Originally posted by SLS
Sorry - I finally saw this one. I do not expect our presidents to be perfect. I do expect them to do what they feel is best for this country & not base everything off of polls. I prefer that people tell me the truth, not what they think I want to hear. I prefer them to not flip flop like a fish out of water to get to a centralist position which most presidential candidates do. I can think of only two people at the moment like that - Reagan & Bush.
Obviously you think that Bush is nothing but a screw-up but that is your opinion and I am not even going to try to bother arguing you about it. I will state that it took many years before Japan became a productive nation even with our rebuilding help. (About 30 to 40 years as I recall Just like civil rights and every other major change you need almost 2 generations before things stabilize out, attitudes really start to change, etc... Right now we are in two countries which we have liberated, where they were taught that American's are the Great Satan, the only good American is a dead one, etc... Amazingly I would say that only 5% feel that way & they are the main trouble makers. Unfortunately this is all that our news broadcasters want us to see as that is to them real news. I don't think any rational human being would say that either country is worse off now then they were. In another 40 years I think that History will also prove that statement is correct.
SLS:Quote
“Obviously you think that Bush is nothing but a screw-up but that is your opinion and I am not even going to try to bother arguing you about it. I will state that it took many years before Japan became a productive nation even with our rebuilding help. (About 30 to 40 years as I recall Just like civil rights and every other major change you need almost 2 generations before things stabilize out, attitudes really start to change, etc... Right now we are in two countries which we have liberated, where they were taught that American's are the Great Satan, the only good American is a dead one, etc... Amazingly I would say that only 5% feel that way & they are the main trouble makers. Unfortunately this is all that our news broadcasters want us to see as that is to them real news. I don't think any rational human being would say that either country is worse off now then they were. In another 40 years I think that History will also prove that statement is correct.”
I cannot agree with the view that you have expressed here.
You are making some fundamental assumptions here which are wrong.
The analogy to WW2 and Japan pertains to a situation where sovereign nations went to war against each other.
Iraq and Afghanistan are fundamentally different to WW2.
The invasion of Afghanistan – in my opinion – was justified in order to route out the infrastructure of Al Quaeda.
I can understand and agree with the motives of the US invasion of Afghanistan.
Afghanistan harboured the forces of Al Quaeda.
The invasion of Iraq – in my opinion – is wrong.
No proof has ever been produced that Iraq had anything to do with Al Quaeda.
No proof has ever been produced to show that Iraq was ever a threat to the USA.
We still don’t know why the USA invaded Iraq.
All of the excuses to justify this war, by the USA, have turned out to be excuses of expediency (WMD’s, possible nuclear threat, support for Al Quaeda etc).
Despite the US invasion of these countries – they are not, to use your words “liberated” (whatever liberated might mean).
90% of Afghanistan is controlled by warlords and remnants of the Taliban.
Iraq is in utter turmoil – as you know.
In addition, you state that “where they were taught that American's are the Great Satan”.
I would like to remind you that Iraq was a secular society under Saddam.
The majority of people there are university degree educated people.
The attitude where the USA is regarded as the Great Satan is based in societies in the Middle and Far East where there is a more fundamentalist religious view such as Saudi Arabia, Iran.
To try to apply the same outlook upon the Iraqi people is false : the Iraqi people are a well informed people.
Iraq was the cradle of civilization (where writing was first invented) in the ancient world.
What is of real concern to me is that a sophisticated, educated race of people like the Iraqi’s now regard the USA as oppressors rather than liberators.
