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Politics : Clinton's Scandals: Is this corruption the worst ever? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: RJC2006 who wrote (3228)	8/26/1998 4:22:00 PM
From: DD™	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 13994

A MUST READ FROM MAUREEN DOWD.. nytimes.com DD

To: RJC2006 who wrote (3228)	8/26/1998 4:37:00 PM
From: The Philosopher	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 13994

On the contrary, you miss my point. This was not part of an ongoing war where Sudanese civilians had a legitimate choice to follow their leaders or oppose them. The attack came without warning to the Sudanese-on-the-street. I believe that most people in the world simply want to live out their lives in as much peace as they can find. They wish these power hungry maniacs who glory in war would just go away and let them get on with their lives. I find nothing to suggest that the average Sudanese knew that there were (if indeed there were) VX gas components being made at a factory in their midst. They bear neither guilt nor responsibility. don't argue that we are prohibited from taking necessary and reasonable military action because some innocent people may die (although I think the jury is still out on the Sudanese situation). However, I DO believe that we have an obligation to regret and mourn their deaths. That is the basic difference between you and me, and it is a basic truth of our characters which is immutable. I care about people. Even Sudanese people. You don't. And that's it. By your argument, the citizens of New York City are personally responsible because the World Trade Center bomb was assembled in NYC and the U.S. authorities allowed it to go on without stopping it. Your argument is that it is the average New Yorker's duty to know this was happening and rebel, and if they failed to do so and got killed in a raid to blow up the bomb factory, it's their own damn faults and we have no remorse for their deaths. Those who got killed in the bombing, by your argument, deserved it because they didn't stop it, so tough nuggies for them. Or, perhaps a better example: by your argument the jews who perished in the holocause deserved what they got because they should have seen it coming and didn't rebel and overturn the government. So you don't give a rat's rear end for any of them, either. You epitomize (if I spelt it wrong, tough) the worst attributes of right wing thinking, and are the reason why, although my ideas are generally pretty conservative, I abhor being thought of as a right winger, because I haven't yet resigned from the human race. . ? This would be your argument, that the average New Yorker was responsible for knowing this and stopping it, and if they didn't act to stop it, if they get killed by somebody bombing the bomb factory, too bad. (if this were happening in your city, are you responsible for knowing it? You made no distinction in your original post between Sudanese or Afgans who might support their government's policies and those who

To: RJC2006 who wrote (3228)	8/26/1998 4:41:00 PM
From: Jim S	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 13994

Good post, Bob. It explained your position well. While I don't necessarily disagree with you, I think it should be pointed out that you are also expressing the terrorists' rationale for killing innocents. Eg., anyone who is inside a US embassy is necessarily either doing business with, or aiding and abetting, the United States, and is therefore a target. Same argument applies. To be honest, though, I don't think the US has the stomach for a true "war on terrorism." As you indicate, it would require us to routinely infringe over national boundries (no big deal in Sudan, but how about Russia? China? France?) with or without the consent of the government. Further, it will require extermination of anyone who offers sanctuary, and will necessarily spill over into collateral casualties. Damned terrorists won't bunch up and fight like men.