Nuke their ass, take their gas...

[George Bearden]

In the '70's I studied engineering at CSUFresno.  Over 50% of our students
in that Dept were Iranian, with a good measure more of other middle-east
countries, plus many oriental students.  I learned that there are many
things about that Arab culture that are not attractive to me.

I also learned that they were hesitant to talk about their religious
fundamentalists.  At 1st I thought that they didn't want a confrontation.
Then as I got to know a few much better, they quietly, with just a few
words, let me know that the majority of them were afraid to say anything,
even in Sunny Fresno California.  There were ears everywhere, and some
students weren't really here to study but to report on other students.
Lots of these guys were not cowards.  Many had military experience &
training, many were 'studs'.  But they had mommys and little sisters and
brothers at home who were vulnerable to these Talaban types in power.  I
learned that the thinkers, the moderates, in these countries had a delicate
balancing act.  They wanted to influence their country toward 'western'
values.  They wanted freedom from this kind of fear. But it is a big job to
take a country/culture from where it was to where they wanted it to be,
without appearing to others as the enemy also..

The USA had many of these friends and supporters in Iran that we alienated
when we painted them all with the same wide brush when we had the big
schism after the Islamic(?) takeover.  It is now impossible for the
thinkers to say anything in that country.

> After that "demonstration", I'd declare to the world that any further mass
> terrorism against the US or it's allies would be answered with the immediate
> destruction of the offending sponser state's capitol city(s).

What do you think Ben Laden expects us to do?  Why don't you just ask him
for the script so we can follow it more closely?  1st, you would hurt
people who are NOT taliban or terrorists.  2nd, you would probably NOT hurt
the Taliban or Ben Laden.  3rd, in addition to being ineffective at hurting
the perps, you would further polarize the moderates and you would make it
politically impossible for any remaining reasonable voices to influence
their country.  4th, you would have hordes of angry young people in that
country streaming to Ben Laden's cause.

> These animals have no rules, which means that we shouldn't have any either!

Excuse me?  That conclusion doesn't seem adequately supported.  Suppose you
were an 18 year old pushing 5 year olds on the swing in a crowded
playground.  A 5 yo hits you in the head with a rock but when you turn
around you can't tell which did it.  Are you going to go smashing and
hitting and stomping through the crowd of kids?  No!  You are going to use
your more adult responses and find out which one did it.

There are many ways to make war.  War is expensive.  If we are OK with
spending $$$$ on bombs and soldiers, why not spend it instead on social,
political and economic pressure on these guys?  Why not try to undermine
THEIR  supporters?  Isolate the terrorists and their supporters.  Expose
them for twisting Islam to their own ends.  Influence other moderate muslim
leaders to publicly denounce the twisted doctrine and the hatred.  Take
their power-base away.  Make it politically *possible* for other Islamic
governments to take our side.  (and the Taliban ISN"T the Afgan government)
THEN assasinate them.  Cruise missile them.  Tactical nuke only them.  Do
some Clancy novel trick, take them out, but be sure of your target.  If we
simply go in without preparation and slug everybody we will lose the war
and our self-respect.  If we do this right maybe we can destroy the
power-base of most all of the terrorists.  We can use this disaster to put
pressure on a wide spectrum of terrorists, since they share the moral
responsibility for the act by condoning it.  Don't simply knee-jerk hit
back like a 5 yo.  Hate X Hate = HATE

During and after the gulf war I saw Amerikans high-five'ing each other when
we buried, bombed, machine-gunned and fuel-bombed poor ignorant peasants
who didn't even know they were fighting the USA till they got to the front
lines.  They had guns behind them and guns in front of them.  No, I don't
have the answer, but I sure am not proud of that situation.  No, I'm not a
pacifist either.  And yes, I'd like to get back at Ben Laden (or whomever
it turns out to be) too.  Yes, I'd feel different if my daughter had been
in that building.  

But don't lets stop with the easy answer.  It is almost invariably wrong.


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