SemperLieSuckah: 1) Becaus, yeah, you know... we're waaaay worse than they are. The reason these things are big deals is because we hold ourselves to higher standards. I could give a fark what some douchebag terrorist things of being dragged around on a leash after he comes from an organization that beheads people regularly for being of an opposite religion. An if we just walk away, the problem wll be solved because we're the problem, right? Not extremist megalomaniac ideologies. Maybe if we prostrate ourselves we can appease them into not trying to kill us.


#2 = makes no sense. Cold war? Bloated military? What?

1) Where did he say we are worse than they are? Talk about a non-sequitur. What he IS saying is that our methods to engage the stated problem, global terror, have been counter-productive and about the least cost-effective way to go about it.

2) I can't believe you are this dense. Politicians almost universally use their power and influence to enrich themselves and their cronies. Having an enemy to justify huge expenditures accomplishes that. As the saying goes, peace is bad for business. When the Cold War ended, it didn't take a genius to realize that the military that was sufficient for that era would be too large and expensive for the following era. And yet supposed fiscal conservatives were screaming about reductions "gutting the military." So in order to keep military spending up, a new and extremely expensive way to use those funds had to be found. 9/11 gave those closely tied to the defense industry who in turn were closely tied to the Bushes (this is a matter of public record, NOT a 'conspiracy theory' mind you,) all the justification they felt they needed to launch an extremely expensive and profitable (for them,) adventure.

Name how many attacks by Al-Qaeda in the US since 9/11?

Rock. Tiger.

I voted for Bush and I'll tell you why...
Cause I wanna see Armageddon within my lifetime.
-Mack Lindsay

whiskeyinthejar: Afternoon_Delight: 'Professor of peace studies'.

Yawn...

'Wannabe troll masquerading as a Las Vegas prostitute'.

Yawn...

That doesn't mean she doesn't make a good point. After all, women who become strippers are just doing it temporarily while they put themselves through graduate school and get their advanced degrees in child psychology or nuclear engineering. So I'm sure she's really smart and stuff.

I keed, I keed! Just going for the easy joke. Actually, Afternoon Delight does, I believe, raise a valid point. What the fark kind of rigorous academic course of study allows for a "professor of peace studies"? WTF has happened to so-called higher education? I'm glad I don't have kids in college being force-fed that nonsense. 'Cause I sure as hell wouldn't pay for it.

sunlion: Name how many attacks by Al-Qaeda in the US since 9/11?

name how many attacks by Al Qaeda in the 200 years preceding 9/11.

MadAzza: What the fark kind of rigorous academic course of study allows for a "professor of peace studies"?

If you'd done your reading, you'd see it's a remarkably stringent one.

Atillathepun: sunlion: Name how many attacks by Al-Qaeda in the US since 9/11?

name how many attacks by Al Qaeda in the 200 years preceding 9/11.

Well, wasn't there the USS Cole bombing?
Not disagreeing with you. Your point still stands.

I would still like to know how the hell a bunch of third world terrorists managed to hold a world power in perpetual fear. I mean hell, the US was the country that produced the short film "The Medical aspects of radiation" (Get a wig you pussy, you'll be dead before sterile, and you're ugly!) When did Anthrax become scarier than a slow lingering radiation death?

Atillathepun: MadAzza: What the fark kind of rigorous academic course of study allows for a "professor of peace studies"?

If you'd done your reading, you'd see it's a remarkably stringent one.

I hadn't gotten around to that. Was too busy boning up on "Conflict Resolution through Contemplating My Navel," "Creeping Neo-Liberal Fascism: Fighting ROTC On Campus" and "Fashion Choices Today - a Paradigm Shift in Youth Independence: Part 2, Tramp Stamps as an Expression of Uber-Individuality as the Self Fights the Military Industrial Complex as a Metaphor for an Emotionally Distant Daddy."

Oh, I just can't keep up with it all.

From the Oxford Research Group website: Oxford Research Group (ORG) is one of the UK's leading advocates for the non-military resolution of global conflict.

At least they're honest about not being objective.

Jormungandr:
I would still like to know how the hell a bunch of third world terrorists managed to hold a world power in perpetual fear. I mean hell, the US was the country that produced the short film "The Medical aspects of radiation" (Get a wig you pussy, you'll be dead before sterile, and you're ugly!) When did Anthrax become scarier than a slow lingering radiation death?

Well to be fair, the US needed to downplay the danger of nuclear war, if people fully realized how unwinnable such a conflict was, we'd be less likely to play along.

