The World’s Largest Coalition of Nontheists and Nontheist Communities!
Thoughts on Conflict in Egypt?
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Gordon W Maples on -
I can't on principle support a totalitarian autocratic regime. Mub needs to step down. I am concerned as to what would replace him in the power vacuum, but that is to be seen. The people want change, and they'll get it in some form.
-
Permalink Reply by TK on -
I think it's amazing that our policy is still to support people like Mubarak. We'd sell the citizens of any country down the river just so that we get a government aligned with our interests. No wonder people target us for terrorist attacks. All week long on all the news it's been, what will be the best outcome for America? The real question should be, what is the best outcome for the people of Egypt?
-
Permalink Reply by Gordon W Maples on
-
Exactly. The sad thing is that this isn't new behavior. We've been bulldozing and toppling foreign governments for the sake of our personal interests for decades, disregarding both the democratic process and the well-beings of the inhabitants of these countries.
-
Permalink Reply by Park Bierbower on -
>No wonder people target us for terrorist attacks
I like this realization. People seem so ignorant to the role of America in the world. We've deposed at least 12 leaders over the last 50 years~ assassinating them, training the governmental resistance, and selling arms to their enemies. No wonder people hate us now~ reflecting on our view of the riots in Egypt, but also understanding that we've invaded and deposed two countries in that part of the world in the last ten years. We've invaded countries, one because "terrorists" (17 people) had loose affiliations with a political force there (afghanistan) and the other because the dictator supposedly had weapons of mass destruction~ which the international community knew was false. Not only did they know, but they told us and we said "fuck off" and did it anyways. We've razed buildings across the world, knowing that there could be innocent civilians (and probably would be) killed in the process. We have, as a country, been doing awfully fucked up things to their part of the world for over half a century~ and they see we still live with a paranoid fear that a few americans will die. I carry no judgement in this declaration~ it merely is what it is. Aside from lacking any balls, a sense of outrage, or even a sense of history, what Americans lack the most, in the eyes of the world, is a sense of perspective.
-
Permalink Reply by Gordon W Maples on
-
That basically sums it up. And this is all post-Cold War. Back in the Us v Them days, we were as shameless as we were ruthless, and doublefold in each compared to today. All in the name of an Atomic Holy War against them Godless Communists...
-
Permalink Reply by TK on
-
It's been amazing to hear all of the pundits tip toe on this all week. "We want democracy for the people of Egypt, so long as they do what we want them to do." We fear the muslim world because they represent the biggest threat to our empire. Religion is the number one thing that any nation needs to be able to sell an imperialist agenda. There are many people today that think that god wants them to conquer the world and it's our god given right to kill and or convert those that aren't judeo christian. The same could be said for muslims as well. It boils down to a culture war and oil interests.
I think our number one goal as a country should be to get off of oil. Think of how much better our country would be if all of our foreign policy wasn't focused on securing our oil interests.
-
Permalink Reply by Park Bierbower on
-
I would argue that point. Islamists pose almost zero threat to the interests of the US, but they, being a completely foreign culture, are an excellent scapegoat to keep the citizens of the US in constant fear, thus making us pliable and compliant to our great "protectors." Eastern European Anarchists pose more of a threat to the US than radical islamists~ They at least have connections to the now defunct Soviet nuclear arsenal. The drug lords in Mexico pose more of an immediate threat to the security of Americans~ yet where is the military in controlling that issue? Corporate interests combined with the need for an easily manipulated populace is why 'radical islamists' are the boogey man of the day. Decades ago it was communists, cubans, atheists, and nuclear annihilation. Now its a ragtag organization of religious extremists who haven't been able to successfully carry out an attack on the US in ten years, despite them being 'well funded' and 'super evil.'
-
Permalink Reply by TK on
-
Ok that's fair, but I was stating that the threat imposed by them is that they are at least equally or more imperialist then we are. Not actual tactical threats.
-
Permalink Reply by Park Bierbower on
-
I don't know if I'd even go that far (being imperialistic). They prey on the weaker nations, but are black listed in many other muslim countries such as Syria, (former) Iraq, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan (who cooperates with them, but won't support them in their own government)... Because they pose a threat to the established governments. The real point I take from this is the extreme corruption shown by previous US governments in distorting and misusing information to drive foreign policy, for whatever 'unknown' benefit.
As far as being tactical, I've been trained (in the military) on the tactics that they use. Al Queda means "the base" because it started as one of Bin Laden's departure points and training centers for muslim warriors during the Soveit invasion in the 80's. The Mujahdeen ([spelling?]; the muslim warriors) were trained by Pakistani special forces and intelligence agents (the ISI)~ who were in turn trained by our own special forces and intelligence agencies (CIA). That is what's so beautiful about all of this~ we are at war with a terrorist organization that our country helped train back in the 80's, but who have made little to no progress in the mean time (if you don't count expelling the Russians) in physically changing the political landscape of the Middle East. Just understanding this small dynamic of the last 30 years can give a person insight into why the Middle East particularly dislikes the US~ we (I use that term loosely) have been interfering and fucking things up for quite some time.
-
Permalink Reply by Jim DePaulo on -
. The drug lords in Mexico pose more of an immediate threat to the security of Americans~
Absolutely, the number of innocent people killed by the Mexican drug cartels simply to terrorize people into submission puts them in league with the worst terrorist on the planet. The amount of time the MSM spends covering the terrorist that live on (and over) our borders is one tenth of the time they spend on the most recent missing blonde, white, teenage girl.
They are well armed (better than the Mexican army) , very well financed, organized, numerous and have the moral fiber of a cockroach. Those who doubt the killers will spill their violence over the border are dangerously deluded.
-
Permalink Reply by Park Bierbower on
-
Personally I kind of hope we would get involved, and I'd get to deploy to mexico~ on the same side of the planet, and the people I'd be fighting aren't known for hiding bombs in the roads or shooting from behind a corner and running away~ as fucked as they are, they fight like men (in respects to the insurgent tactics used overseas). Thats a personal thing though~ I'm looking at the possibility of deploying over the next year (decision is not up to me) and the most disconcerting thing is that most people who die never have a chance to fight back. You're driving down the road in a convoy one moment, then BOOM you are gone.
-
Permalink Reply by TK on
-
Once again though, this is of our own making. If we didn't have a prohibitionist stance on recreational drug use, the cartels in Mexico wouldn't be making millions if not billions of dollars ever year.
I hope you are safe wherever you deploy. Warfare isn't about how manly you can be. It's about killing as many of the enemy as possible and staying alive to see your goals met. I absolutely see why the insurgents use the tactics they do. They are outnumbered and severely outgunned. It's the same situation we used when we fought the British for our independence. They used to line up and shoot. We said to hell with that, let's hide behind some trees and shoot at those fools lining up.
Support Nexus
Click to Buy Amazon items and help A|N
Advertisements
Latest Activity
- Top News
- Everything
Pereira posted a status
Joan Denoo replied to Sentient Biped's discussion Origins of Religion in the Paleolithic Age in the group Getting Religion© 2013 Atheist Nexus. All rights reserved. Admin: Brother Richard.
