The history on this site is always lacking the significant details. If you are talking about the April 23, 1778 raid on Whitehaven. Jones was under orders to do whatever he could to disrupt the British, with whom the Americans were at WAR with at the time.
"Crossing the Solway Firth from Whitehaven to Scotland, Jones hoped to hold for ransom the Earl of Selkirk, who lived on St Mary's Isle near Kirkcudbright. The Earl, Jones reasoned, could be exchanged for American sailors impressed into the Royal Navy. When the Earl was discovered to be absent from his estate, Jones claims he intended to return directly to his ship and continue seeking prizes elsewhere, but his crew wished to "pillage, burn, and plunder all they could". [3] Ultimately, Jones allowed the crew to seize a silver plate set adorned with the familyâ(TM)s emblem to placate their desires, but nothing else. Jones bought the plate himself when it was later sold off in France, and returned it to the Earl of Selkirk after the War." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Paul_Jones
Obviously, JP Jones was a true terrorist by any definition. Imagine wanting to exchange a prisoner for sailors impressed into the British Navy. Of course, impressing sailors into forced labor was a time honored British naval tradition. This act would never be considered a crime since it took place against those hated American. Isn't that the real story here, to make Americans look evil and malicious and prove that the rest of the world is populated with nothing but friendly and peace loving people?
Its funny that you have left out many of the facts in your rant on the evils of the USA. You know the country that allows people to speak and publish their thoughts without fear of retribution even if it twisted and jaded. You know, the right that the fore fathers wrote as the 1st amendment to our Constitution.
You speak of the Boston Tea party, you know the one that resulted from the British implementation of the Stamp Act of 1765, the Townshend Acts of 1767 and finally the Tea Act; all without representation. The one where no one died because of the act.
Yes, the Revolutionaries used guerrilla tactics to great effect. You know the war were the combatants didn't use women and children as shields. The war where the revolutionaries didn't massacre the innocent. Too bad we aren't allowed to use the same tactics now, since we were so good at it. Of course then you would have the defeatist (like Mr. Davidson) crying that we aren't fighting a fair. Boo hoo!!
I would rather have the USA write the history without having to fight with one arm tied behind its back by those who wish its defeat.
Remember when search engines used to rely on Meta tags? Yeah this is a brilliant plan. There should be a new rule: if you don't know what your talking about when you make a *law* then you get five lashes. Just 5 lashes? I would add some waterboarding to that punishment.
why not put the burden on the government to handle the filtering. Heck, that is even better because now you don't have to pay for it anymore, your customers pay for it through their taxes. Yeah, look how well that works for China.
Not much of this is likely to change anytime soon. Sad to say, information security is still a very young and immature science. Things won't get better until the experience-pool gets deeper.
--Bargeld You make a valid assessment of the IT Security industry. My question is how and where do the "junior drones" find the knowledge and experience that is needed?
Since when is it wrong for a military or government organization to have staff work on public relations? Which is pretty much what propaganda is anyway (the spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person). It is wrong when you are the defender of liberty and don't fight with both arms and 1 leg tied behind your back. Its Ok for our enemies to what ever they want but if it involves American tax dollars, the military and or one of the acronym agencies then it is automatically evil because the USA is the source of all that is wrong in the world, you silly ninny. No DOD employees should be allowed to put forth misleading information in case it causes confusion amongst both our enemies and civilian populations whereby hurting everyone feelings.
If I had been alive during WWII I would have forcefully advocated for front page coverage of the Manhattan Project from beginning to Trinity. I would have then pre-announced the bombings at Nagasaki and Hiroshima since it was obvious at that point that Japan's war making ability had been crippled since their sneak attack at Pearl Harbor. I would have also sent Hitler a letter stating our intent to land at Normandy rather than the Pa De Calais since we must fight fair. The attacks at Normandy must have caused great heart ache and grief withing the 3rd Reich. Damn the USA and our will to win!!
By the way, didn't the DOD invent the internet (Thanks DARPA). But they should not use it for their own benefit. A real superpower wouldn't need the internet for propaganda!