Islamic terrorism has to be played up for all its worth on the other hand. If the populance recognized Al-Qaeda as a few radicals with little real power, then the hundreds of billions spent fighting them seems less justified.

Both types of propaganda are still trying to convey the same thing though. There is a threat that has to be fought, and that fight is winnable through some sort of struggle or Jihad if you will. Yet to win this struggle, the populace has to give up certain rights and demands for us to succeed.

The government has been playing this game for too long. The US always has to have some dread enemy, whether it's indians, communists or terrorists that threaten their safety. In truth we have always had more to worry about the government then any of these magnified external threats to our wellbeing.

MadAzza: I hadn't gotten around to that. Was too busy boning up on "Conflict Resolution through Contemplating My Navel," "Creeping Neo-Liberal Fascism: Fighting ROTC On Campus" and "Fashion Choices Today - a Paradigm Shift in Youth Independence: Part 2, Tramp Stamps as an Expression of Uber-Individuality as the Self Fights the Military Industrial Complex as a Metaphor for an Emotionally Distant Daddy."

Oh, I just can't keep up with it all.

Translation: Durrrr, learning is fur wussies!!!!

Again, read up on this guy's credentials.

Mugato: sunlion: Name how many attacks by Al-Qaeda in the US since 9/11?

That ridiculous argument makes me all stabby. If you actually think that we're not less safe than we were pre-9/11 you're just not paying attention.

Yup, we're safe from Al-Qaeda along as we play along with them and burn ourselves out in a ground war in the middle east. Why would they attack us again when they already achieved their objectives by attacking us the first time? Terrorism by its nature has political objectives. The terrorist attacks on 9/11 achieved their political objectives, which is why future Al-Qaeda attacks moved to Europe instead.

On a larger scope however, the world is much less safe after 9/11 due directly to the actions of the US. Al-Qaeda, an organization that existed as a group of handful of individuals backed by Bin Laden's money, has gotten more recruits then it could possibly imagine by the actions of President Bush. The real effects of war has brought more people into fundamentalism and has created an Al-Qaeda organization in Iraq where one didn't exist before.

Mugato: sunlion: Name how many attacks by Al-Qaeda in the US since 9/11?

That ridiculous argument makes me all stabby. If you actually think that we're not less safe than we were pre-9/11 you're just not paying attention.

This is probably the one of the most succinctly descriptive and intelligent posts that I have ever read on Fark. Thank-you Mugato.

Sunny Ray: This is probably the one of the most succinctly descriptive and intelligent posts that I have ever read on Fark. Thank-you Mugato.

You always confuse me when you take your troll costume off.

submitter: Also reports the sky is blue and fire burns

But what you forgot to mention was, if George W. Bush was responsible for the sky being blue and fire burning, millions of kids on the internet wouldn't ever let it go.

Mugato:

I should have mentioned that too. In his wildest dreams, Bin Laden couldn't have thought Bush and the US people would dance to his tune the way we all did. And as a bonus, Bush doesn't even care about capturing him.

Another attack on the US would not only be redundant, it would make Bush's current course of action even more unpopular and Bin Laden doesn't want that.

Wow, that is genius. Never heard it put that way before. Thank-you.

SemperLieSuckah
Anyone else's spidey senses going off that this is probably just a peacenik "think tank"?

Now that's thinking with your gut.

SemperLieSuckah: And ianfer This is me:



Sorry, my family couldn't make it.

oh, you're an internet tough guy.

they've got a magazine devoted to you, jarhead.

oh, and please DIAFireFight.

Afternoon_Delight: FTFA: Rogers, professor of peace studies at the University of Bradford, northern England, also warned that any military action against Iran over the Islamic republic's disputed nuclear programme would further aggravate the situation.


'Professor of peace studies'.

Yawn...

SCifY

Maybe he means that the professor wrote something to support the conclusion we wanted from the outset. Kinda like what Bush did, right?

Mugato: I should have mentioned that too. In his wildest dreams, Bin Laden couldn't have thought Bush and the US people would dance to his tune the way we all did. And as a bonus, Bush doesn't even care about capturing him.

Bin Laden is just one head of the hydra. His capture or death would be purely symbolic. It wouldn't change a damn thing. The emphasis on him is mostly about distracting people from terrorism as a whole, and from the atrocities of Saddam.

apeiron242:

Bin Laden is just one head of the hydra. His capture or death would be purely symbolic. It wouldn't change a damn thing. The emphasis on him is mostly about distracting people from terrorism as a whole, and from the atrocities of Saddam.

Exactly! Saddam Hussein must be stopped.

