue as you are now instead of embracing your potential, and these need not be your declining years, you can grow now rather than resigning yourself to the inevitability to a fall and death.

I apologize if I sounded contemptful, I do not wish to sound rude, but I pity your conditioned trust of authorities whose only mandate is their own force. Obvious you're intelligent enough, but it doesn't matter unless you throw of the chains that hold your mind and body back. I don't know everything there is to know about you, but I know enough to say what I have said.

You come off as generally conservative, I apoligize if you do not view yourself that way, but I can say with relative certainty that most of the people here view you that way. If you do not consider yourself conservative, what do you consider yourself?
Cannot think of a name
15-01-2005, 03:42
Hell, ChessSquare, you don't even believe I exist, much less anything I say! Why the hell should you care?

But just to set the record straight ( something I periodically have to do after your demeaning and antagonistic posts ), I never said I "hate liberals and democrats." Those are YOUR words, not mine. What I truly hate is the infernal arrogance many who CALL themselves "liberals" display. :D
Don't make me call up the thread where you accused liberals of hacking your website.....

BTW ... I'm not a "Conservative."
Yeah, you keep saying that....but somehow....

I intend to call an emergency meeting of all the demented, reality-challenged leftists, all the deluded, holier-than-thou fundamentalists, and all the Hollywood syncophants, then blow them all to kingdom come with a stupid-seeking stink-bomb!

Yeah, I have a hard time buyin' it.
Eutrusca
15-01-2005, 04:16
[ numbers added to relate paragraphs here to responses below ]

5. You didn't spend your whole 61 years as a pawn, you also spent some time as an infant, but around the time you learned to love and fear you became a pawn, and that was further compounded when you went through military training. Some time find a brainwashing manual online and compair the tactics it describes to those used in military basic training. They match almost exactly, it's startling to me that more people don't realize that "training" is just a euphamism for "brainwashing." This is not to say that it's necessarily detrimental, since "socialization" is another euphamism for "brainwashing" as are many other words we use to describe the changing of a persons psychology (therapy, for instance).

4. You are physically mature, but psychologically you're stuck, yes, there is a great deal of room for growth left in you. I've never said you're stupid, but you are lacking in understanding. I did not say you had no values, in fact I said your values might not change if you manage to expand grow psychologically, which implies that they need not change for you to mature. In other words, there is nothing wrong with your values, they're not where you have problems.

3. You have a chance for happiness, but far less if you continue as you are now instead of embracing your potential, and these need not be your declining years, you can grow now rather than resigning yourself to the inevitability to a fall and death.

2. I apologize if I sounded contemptful, I do not wish to sound rude, but I pity your conditioned trust of authorities whose only mandate is their own force. Obvious you're intelligent enough, but it doesn't matter unless you throw of the chains that hold your mind and body back. I don't know everything there is to know about you, but I know enough to say what I have said.

1. You come off as generally conservative, I apoligize if you do not view yourself that way, but I can say with relative certainty that most of the people here view you that way. If you do not consider yourself conservative, what do you consider yourself?

Oh, Lord ... where to begin with this? Sigh.

1. Not long ago there was a post on here with a link to a test for politicial leanings. I scored very near the center, with a slight tendency toward libertarianism. I consider myself someone who loves my family, my community, my nation, and the entirety of humankind. If my posts here seem a bit anti-liberal it's because I truly do hate the incredible arrogance of those who know so much better than we how our lives should be run.

2. If this statement weren't so sad, it would be laughable. I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm a strong advocate of 2nd Amendment rights. The primary reason for this is that they are the final line of defense against possible future abuse of power. Looking at the broad span of human history, there have been at least as many instances of threats from within as threats from without.

3. This is about as far from being "spot on" as anything could be. I am an exceedingly happy man, thank you. As for my "declining years," those have yet to kick in. Just one illustration of my current state of mind is this recent photo of me and my two grandaughters: http://ParadigmAssociates.org/Grandaughters.jpg [ notice the smile? ] :)

4. I rather suspect that this statement is coming more from your disagreement with some of the positions I take, rather than anything else. If the "problems" you say I have don't lie in my values, then please enlighten me. I am easily convinced of the errors of my ways when the discussion is based on fact and logic; otherwise I tend to turn off.

5. Let me respond to this by telling you that I was raised in the Southern Baptist Church. It took me awhile, but I finally thought my way clear to making my own decisions about what I wanted to believe. If you can prove to me that I have been "brainwashed" by any other organization into believing something I would not believe but for the "brainwashing," please do so and I will continue my life-long struggle for self-determination. :)

BTW ... contrary to what ChessSquare would have you believe, this URL really is the link to my personal page on the Website I designed and built, including the essays, poetry, etc. ... http://ParadigmAssociates.org/ParadigmFLH.html

Before we continue this dialogue, you might want to at least take a look at it. :)
IDF
15-01-2005, 04:29
The terrorist threat is overrated, and they're not doing much anyway.
Maybe because the government is kicking Al Qaeda's ass. It's a shame you libs can't give Bush his credit when it is deserved.
Our Earth
15-01-2005, 04:35
1. Not long ago there was a post on here with a link to a test for politicial leanings. I scored very near the center, with a slight tendency toward libertarianism. I consider myself someone who loves my family, my community, my nation, and the entirety of humankind. If my posts here seem a bit anti-liberal it's because I truly do hate the incredible arrogance of those who know so much better than we how our lives should be run.

