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

To: Maurice Winn who wrote (204506)	9/27/2006 7:48:31 PM
From: Ilaine	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

The Afghanis we backed against the Soviets were either killed by the Taliban or moved to the US to get away from them, and the survivors have moved back to Afghanistan and are helping to rebuild it now. I will never regret assisting them. My only regret is that we temporized after the true nature of the Taliban became manifest. Nor will I ever regret assisting the Iraqis get rid of Sodom Insane. My only regret there is that we didn't do it after the first Gulf War. There is no way to get around the fact that there is a growing political movement among Muslims to take power under the guise of "restoring" Islam to the lands of the former Caliphate, that is to say, from Spain to Serbia to China to India to Sub-Saharan Africa, and beyond. This movement began very early in the 20th century, basically after the Ottoman Empire ended and secular rulers established themselves in the nations that arose from the former provinces of that empire. Indeed, bin Laden has often spoken of his rage at the loss of the Caliphate and desire to restore it, no doubt with himself in charge. Ahmadinejad has the same ambition. They don't really know more about Westerners than what they see on TV and in the movies. We're all "Franks" and "Crusaders" to them. We do horrible things like let women vote, let them hold public office, walk around with their faces, arms and feet exposed, have jobs, dance with men they aren't married to, and so we're degenerates and Allah doesn't love us, which means we are weak, and pushovers. Yes, they flew airplanes into the World Trade Center. The original plot, code-named "Bojinka," called for multiple planes from all over the world to be blown up simultaneously over the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea, and the assassination of the Pope. The "masterminds" behind this plot were also behind the 1993 bombing of the WTC, which they hoped would bring it down then, but they didn't have enough money for enough explosives. They scaled down "Bojinka", again, due to not enough money or manpower. It doesn't take all that much to destroy a building, especially one with a steel and glass frame. They didn't cause much damage to the Pentagon, which is made of steel-reinforced concrete. It just takes the ability to think the unthinkable. They proved themselves able to shoot a Pope, as well. But a Pope is just a man, and there are plenty of Cardinals. It probably wouldn't have the type of effect they are hoping for. Instead of forcing us to respect Islam, we'd just hate them more, hold them in greater contempt. Extremists have killed Popes, and Presidents, toppled towers, burned bridges, blown up statues, destroyed great art and great artists, killed men, women, and children in countless numbers, and yet we find ourselves able to go on without missing a beat.

To: Maurice Winn who wrote (204506)	9/27/2006 9:07:31 PM
From: Ilaine	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

Oh, forgot to mention earlier, you said that US workers in Toyota factories were making minimum wage. In fact, in production jobs they start at $15/hr and range upward. Average Toyota labor charges = $43/hour (which includes benefits). Yes, Japan is well off after WWII, after we destroyed their country (their choice) and rebuilt them in our own image (our choice). I say "our own image" but of course it's a synthesis of their own best minds and our own best minds, going back to the ancient Celts and Romans. It's a system that has brought wealth and prosperity to every country that has embraced it.