I love how you guys rationalize your evil by saying that the Jihadists want to destroy your culture

whiskeyinthejar: Afternoon_Delight: 'Professor of peace studies'.

Yawn...

'Wannabe troll masquerading as a Las Vegas prostitute'.

Yawn...

No way, her profile says she fantasizes about sex with me, she must be real!

/there are no girls on the intarweb

muslim_pakistani_guy: I love how you guys rationalize your evil by saying that the Jihadists want to destroy your culture

They hate our freedom

/they do not hate the freedoms in Canada or Hong Kong or other places where you are equally or more free, just American Freedom (TM)

muslim_pakistani_guy: I love how you guys rationalize your evil by saying that the Jihadists want to destroy your culture

but, but, but, but, 9/11!

apeiron242:

Bin Laden is just one head of the hydra. His capture or death would be purely symbolic. It wouldn't change a damn thing. The emphasis on him is mostly about distracting people from terrorism as a whole, and from the atrocities of Saddam.

Some people might say that emphasis on him is about capturing and bringing to justice the guy that claims responsibilty for the crime of the century so far, but what do they know? You stick to your guns on this one chief; I'm sure you know best.

You're the jerk... jerk: muslim_pakistani_guy: I love how you guys rationalize your evil by saying that the Jihadists want to destroy your culture

They hate our freedom

/they do not hate the freedoms in Canada or Hong Kong or other places where you are equally or more free, just American Freedom (TM)

This. There are like atleast 10 countries which are more free in every freaking way. Yet its America, the only country which keeps attacking Muslim countries which is hated. Think.

The Islamofascists hate freedom so badly that they wear underwear three sizes too small and sleep in small, confining boxes.

The Grinch: Don't give me that Pax Romana crap, it was the beginning of the end for them anyway and Celts were still rebelling.

And contrary to whatever passes for history books in neocon home schooling, Rome never ruled the world and never came close to being at peace with its neighbors.

In fact one of the great ironies of all this "New Roman Empire" crap is that Rome fought against Persia (now called Iran) over Mesopotamia (Iraq) for centuries.

Neither of those two great empires could beat the other. It wasn't until the Moslems came up and beat both that the war ended.

ianfer

Al-Qaida's main objective is that they want American forces to be removed from Muslim countries

pup.socket: more liberal rantings from the so-called intellectuals far away from the battlefield.

everyone is so quick to condemn a policy instead of giving it some more time to come to full fruitition.

the terrorist threat facing the world of freedom won't just go away in a day.

raging hatred towards everything non-muslim is driving it.

of course, it is sad there will be some collateral damage in the process.

long-run look at the situation should, however, convince almost anyone that only tough stance is appropriate.

insurgents will be defeated, and the end result will undoubtedly bring piece and prosperity in the region.

now, it is sad, but the alternative is an age of darkness as the jihadists overtake the progressive world, which is already happening all over western europe.

//ya, rly.

Wrong. The solution is de-escalation. the "tough stance" is just making things worse. The problem is that the Pentagon is fighting the wrong war. They invented the insurgency.

And Al Qaeda is more or less an invention of fearmongering Americans, just like Time Magazine invented the Hell's Angels. That doesn't mean it doesn't exist - but it isn't "hate of the non-muslim" isn't driving it, Islam is just a vehicle for expressing various frustrations.

ianfer: SemperLieSuckah: And ianfer This is me:



Sorry, my family couldn't make it.

oh, you're an internet tough guy.

they've got a magazine devoted to you, jarhead.

oh, and please DIAFireFight.


Way uncool dude.

SemperLieSuckah: Pretty freaking good for a counter-insurgency conflict.

I dunno, I'd list Afghanistan as minorly successful. Its not near the success of say, Magsaysay in the Phillipines (a turn around in approximately 3 years against the Hukbalahap Insurrection), but the insurgency isn't really gaining ground either.

Then again there have been a lot of failed counter insurgency operations, so in comparison to those perhaps your right.

Afternoon_Delight: 'Professor of peace studies'.

Yawn...

Learn academic code, often its just another word for the study of "deterrence" and "compellence". Think of how the strategic air commands motto is "Peace is our Profession" its how to secure peace without ever having to go to war. In fact I recall a story of military history courses contemplating changing their names to peace studies.

Jument:
You have the goverment you elected. Or rather you have the government the half of you elected while the other hand stayed home and got hammered even though Iraq was clearly a clusterfark.

Just to be clear. Voter turnout still runs pretty low in the US and 2004 was a banner election with a whopping 64% of the people eligible to vote pulling the lever. So about a third of the eligible voters didn't even get off their asses and go to the polls.

