Posted by
cal, 23:01, 6th February 2002:
Would you be willing to go to war and die for your country? Why? What has your country done for you? Is war necessary? Is there another way?
Your views on war are required.
Posted by
la, 23:32, 6th February 2002:
My Dad always said that the only way they could drag him off to a war is if the Prime Minister was fighting right there next to him...
My dad's not the most logical of people.
Posted by
ell, 01:22, 7th February 2002:
I'd much rather be waging the war than fighting it. I guess it all depends if you think war is necessary evil... personally, I'd rather people could talk things out, but might makes right still. I've always pretty much assumed I'd have been one of those conscenscious objectors if I'd been alive during the World Wars tho.
Posted by
la, 03:13, 7th February 2002:
If I was actually living somewhere where I had to fight to protect my freedom / beliefs / loved ones, then I'd probably feel very differently about going to war.
But living in this safe little coccoon thousands of kilometres away from the conflict that's going on in the world, I can't even imagine sacrificing myself for my country, let alone actually be willing to do it.
It's easy enough for me to say that war isn't a necessary evil, and we should all be mature *adults* and sit down and work things out peacefully.
But like ell said, the harsh reality is that the world just aint like that.
I hope I don't offend anyone here, but yes, I would die for my country ... but more or less protecting my family from the evils of the world and my freedom to speak my mind and live my life the way I want it. I think war can be good and bad. It all depends on the situation. Why .. would I you ask ... because I beleive in my country, my family, my beliefs and I am willing to to what I need to .. to defend that.
When they attacked .... and this hits home for me ... they attacked the pentagon .. and where that plane hit was were I used to sit. So .. I'm angry .. mad ... and I think they deserve to die. They don't want to be peaceful ... they don't want to talk ... they want to KILL and inncocent people at that. So we have to defend out country no matter what the cost. Those soliders that are there ... are there for us ... protecting us ... and if I could I would hug each one of them.
That is my thought on the matter. I will never forget that day. I wasn't there ... but my friends and co-workers were. I didn't loose anyone that I know .... but I could have ... because he went back into that building and started helping people out and he could have just saved himself .. but he didn't ... he saved those people.
Posted by
cal, 13:01, 7th February 2002:
But can the actions of the US militry be seen as defense, or as offence. What do you think killing so many people will achieve?
It only takes one overlooked terrorist to destroy a city - is hunting down and killing them really a viable solution?
They can be seen as both. I'm not sure what it would achieve, but putting them in jail won't achieve anything either. They need to be punished. We aren't taking innocent lives .. they are. We are only going after those who kill to kill. They have no conisuous .. no feeling ... they don't care that they took those people's lives or how it would affect their families. I guess I am tainted on this .... because it was to close to home.
I don't know what a Viable solution would be .... but I am sure that they have thought about all their actions. We could have just turned around and dropped bombs and killed innocent people all over the place but we didn't ... we just sent people over there to find the bad guys and get them. A lot of people have not been killed, they have been captured and brought to a camp.
Posted by
cal, 21:00, 7th February 2002:
And on to an interesting point. What is the US going to do with these 'prisoners'? Keep them indefinately?
Seems a big waste of money when it's not america's job to police the world. Why isn't this a NATO matter?
They have been letting a lot go. I don't know Cal ... I'm not a very poltical person. I just reacted to what happened. i'm sure that if I searched it through ... my conculsion would be differnt.
Posted by
cal, 21:30, 7th February 2002:
i'm not trying to be nasty here - sorry if i come acorss that way
all i'm saying is that there are a lot of questions, especially of the "what next" type. i guess us political pawns will have to wait and see what's decided.
Posted by
la, 23:04, 7th February 2002:
ahahahaha - I see a pattern here.
Cal asks the questions and everyone else has to answer, and then cal asks more questions
(I'm beginning to think he likes to confuse the hell outta everyone...)
Everyone who thinks Cal should answer his own questions raise your hand! =)
Posted by
cal, 08:44, 8th February 2002:
if i did that, the world would collapse in on itself. so i wont.
That's Ok Cal ... you are just saying what you think in a way. I am not good a discussing poltics. I normally avoid the topic.
Posted by
taxon, 08:10, 11th February 2002:
I'm jumping in late on the topic here........... so I'll take it from the top and work my way down...
Yes, I'd be willing to go to war and die for my country.
As I see the world, there will absolutely never be world peace. So given this mentality, one would have to also agree that a military is needed. And if a military is needed, then needless to say, you need people to fill the positions within that force. [To go any further into any of this, it will simply be opinions based upon opinions that are based upon opinions.... so bear with me if you care to hear.]
If I were to watch my peers and my children and my neighbors children go off to defend a country I lived in, I don't know if I could be too happy with myself if I didn't do my part as well.
I don't want to come across as a pro-military type of person here. But I will say, serving for my country is something that needed to be done, for me. Some people may argue it's nothing more than a guilty conscience that is driving me towards this.....
....perhaps they are right....
However, in my eyes, it gives me greater roots and ties to the land I live in, which is something that is much more rare this day in age.
I'll also go on to say, that I 100% DO NOT frown upon people that decide that they will never serve their country for one reason or another. I guess another way to put it is, It's something I'd do for myself.... and it happens to coincide with something my country needs.
I don't really have a list in my head of something my country has done for me........
but.... it's allowed me to make decisions and have choices that other people do not.
"But can the actions of the US militry be seen as defense, or as offence?"
That seems like kind of a silly question, Cal....
It all depends on which side of the fence you're on.
In my opinion..... it's both.
"What do you think killing so many people will achieve?"
I think it will achieve the disgust of even more people than it has now.
But I'm not saying that I don't think it's necessary.
"It only takes one overlooked terrorist to destroy a city - is hunting down and killing them really a viable solution?"
Of course it isn't.... no one said it was....... They just said they were going to try to do it. But if the US governement had said.... "we're going to kill Bin Laden now" right at the start, and then killed him..... don't you think someone would have said.... "what about all the other terrorists of the world...... are we going to wait for each attack and each mass slaughtering of people before we go and kill the couple hundred that organized the untimely death of those innocent lives?" At that point the government might as well say, "Yep, we're going to sit back and wait"
Woo.... I think you might have an unhappy country on your hands.
Once again.... it's offensive.... and defensive... (i guess).
"And on to an interesting point. What is the US going to do with these 'prisoners'? Keep them indefinately?"
Good question... wish I knew too.
Well... that's a bit of my perspective on a couple of things said here...... I dunno, maybe I contradicted myself a bunch throughout all of that..... chances are I did, ah well.... anyway..
I'm not sure how many of you remember me from a few months back.... I haven't been all that "available" lately. I'm in the US Air Force and I was deployed for this "war effort" in the very early parts of December, and I continue to be away from my normal duty station at this very moment. Things are looking good for a plane ride home in a month or so.... I'm keeping my fingers crossed. My availability to check my e-mail and a couple of forums fluctuates by the day... and it would seem that for the next few days, I should have a fair amount of spare time on my hands, chances are you'll see me pop my head in again.
=)
Cheers,
Michael
Michael ....
Thank you for fighting for us. It means the world to me and I hope you come home safely.
Posted by
cal, 09:25, 12th February 2002:
A deeper opinion than's been expressed so far. Lots of good points and you've obviously thought about this more than most of us sitting at anonomous terminals in 'traditionally' safe parts of the world.
I'd like to say more, but i've just got into work and i've got a ton of email to wade through. I'll come back to thsi i think.