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Defense...love...and happier things...
First of all, I want to repeat the wooty woot to Fred for his insightful post. He said what I have been trying to say for while but in a significantly more concise manner. I will really try to make my responses even-handed.
i think it's fine to say that more need be done in a
situation like that (also with the oklahoma city
bombing which don mentioned). i don't disagree. i'm
the _last_ person trying to preserve white patriarchy
:) still, i wouldn't compare a serial killer to 9/11.
much bigger scale. much bigger threat.
True, and I personally agree with you, but I think the argument that others are trying to make is that we, as a nation, should hold certain ethical molds no matter what the situation. Otherwise, we become as bad as those that we are trying to defend ourselves against. While this makes sense ideologically, practically we have to focus on those things that pose the greatest and most imminent threat.
as for the comments made about defense spending (holly
and steve i think?), i don't agree that we should cut
back. i am not defending past wrongs by supporting
the need for our increasingly enhanced military to
stay on top. b/c of familiarity with what happens in
other countries, i don't trust human nature anywhere.
not anywhere.
I just think I need to clarify my comment on defense spending. I was saying that the disparity between defense spending and foreign and domestic humanitarian spending was problematic for a nation that truly seeks to creat a world of allies and equals. Defense by its nature requires constant upgrading and maintanence in our to retain inequality in our favor.
My big issue with defense spending is the manner more than the quantity. For example, this missle defense program while scientifically fascinating really serves no true purpose in relations to the amount of money that it would require. I would much rather see benefits and salaries to enlisted men and women increased before we try to create an anti-missile shield. Remember that no matter how good your hardware and software is, eventually the quality of your system depends on the human operators, and if the US does not retain the talented within its military, it faces dark future.
i think if we let up, we'd get some invasion or
something. we could talk about fairness day and
night, but i don't think it can be discussed
presupposing the goodness of people.
Huh? I am curious about your reasoning behind this assertion. "Invasion or something" is pretty vague. Who would invade us? How? Why? I could see a lowering of defenses as a possible invitation to terrorists, but invasion, at least militarily, I don't think so.
but he came back from the middle east with an
impression: that the way to keep peace is to have
strength enough that it need not be used or that it be
used rarely.
Interesting. I think though that this is the same mentality that began WWI and the Cold War. Tht is if I understand your point correctly. Also, I have read a bit of the Quran, and I cannot claim to be a scholar or anything, but I'm not sure if it is any more violent in and of itself than much of the Bible. I think that actions are determined more by focus and interpretation than anything else. Then again, this is just my very amateur opinion.
and how did his great country of ideals gain its
independence? i'm sure there was plenty of the
unpleasantries and compromises made. then look at the
two world wars. rationing. the draft. times change,
and so i guess the appropriateness of certain
inconveniences do too. people made sacrifices, and
i'm not opposed to them. franklin is not all that
specific by using words like "essential liberty" and
"temporary safety." we have to take him in his
context, just like anything else. i don't feel sure
he'd interpret them this way in the light of today's
situations.
Maybe, maybe not, but it is an interesting point of discussion. Just a note. If anyone is looking for something to read, they should look up some of the history of the seizures of life and property of Tories by "Revolutionaries" during the American Revolution. There were a whole bunch of people's homes that were torched or taken and also a large quantity of deaths that were attributed to Indians in New York State. Just food for thought when people look back at our idealist forefathers with a golden aura.
now onto something more cheery...I was wondering if anyone would be willing to share stories of the first time that they were a teenager and felt like they were in love. This is not infatuation or puppy love when they thought that someone was cute or hot or whatever. I'm kinda wondering if anyone actually has these experiences that we see depicted in culture like "The Wonder Years", John Hughes films, etc. The earlier conversations on the 80s films made me think.
Another thing. I was wondering today what kind of music that I would hear 20 years down the road that would remind me of Sept. 11. I know that for me I always cry when I hear Cowboy Junkies' "Something More Beside You," but I know that this is mostly because we asked that it be played at my little brother's funeral. I guess that all of this politics just makes me a little melancholy.
How Goes the World? The World Goes Not Well. But the Kingdom Comes...
Have a good weekend.
Steve Swanson