You scored this a 3? Are you kidding? Like you never see a quote from Dr. StrangeLove in a Slashdot post. There is probably nothing less original. NeverVotedBush was probably peeing his pants because he was the first one to get to post it in this discussion. Most likely had the quote saved so he could cut and paste.
So, exactly how many 9/11 type attacks does it take for terrorism to go from trivial to significant? How many Toyko style subway gas attacks or Israel/Iraq style suicide bombs? I challenge you to name how you, personally, have had your civil rights destroyed. My guess is that it has not effected your life one iota other than raise your dander at the meer fact the government dare do something that you don't agree with. You can make statements like "authoritarian laws like the PATRIOT Act do greatly increase the risk of terrorism." when the facts point out the opposite facts, we haven't been attacked on American soil in over 5 years! My hope is that, if we let down our guard like you want us to, that I don't loose someone I care about in the next attack. I hope you don't either. I really don't understand your line of thought, people like you make it sound as if we are living under Stalinist Russia with your beliefs that "the Bush administration is actively working to destroy the Bill of Rights in order to make a trivial problem slightly worse." I don't know if you live in America but it doesn't sound like the America I live in. I haven't been thrown up against a wall and had a full body cavity search followed by a lenghty stay in a "re-education camp". I haven't heard of any death squads running around abducting people. I would have to say that you probably would know true civil rights violation if it came up and kicked you in the nuts. So go get another Starbuck's triple skim, decaf, mocha, latte, cappucino and put on your beret and Che Guevara t-shirt and thank whatever god you pray to that you live in the USA. Or do us all a favor and move to France.
"I cannot think of one 'decision' that that man has made that worked out good for U.S. citizens, let alone other peoples of the world.
Don't let it happen to you Canada, I love your country, especially from the ages of 19 to 21, I really REALLY loved Canada. 30 minute drive, 20 minute border crossing, off to the bar!"
Really, you can't think of one thing the President of the USA has done that worked for the US? How about we haven't been attacked on US soil since 9/11, the economy is rolling along, unemployment has been lower than the during the 90's and this includes the post 9/11 and dotcom recession. Our brave military, which was decreased from 18 divisions to 10 divisions under Clinton in order to make the rest of the world happy and creating the vaunted budget surlus, has won a war and transistioned from desert warfare to urban warfare in such a drastic fashion that the enemy has had to change its tactics and is still losing. Mr. Bush's Tax breaks has increased tax revenue which has decreased the deficit from 413 billion to 260 billion in 2 years and this includes the billions spent on the War on Terror during this period. It also include the billion spent in aid to other countries.
"By nearly all measures, the amount of foreign aid provided by the United States
declined for several decades but has grown in the past few years. After hitting an alltime
low in the mid1990s, total foreign assistance (but excluding Iraq reconstruction)
for FY2003/2004, in real terms, has been larger than any two-year period since the
mid-1980s." pg 2 paragraph 4
I am most likely wasting all this research on a boozer like you. I just want to point out your lack of insite and patriotism. I suggest that next time you do your "30 minute drive, 20 minute border crossing, off to the bar!" that you stay up there with the rest of the whiny liberals and spineless socialist wannabes. Don't worry, we will come bail you ass out when the shit hits the fan, just like true Americans always have and always will.
Why isn't this post and all the replies considered off topic? Oh thats right (I mean left), as long as its anti-America, anti-Bush, anti-Republican it is right on topic. I bet most of you American libererals have never been further outside the US than the all inclusive beach resorts of the Caribean and Mexico. If you are so apologetitic for America's actions why don't leave America and help undo all the wrongs we cause. I'll tell you why, because you couldn't get your Starbucks, or check your so self righteous posts on the internet, or drive your Prious around town to show you love the environment and display your Fuck Bush stickers. Hell, you might even get hurt or in trouble and the USMC might not be able to save your ass. Go ahead, move to Europe with its high unemployment and inflation. Good luck keeping your head in the middle east unless you want to convert and pray 5 times a day. I hear Africa is beautiful this time of year, especially in Darfur (where the US government spent half a billion in aid in 2005
http://www.usaid.gov/locations/sub-saharan_africa/ sudan/darfur.html) Central, South America, the south Pacific are all beautiful unless you want clean water, don't mind bugs, socialists and or muslim terrorist and drug lords, or want a job.
