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

To: Hawkmoon who wrote (136782)	6/16/2004 9:22:44 AM
From: Hawkmoon	Read Replies (6) \| Respond to of 281500

Btw, I thought I might mention that I'll be traveling for the foreseeable future, pursuing a new career opportunity. Thus, my ability may be limited with regard to continuing my participation in coming months due to poor internet connectivity. So I just wanted to thank my friends, as well as my antagonists/rivals, for helping me to formulate my thought processes out here in public debate. It's been extremely important to making me defend the values and opinions I hold, as well as casting off those that don't make logical sense, or represent the facts. I understand many of you will be thankful for my absence.. ;0) But I hope that even if you haven't agreed with my views, that I've challenged you to think about why you hold your own views, and how they interact with the rest of the world's opinions. We live in a marketplace of ideas. And as in the real world of luxury goods, those ideas possessing the highest quality are generally very expensive to obtain, possess, and defend. And just like any marketplace, the world of ideas is also full of junk and low-quality merchandise. But more important to remember, where ever there are valuable items, there are thieves and vandals who seek to deprive us of them, constantly seeking to steal our dreams, morals, and values. And if we're not willing to fight for our ideals, then we should question what true value our lives actually have. Best of luck!! And thanks again... I'll check in as I'm able. Hawk

To: Hawkmoon who wrote (136782)	6/16/2004 10:04:42 AM
From: Neocon	Respond to of 281500

I have known Hawkmoon since the Kosovo thread. He has always been a steady, thoughtful, and informed presence wherever I have caught his participation. I am glad that he is able to pursue new opportunities, but sad that we will lose much of his participation in the ensuing year. Godspeed, Hawk!

To: Hawkmoon who wrote (136782)	6/16/2004 4:02:45 PM
From: Jacob Snyder	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

re: Jail or war? Soldier chooses jail: For the second time recently, I find myself agreeing with you. This soldier, for 8 years, got all the benefits of being a soldier during peace-time. Then, when it came time to actually do what he had signed up to do, he changed his mind. And then refused to take personal responsibility for his decision, blaming his officers. Everyone knows that being a soldier means you are in the business of killing, and maybe being killed. Everyone who doesn't think like a child, knows that ShitHappens, and happens a lot during wars. I am happy when anyone at any time comes to the realization, that killing other people is wrong. But the time and place to think this through, is long before you are an 8-year veteran in the middle of a fire-fight. Or on leave afterward. Gandhi said, "It is better to be violent, than to be pacifist only out of cowardice." Pacifism will never be the dominant ideology in the world, until there are more pacifists willing to die for their cause, than Jihadists and Crusaders and Imperialists willing to die for their causes. We aren't any closer to that, today, than we were when the Romans nailed that Jewish trouble-maker to the cross. Mejia should have never joined the military. And, if he changed his mind while in uniform, he should have said, "I have decided not to kill anyone else, for any reason, and therefore cannot be a soldier any longer. This is my decision, and I will willingly accept the consequences of this decision. It is just, that I go to jail. When I am released, I will voluntarily work to repay the U.S. government all the pay and benefits I received during my military career, because I got them under false pretenses." One of the wonderful things about modern technology, is that nobody has any excuse any more, for romanticizing war, or not understanding exactly what happens during war.