From: Kai Becker (kmb@kai-m-becker.de)
Date: Mon Dec 17 2001 - 09:48:52 MST
Am Montag, 17. Dezember 2001 11:52 schrieb Robert J. Bradbury:
> I believe the
> total non-combatant body-count in Afghanistan is significantly
> below the ~3,000 people lost in the WTC attacks.
Not if you include the refugees, of which many will starve or freeze to
death.
> There *really* is less freedom in countries outside of the U.S.
There are such countries, right. Have you also been in Europe?
> By arguing that the U.S. should not drop bombs, you *are*
> arguing that it is proper and just that 28 million people
> should have their freedom restricted by a handful of
> religious zealots.
In the situation after 9-11, military actions may be the only effective
thing to do. But since this also defines the endpoint of our options, we
apparently have maneuvered ourself into a no-alternative situation. This is
never a good position and clearly shows, that our leaders must have made
serious mistakes.
So, the 9-11 catastrophy and this war are the tragical but logical
endpoints so far of wrong political ways in the years ago, as I've tried to
show in other postings. We could have prevented it. Most of it, even the
suicide attacks. Healthy democratic nations have no need to attack other
countries, even if they have been militaristic rogue states before. You can
come and visit me to see it here in Germany. The Marshall plan is one of
the very few examples, where a country was healed and developed. (I'll
leave out the reasons why the Marshall plan won over the Morgenthau plan,
because the rationale is not very noble).
The western world has mostly shown more interest to exploit other countries
than to help them to become stable, democratic nations. We now get the
receipt for our ignorance.
What frustrates me most is the shortsightedness of political acting. You
can easily get billions of dollars after a desaster to take revenge, but
you have to beg for every cent to prevent cause for the desaster.
So, to repeat my basic statement: I'm not saying that there is _now_ an
alternative to violence. I'm saying that todays violence (and the dreadful
no-alternative situation) is the result of former mistakes. IMO, we should
see to prevent these situations, and if it is just to protect our own
people.
Kai
-- == Kai M. Becker == kmb@kai-m-becker.de == Bremen, Germany == "Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced"
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