2. If this statement weren't so sad, it would be laughable. I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm a strong advocate of 2nd Amendment rights. The primary reason for this is that they are the final line of defense against possible future abuse of power. Looking at the broad span of human history, there have been at least as many instances of threats from within as threats from without.

3. This is about as far from being "spot on" as anything could be. I am an exceedingly happy man, thank you. As for my "declining years," those have yet to kick in. Just one illustration of my current state of mind is this recent photo of me and my two grandaughters: http://ParadigmAssociates.org/Grandaughters.jpg [ notice the smile? ] :)

4. I rather suspect that this statement is coming more from your disagreement with some of the positions I take, rather than anything else. If the "problems" you say I have don't lie in my values, then please enlighten me. I am easily convinced of the errors of my ways when the discussion is based on fact and logic; otherwise I tend to turn off.

5. Let me respond to this by telling you that I was raised in the Southern Baptist Church. It took me awhile, but I finally thought my way clear to making my own decisions about what I wanted to believe. If you can prove to me that I have been "brainwashed" by any other organization into believing something I would not believe but for the "brainwashing," please do so and I will continue my life-long struggle for self-determination. :)

BTW ... contrary to what ChessSquare would have you believe, this URL really is the link to my personal page on the Website I designed and built, including the essays, poetry, etc. ... http://ParadigmAssociates.org/ParadigmFLH.html

Before we continue this dialogue, you might want to at least take a look at it. :)

1. Yeah, that's basically the same reason I'm always annoyed with almost every person I meet who describes themself as liberal. Every once in a while there's a true liberal out there who I can respect, but most are just annoying. The only problem is that supposed conservatives are basically exactly the same 99% of the time.

2. You are an advocate of the second ammendment as a protection against the potential abuse of power by government and yet you spent more than 19 years in the Army? Somehow that just doesn't make sense to me.

3. There is always untapped potential. I'm not saying you aren't happy, but there is so much you could be if you only wanted to.

4. Actually, knowing little about your positions on anything my statement is based entirely on the way in which you present your opinions and on the fact that you hold opinions on certain subjects one way or the other. Not to mention that almost every person in the world fits what I said, so if I happened to be wrong it would be the exception, not the rule.

Your problems are a result of the fact that you seem to pledge support blindly to institutions and people based not on loyalty or on their agreement with your own ideals, but on an abstract loyalty that is not earned or deserved, but fiated and protected with force.

(I have a lot of trouble enunciating this argument because my understanding of it is not perfect. It will come to me eventually, in the mean time, please bear with me if things I say don't make perfect sense, but the more chances I get to try to make the argument the more coherent it will become.)

5. Conflicts with religious authorities are common because Churches tend to be very pressuring which can be difficult, especially on youths trying to find a place for themselves. Aside from the instillation of values and the imprinting from your parents, the Army is probably the biggest source of brainwashing you've experienced. Before you entered the Army do you think you could have killed someone? Did you notice that you thought about different things, and in different ways after basic training? If you didn't then you probably had a very strange upbrining, but chances are basic training did change the way you thought about some things. The most important thing for a member of an army to be able to do, is to follow orders without question, even if they contradict basic morality and values, even of the society the army is supposedly protecting. The Army washes your morals first and then implants its own system of morality based primarily around loyalty and obediance to authorities. If you had not entered the Army chances are good you would be almost unreckognizably different today.

I tend not to take anyones opinion very seriously when they are as emotional in their expression of it as Chess Squares has been. Certainly there is value to strong beliefs, but when emotions take over people tend not to think very clearly. I will look at your website, but I can't right now because I'm going bowling.
New Granada
15-01-2005, 04:35
Recently, The Al queada lost 147 million dollars that the UN interceptted. They need funds, but It's getting harder and harder to get them.


What did 9/11 cost?

Lets see: it required a little bit of flight school for no more than four men (5 grand each lets say?)

Apartments for maybe 6 months

19 plane tickets

a computer and a flight sim game (? not sure if they actually used this, but it would have made sense)

20 box cutter knives

I'd wager the whole thing cost less than $200,000

Terrorism is a fantastically inexpensive enterprise.


Also, a shoulder launched SAM could be had for about a thousand dollars.
And smuggled across the mexican-american border for another ten grand.

That makes the next terrorist attack ring in at 11,000 dollars


Illegal mexican immigrants could pull that in in six months doing construction or something.

Oh yeah, you'd need to pay 1000 bucks for an old car to drive around it.
BlatantSillyness
15-01-2005, 04:35
Don't make me call up the thread where you accused liberals of hacking your website.....Dude can I make you call up that thread- I wanna see it.(thanks)
Eutrusca
15-01-2005, 04:46
Dude can I make you call up that thread- I wanna see it.(thanks)
( shrug ) I over-reacted to someone doing their best to hack into my PC soon after I started posting on General here at NS Forum. I admited to being overly reactive and it was dropped. No big deal. :)
Kryozerkia
15-01-2005, 04:50
Dude can I make you call up that thread- I wanna see it.(thanks)
IF he had CGI in any instant, he would be quite easy for anyone to hack his site.
BlatantSillyness
15-01-2005, 04:52
( shrug ) I over-reacted to someone doing their best to hack into my PC soon after I started posting on General here at NS Forum. I admited to being overly reactive and it was dropped. No big deal. :)
No worries.