As many of you know, this Tuesday marks the anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Twelve years later, where are we?
When the planes first hit the towers that fateful day, America reeled, took a step back, and took stock of itself. Thousands gathered in churches to pray for their friends and families, and for their nation. Political and religious divides vanished instantaneously. Americans united themselves as never before with mourning for the fallen, compassion for the wounded, and righteous fury towards those who would dare to commit such an act of evil. As rescue teams picked through the rubble, intelligence assets swung into action to identify the perpetrators, and the military readied itself to deliver a devastating vengeance upon those responsible. When it was determined that Osama bin Laden's al-Quaeda terror network was to blame, Americans were of a single mind in their goal: Kill bin Laden, wipe out his minions, and make sure this kind of attack can never happen again. While the armed forces abroad entered into battle against the regimes allied with bin Laden, legislators at home drew up new measures and formed new agencies to ensure safety for American citizens. Everyone sincerely believed that this evil attack intended to cripple us had instead made us stronger than ever before.
But where are we now? Political divisiveness is at an all-time high. People are using religious differences, or spite for religion itself, as bludgeons to attack one another, while the terrorists who cause chaos throughout the world still attempt to use "religion" as an excuse for the cancer of death and destruction they spread. Despite the massive casualties we have inflicted upon al-Quaeda, and the fact that bin Laden himself died by the rifle of a U.S. Navy SEAL, Americans have lost their resolve and become discouraged by the amount of blood and treasure required in the hunt for the terrorists who so brazenly attacked them. The politicians have abandoned our commitments in the countries we pursued our enemies into, and the drones that so busily tracked and killed terrorists are now being brought to U.S. airspace to do the same to anyone the government feels threatened by. Laws such as the Patriot Act, once universally supported and hailed as protection against terror attacks, have morphed into Orwellian Frankensteins that allow the government unprecedented and open-ended authority to spy on Americans at will. Meanwhile, the Patriot Act's pet agency, the Department of Homeland Security, is being turned into a domestic army with unlimited power to search, seize, and otherwise assault American citizens, while its little brother, the TSA, uses similar authority to make a specialty of raping travelers in the name of false safety. The rights and freedoms guaranteed to Americans are being trampled, the nation is tearing itself apart along ideological lines, and now, hot on the heels of withdrawing from the War on Terror, Mr. Obama wants to aid groups aligned With al-Quaeda by picking a fight with Syria.
So, where are we now? Are we really stronger as a nation, the way we all believed we would be? Or have we crippled ourselves in a way the terrorists could only have dreamt of?
Woooooah. Don't forget the millions of Arab civilians killed in the "defence" of your precious country. The naughty thing you did without asking the UN. The loss of life on both sides. And really, all the Government really wanted was money.
Don't forget the millions of Arab civilians killed in the "defence" of your precious country.
?????????? An estimated 655k from the Iraq War (total, 186k caused by coalition), Afghanistan 20k, Gulf War 5k, and those are the high estimates including all the ones the enemies killed. When you yank something from an orifice, smell it first.
Wait wait wait... Hold up. Today is the tenth not the eleventh...
Good catch, thanks. Meant to say this Wednesday. My only excuse is that I was writing this at an hour when days begin to blur together.
?????????? An estimated 655k from the Iraq War (total, 186k caused by coalition), Afghanistan 20k, Gulf War 5k, and those are the high estimates including all the ones the enemies killed.
Correct. Remember, the "eople" we're fighting have no issue with killing dozens of civilians just to get at one American, or even just to make themselves known. Conversely, U.S. military personnel often go out of their way, and sometimes put themselves at increased risk, to avoid injuring non-combatants. Despite the lack of exact figures, it is a very safe statement to say that far more civilians have died by terror attacks, IEDs, car bombs and so forth than by the hand of U.S. and coalition soldiers.
When you yank something from an orifice, smell it first.
Indeed. The argument could also be made that not yanking things from orifices is a concept to live by.
I don't know where I read this but a reporter was interviewing a taliban fighter. He asked "Do you see any end to this war?" Taliban said "only if americans go back" He said" They are superior force than you" taliban said"Its not the superior force that wins the battle, I don't fear death, I f I die, my son will take my gun and carry on fighting, if he dies, his son will do the same. Tell me, are american soldiers willing to send their sons and grandsons after them to fight here?" So I will ask the same question. "Are american soldiers willing to send their sons and grandsons after them to fight here?"
taliban said"Its not the superior force that wins the battle, I don't fear death, I f I die, my son will take my gun and carry on fighting, if he dies, his son will do the same. Tell me, are american soldiers willing to send their sons and grandsons after them to fight here?"
I honestly think that we need to get over that event. It was a tragic loss, but it happened over a decade ago. The war is now technically over, and the fallen have been buried.
So went greks, British and Russians. Its the land frigging changes khan avoided.
Congratulations. You ability to ward off a man on horseback with pointy sticks is entirely relevant in today's era of technological achievement. Given how the US has the capacity to wage war without ever sending a human body anywhere (RE, drones), then I don't think we'd have to even go over there next time to begin with.
Congratulations. You ability to ward off a man on horseback with pointy sticks is entirely relevant in today's era of technological achievement. Given how the US has the capacity to wage war without ever sending a human body anywhere (RE, drones), then I don't think we'd have to even go over there next time to begin with.
War is won by armies, not airforces, yes they do play a very important role but in the end its boots on the grounds that do the job, you are mistaken or have that so typical of americans arrogance if you think other wise. Sure drones are useful, but what will they target if they don't have any intel? "But punisher, we can have spies can't we?" Yes you can have spies but how many people will volunteer (they will volunteer as you can not force them if you don't have any one there to force) for spying when they know that those for whom they are working are thousands of miles away at their homes and no one is gonna come for us? Also, Hopefully USA has learned its lesson of not starting the wars they can't win. As it is evident from it not interfering in Syria.
To add for Punisher argue, USA didnt fought a countrey. They fought an idea. A group. You can bomb a tank garage. You can destroy supply convoys. But armed militia who hide in mountains - that impossible.
USA mission in Afganistan is to build a democratic western government. And they quite succsed. Now, slowly but firmly, i hope the Afgan state will be able to release itself from the hands who try to use it. Taliban dont care about the afgans. Most of the terrorist arent afgans. They use Afganistan as a huge camp, a gathering place. Like in Syria, there are 4 factions - The regiem, the democratic rebels, the radicall islamist aka Al-Quadia, and the kurds. These Radical smell weakness and jump in like leeches. Again, they dont care about Syria.ike they did in Jordan, like they do in Lebanon. In tunis.
They are the one who destroy the arab world. Not USA.