Details of the electoral college aside, Bush got 50.7% of the popular vote so only about one in three people voted for him.

/frustrated with y'all

How do you think it feels living here and knowing that a small minority has essentially seized the ship of state and have set course for the center of the Sun?

SemperLieSuckah:
Sorry, my family couldn't make it.

Where the hell are you stationed? Tatooine?

The DFH have been on "Got That Right" roll since, oh, January of 2001. I wonder why that is?

ianfer: oh, you're an internet tough guy.

they've got a magazine devoted to you, jarhead.

oh, and please DIAFireFight.

Who's the internet tough guy? The marine or the InterNerd baiting the Marine? I think you've got it backwards.

12.fl.oz.: ianfer: SemperLieSuckah: And ianfer This is me:



Sorry, my family couldn't make it.

oh, you're an internet tough guy.

they've got a magazine devoted to you, jarhead.

oh, and please DIAFireFight.


Way uncool dude.

so...it is ok to tell someone to diaf, but not ok to tell someone to diafirefight.

so, is that like how you can call someone a cracker honkie but not a n*gg*r?

the hypocracy is overwhelming.

I'm sitting here in my terrorist free zone and am getting a real kick out of these comments.

ianfer: 12.fl.oz.: ianfer: SemperLieSuckah: And ianfer This is me:



Sorry, my family couldn't make it.

oh, you're an internet tough guy.

they've got a magazine devoted to you, jarhead.

oh, and please DIAFireFight.


Way uncool dude.

so...it is ok to tell someone to diaf, but not ok to tell someone to diafirefight.

so, is that like how you can call someone a cracker honkie but not a n*gg*r?

the hypocracy is overwhelming.

Hey, I saw this dude is jump off the bridge, you should too. I mean, why not?

sure, why not.

SemperLieSuckah: 1) Becaus, yeah, you know... we're waaaay worse than they are. The reason these things are big deals is because we hold ourselves to higher standards. I could give a fark what some douchebag terrorist things of being dragged around on a leash after he comes from an organization that beheads people regularly for being of an opposite religion. An if we just walk away, the problem wll be solved because we're the problem, right? Not extremist megalomaniac ideologies. Maybe if we prostrate ourselves we can appease them into not trying to kill us.


#2 = makes no sense. Cold war? Bloated military? What?


Ya know, I'm always just massively astonished at how history, even recent history, just vanishes down some garbage disposal, never to be heard from again.

Luckily, there are documents still available that will show without any doubt that the same degree of hyperbole we now here about the jihadists existed for the Communists.

Oh but we won the Cold War, right? That's why I'm sitting here writing you from lovely Beijing, China where the last time I checked THE COMMUNIST PARTY IS STILL IN POWER.

But I can recall hearing about Evil Empires within my lifetime, and a casual perusal of the literature shows that many of our Nation's political animals warned us endlessly about the existential threat posed to the US by global Godless Communism, which existed solely to destroy our cherished American Way of Life.

And believe you me, this kind of rhetoric paid off in spades, making the careers of such notaries as Richard M. Nixon, Joe McCarthy and Ronald Reagan, among many others. And while you're doing your research, take a look at US military expenditures from 1952-1990.

But then somehow, in spite of the persistence of RED CHINA, "we" won the "Cold War", which meant no more raison d'etre for the standing army and the notorious "Military Industrial Complex."
And we are talking big bucks here.

But then, just when it looked darkest for our militarists, along came Osama to save the day.

And now our warriors have a reason for their billion dollar budgets. To fight a gang of lunatic turban-wearing fundamentalists from the 6th Century.

Because when all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.

SemperLieSuckah: Zhouda And you know WHY the Jihadists are having such a hard time taking over the middle east? Hint: it's not because their shoe laces are tied together... Yep... thats right...

Wrong. It's because everyone in the Mideast hates them. Duh. Because they're friggin maniacs.

Anti-Bush/American professor from Britian declares something he was always opposed to a failure... news at 11.

That headline is totally misleading and full of typical librul propoganda. WHY DO YOU PEOPLE HATE AMERICA?


The truth of the matter is that the sky is actually greyish-white today.

ianfer

is ok to tell someone to diaf, but not ok to tell someone to diafirefight.

so, is that like how you can call someone a cracker honkie but not a n*gg*r?

the hypocracy is overwhelming.

I think semper owned you with his real pic after your fake pic. You lashed out in panic at him or something like that. I don't think he said anything to you to make you tell him that.Good day sir.