Here is an essay from a "human shield", who has come to realize that there are worse things in the world than war. The essay tells of the reaction of an Iraqi Taxi driver who found out that the Human Shield was there to protect Saddam. Let's just say an epiphany occurred, and not for the Taxi Driver.
There's an old saying in the south: " Being stupid is a shame, but being ignorant is a sin". The implication is, of course, that a person can't help being stupid. But they can help being ignorant - if they want to put out a little effort, that is.
While I was sitting in the Dallas airport, I was watching CNN (The AIRPORT! edition), and saw some anti-war protestor make the comment that they were against this war because it was pre-emptive, and no matter how "bad" Saddam is, we aren't justified in attacking him until he attacks us first. I thought about this on the connection to Phoenix, and naturally equated it to what I know best - what I do for a living; treat cancer patients (albeit of the 4 legged variety).
In the world of cancer medicine, we try to be proactive, not reactive. I try to predict which patients will develop systemic spread of their cancers, and treat them with chemotherapy before that happens. My chances of "curing" a patient are much better if I treat any metastases while they are still microscopic - before they grow to be large cancers. If I wait until I have a patient with a lung full of detectable cancer nodules before I decide to act, I have no chance of success, and my patient has no chance of survival.
The same seems to apply to fighting terrorist organizations that mean you harm. You have to find the metastases while they are still small, while they can still be surgically excised. Then you have to use all of your knowledge and skill to try and predict what these people are planning, and stop it before innocent people die.
This same CNN protestor was also concerned about the innocent people who were going to die, at least those who weren't American or British. She seems to forget that our innocent people died first, and that day we entered a battle against a new kind of enemy. Not one that will declare their intentions and go to war, but one that will sulk in the darkness and hide in the shadows - until it sees a target of opportunity. It will attack without regard to guilt or innocence, without regard to civilian or soldier - it is an enemy that will attack in a way designed to instill fear and horror in innocent people. I, for one, want my government to be proactive in this war against those who mean us harm. We had to react to the events of 9/11 � I hope it will be the last time, but fear that it won�t. In the meantime I want my government to do EVERYTHING in its power to find these cancers, and to go after them with everything they�ve got.
As for the CNN protestor: Stupid or Ignorant; you decide.
Congratulations on one of the most lucid explanations I have seen regarding pre-emptive war. No nation wants war but at a time when a first strike can mean the end of a nation is there any reason to observe traditions that died with the nuclear bomb? We have all ready done this during the Cuban crisis, as I recall neither Russia nor Cuba had attacked the US but steps were taken that could have included an invasion of Cuba.
Posted by: Thomas J. Jackson on March 23, 2003 12:27 AMYes, in this day and age reactive = way too late, and non-military target destroyed.
Terrorists made the rules, now they are upset when we play by them.
Posted by: Neal on March 23, 2003 08:44 AMNo seriously, this is sickening. You comparison of this war and the treatment of cancer is completely illegitimate. Treating he cancer in an animal does NOT affect the other animals around it. The loss of INNONCENT AMERICAN LIVES? Okay sorry, but soldiers and not considered innoncents. Although it's horrible to think that many Americans and Brits WILL lose their lives, they are NOT to be mistaken as innoncents in this war. They are casualties of an inane American government, intent on proving to the rest of the world that THEY are the super-power.
Don't get me wrong. I'm as afraid of the middle-east as much as the next person but what the US is doing is WRONG. All it is doing is futher antagonizing the region and proving to countried like North Korea that they NEED to scramble to get nuclear arms to protect themselves. I have heard some american politicians comment that 'This is only the first [middle eastern country on the list]'. Well great shit that's lovely. You're going to find a nasty surprise when you go back for round 2, 3 years from now. The middle east will actually HAVE weapons of mass destruction (not like this scud missle bullshit) and they will USE them against the western super-power.
How about we all snap out of it and realize that you can't stop violence with more violence.
Why are Canadians booing the american national anthem? Well, it IS pathetic the way that we are expressing our outrage with the US, but it IS outrage none-the-less. Who the hell are YOU to decide that you have the right to risk world peace.
Saddam was in no way an immenant threat (as Hitler was, for example). We had time to convince the French that something needed to be done and we had time to do it properly. Should we have sat back and done nothing? Absolutely not. But do YOU have the right to label a regime as illegitate and therefore bomb the hell out of INNOCENT CIVILIANS? Hell no.
Oh and feel free to close the borders. When you're done bombing the hell out of Iraq and can't get your pussy hands on any oil, you're going to come begging to your neighbours to the North - because trust me, we have enough oil so satisfy our own needs AND make a killing off of our neighbours to the south.
Posted by: Trepex on March 23, 2003 10:07 AMWe aren't "bombing civilians" you pimp. When even Robert Fisk admits in the Independant that the bombing is extremely accurate and that civilians are out in the street watching it, you have no credibility.
If you're gonna ooze propaganda, at least stick to the same sheet of music as the rest of your friends.
Canadians hate us according to you, yet you want to take our money. Couldn't find work in a quality brothel? I would suspect whoring is kind of humiliating, so just stop selling us stuff. We'll buy elsewhere, and Canada can fund itself on pipe dreams and hot air.
Round 2 will be easier than one, you don't read much do you?
Posted by: puggs on March 23, 2003 10:44 AMTrepricks web page, Jesus what a goat cheese. He Le hates eveything American. Go figure.
Posted by: puggs on March 23, 2003 11:56 AMYep, he's firmly in the "America sucks" camp. I was going to link to it, but decided not to give the little Canuck troll any traffic.
Posted by: Neal on March 23, 2003 12:22 PMBTW Neal, the cancer analogy was dead on target. I should have said that first, but couldn't resist a little troll hammering. I'm so weak.
Posted by: puggs on March 23, 2003 09:00 PMTrepex said: "How about we all snap out of it and realize that you can't stop violence with more violence."
Lessee. I'm on the street, getting mugged violently. I pull out a weapon, and commit violence on the mugger with a round to the head. Dunno 'bout you, but I thing that stopped that violence pretty damn quick.
(Story for illustrative purposes only--I haven't ever been mugged despite having worked in Washington DC for the past six or seven years.)
Why didn't you say "An eye for an eye leaves both men blind?"
Howzabout "Do unto others as you would have done unto you."
Try this: "One, two, three, four, we don't want your stupid war!"
Little teeny-tiny aphorisms do not an argument make. . .But allow me to continue fucking you in your ass:
"The middle east will actually HAVE weapons of mass destruction (not like this scud missle bullshit) and they will USE them against the western super-power." Got news for you , fuck-nugget. They'll use them anyway, whether we were fighting this war or not. This way, we're just doing unto others before they do unto us.
"Who the hell are YOU to decide that you have the right to risk world peace." World peace, world shmeace. We're just looking out for number one.
Besides--who else is going to do something about world peace? The UN?
The UN is deader than John Lennon. Imagine.
(BTW, I was using all those aphorisms to fuck with your head, you short-sighted jackass.)
Been reading too much anti-American stuff lately to be nice to a citizen of a country that can't give a person cancer treatment without a 6 to 8 week wait after the diagnoses, and can't even keep a hockey team in it's capital city. Canada is nothing other than a little brother trying to throw it's weight around because it's riding on the coattails of it's bigger, badder brother.
Keep a civil tongue, Trepex, or we'll kick your country like the little yappy dog that it is, then just take the fucking oil without so much as a by-your-leave.
I just deleted the nasty joke about your mother and the name of your blog. dpworld. . .yeah. . .
Posted by: Loyal Citizen Victor on March 23, 2003 09:28 PM