Thread: Are you prepared?

Originally Posted by Pudu

If I yank on the tails of four cats and only one tries to scratch my eyes out as a result, should I conclude that this one attacked me because of something other than me yanking on his tail?

When the same cat attacks over and over to the complete exclusion of the others (how many terrorists attack relative to the number of people who hate the US? If I believed the news, it would be 1 cat over and over out of thousands.) then I can surmise that there's something wrong with that cat.

Sure, the yanking is a catalyst, but that cat is going to attack somebody at some point regardless, because something is fundamentally violent about it. Just like any dog will fight back in certain situations, but problem dogs have to be put down because they are unpredictably violent and always looking for a justification for their thirst for blood. Can you watch the beheading of Daniel Pearle and think to yourself, "ah yes this is the result of hatred for the US brought on by its bullying. nothing more, just the same hatred that millions have for the same reason. It's completely rational and understandable" ? I know nobody here would justify such an act, but don't you think there's a serious problem a little bit deeper than bullying by the US in the hearts of these terrorists? Look into their eyes on video - they're completely mad! I think they are looking for a big bad Satan to funnel all of their hatred in life toward and that western culture is him

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

When the same cat attacks over and over to the complete exclusion of the others (how many terrorists attack relative to the number of people who hate the US? If I believed the news, it would be 1 cat over and over out of thousands.) then I can surmise that there's something wrong with that cat.

You haven't explained why the other three cats didn't attack you. That was your original point and Pudu's reply.

j

Originally Posted by Nord Jim

You haven't explained why the other three cats didn't attack you. That was your original point and Pudu's reply.

j

No, that was Bruno's original point. I don't know why the other cats don't attack if the fourth is so reasonably justified in doing so. I admitted "Sure, the yanking is a catalyst" but I don't have an explanation for why the other three cats didn't attack me. Maybe I wasn't yanking as hard as the fourth cat made everyone think I was

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

No, that was Bruno's original point. I don't know why the other cats don't attack if the fourth is so reasonably justified in doing so. I admitted "Sure, the yanking is a catalyst" but I don't have an explanation for why the other three cats didn't attack me. Maybe I wasn't yanking as hard as the fourth cat made everyone think I was

No, actually, Pudu was answering your point that the fact that we're only attacked by "a select few muslim nut cases" suggests that we haven't wronged anybody. Pudu came up with the cat analogy to suggest that the mere fact that someone doesn't attack doesn't mean he hasn't been wronged. You chose to reply by admitting that the cat who attacked might have been crazy, yielding the point that the other three may well have been wronged, even though they didn't attack.

Game to Mr. Pudu. Your serve.

j

Just thought I would add in the little (tiny!) caveat, that it has never once been shown that Saddam wasn't trying to develop nuclear weapons, only that we have not admitted finding any.
Also remember WMD's include other nasties besides nuclear weapons-
Also, the previous statement about the U.S. "installing" Saddam, was, as previously mentioned, not true. Saddam installed himself. I gather that the Iraqi petroleum infrastructure was bought, explored, and built by U.S. companies primarily, and by "nationalizing" it the Iraqi government at the time essentially planned to take it away.
Much as Saudi and other countries actually did.

Imagine spending millions on a house in (fill in nation of your choice) but as soon as the house started looking nice and keeping your family (stockholders etc) warm, the government decided IT had more right to the house than you.
Never mind you bought the place fair.

John P.

Originally Posted by Nord Jim

No, actually, Pudu was answering your point that the fact that we're only attacked by "a select few muslim nut cases" suggests that we haven't wronged anybody. Pudu came up with the cat analogy to suggest that the mere fact that someone doesn't attack doesn't mean he hasn't been wronged

Then why on earth did you say this:

You haven't explained why the other three cats didn't attack you. That was your original point and Pudu's reply.

My original point was that since the same select few over and over have chosen to conduct their agenda through terrorism, their reasons shouldn't be automatically be projected onto other people who dislike the US. So no, my original point had nothing to do with why other nations haven't attacked us. It's all about the fact that the few thousand people out of billions who apparently hate the US are bent on killing innocent people through terrorism.

What are you driving at? And recall that the attacking cat attacks the other cats as well - how does that figure in if the only reason it attacked was because it got its tail yanked? Are they angry with the entire western culture just because the US is a bully?

Game to Mr. Pudu. Your serve.

I'm glad you have volunteered to referee this game

The original post said this:

Originally Posted by hoglahoo
"Doesn't the US throw its weight around the entire globe, and disrupt every nation it sets foot in? Your reasons don't explain why only a select few nutcase extremists from similar backgrounds (Middle Eastern religious extremist philosophies) are attacking different nations with similar frequency. Isn't the US meddling all over the globe? Where are the Hindu terrorist attacks, or the Canadian terrorists, or the English terrorists? How does your explanation of hatred for the US get confined to a select few Muslim nutcases? It doesn't add up"

Pudu's response said that just because people don't attack us doesn't mean they don't feel wronged. You'd already acknowledged that we meddle in other nations' affairs.

It goes back to the whole notion that we tend to bring hatred on ourselves by our actions.

j

Are you guys seriously arguing over the argument?

Originally Posted by JMS

Are you guys seriously arguing over the argument?

You stay out of this!

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

You stay out of this!