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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: ratan lal who wrote (8459)	10/31/2001 6:02:37 PM
From: Ilaine	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

We are not bombing the people of Afghanistan. We are bombing Al Qaeda and their hosts and protectors, the Taliban, who are hiding themselves among women and children. Bombs are stupid things, they can't tell the innocent from the guilty.

To: ratan lal who wrote (8459)	10/31/2001 7:04:15 PM
From: MSI	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 281500

We're wandering around in moral relativism. Now, you are saying slavery 150 years ago is "the same as" terrorism is today... Not even close. Neither the Crown nor slaveholders proclaimed "death to all slaves", and performed suicide attacks in foreign countries, etc. And because (most) civilizations in the world have evolved in the past 150 years to think this lifetime as something valuable, rather than training youngsters to think of an early death in battle as their goal in life. And because, if you haven't noticed, we've abolished slavery, as well as quite a few other changes in 150 years. Carrying the slippery argument further, the next thing you'll be saying is that the US is a "slaveholder" to the rest of the world due to its cultural and financial influence, and owes some kind of "reparation". However, unlike slaves, the ROW does not need to take money, armaments and soldiers from the US. They have their own countries, their own people, their own religions and their own businesses. It is just very convenient to do so, and easier to complain than being productive on their own. "Blame the U.S., get a cookie" has been the US policy for 50 years, this after being a magnanimous victor in combat, to both ours and the world's benefit. On your other point, perhaps the Taliban form a minority in Afghanistan, but it is that minority that is being rooted out, because so far, they haven't turned themselves in. What would you suggest?