The sad truth is that most of you whiners lack the cahonnes and strength of conviction to give up your nice comfortable lifes here in the good old USA to move to even a civilized country. You would miss your mommy or your girlfriend or your favorite pizza or hanging out and bashing America. I know I am going to hear that there are all sorts of places that an American can and have moved without dire consequences and I am sure there are a lot of nice spots. But you will do it because it too easy to tell me I am wrong when you don't have to put up or shut up. I have been all over the world and I leave soon for South America (hooray for chloraquine, thats antimalarial medication for you whiney liberals who haven't been farther south than Cancun) but I always come back to the greatest nation in the world and you could not pay me move anywhere else.
God Bless America And God Bless the President of the United States (whom ever it may be, now and forever)
The deal wasn't made at gunpoint. We are open to negotiations. The EC could have declined. If the EC had said "No" what would we have done? Dropped a bomb? Please, we have had nuclear weapons since 1945 and have we used them since, especially on allies? Would we use sanctions? Again, that is absurd. Do you think we really want to harm our European allies? Do you think that the flow of of information is only one way? We could probably take the information if we really wanted to. Or we could be be like other countries like the Chinese who are constanly trying to hack our government or we could threaten tactical nuclear strikes like the Russians if eastern Europe stations US missile interceptors. Instead we try going about it diplomatically and once again we are the bad guys. I understand you see it as America once again bullying our way into getting what we want. We see it as protecting our borders. Maybe you have forgotten the airliners flying into the towers killing more innocent civilians then the attacks at Pearl Harbor but we haven't. The terrorist can no longer plan strikes from within our borders and the breakup of the plot this summer in Britain proves that the information being passed is helping. Perhaps with European cooperation we can push back the front line of the war on terror to the middle east.
America wears the largest target the rest of the world chooses to point their anger and critisms at us. We are not perfect far from it, but now is time to recognize the percieved threats and the actual threats.
First of all, how do think Lincoln felt when he stood on the battlefield at Gettysburg and delivered his famous address. You don't think he understood that it was going to take much more catastophic loss of life to win the war? I am sure that he knew families that paid the ultimate sacrifice and that the death and destruction that he encounter must have shaken him to the foundation of his soul yet he percerved because he had ordered it. You make sound as if Grant just stood up and said "OK, I'm in charge". The President recognized the facts and made the decisions that allowed the union to remain.
Secondly, How do you know that the President doesn't personally know anyone in combat? Actually only about 10% of our forces are frontline combat troops. We can all thank the former President Clinton for the massive downsizing of our combat forces. We certainly could have used the 10 combat divisions that he disbanded when he wasn't fornicating with staffers, lying to grand juries or using the FBI to spy his country men. Maybe he should have spent more time worry about catching Osama, kicking ass in Somalia, catching the perpetrators of the bombings of the USS Cole and the barracks in Saudia Arabia
Finally, the National Guard is a sizable component of the Army. They are on loan the the state govenors until requested by the President. I would hazard a guess that a large number of National Guard units have been activated and are serving in combat areas. And the next time you see a Guard unit training on the weekends you should pull over and wave because they are part of the force that allows whiny chicken shit liberals to nothing more than pay taxes and bad mouth their country and President on the internet (which was invented by the US military and not Al Gore).
Amen to that. Actually there are quite a few countries that statements such as this would earn a midnight visit. For the most part Iraq and Afganhistan are not 2 of them any more.
If European planes stopped landing on US soil then how would you get to Disney Land or Las Vegas? Then we would cut off your imports and our security data and Europe would be left to bicker among theselves as how best to get back at the US while trying to appease the muslims. Yes this would hurt our economy but would most likey hurt your economies more since the EU ships in more than we ship out. So I don't see how it would have been an "interesting experience". I am sorry that your politicaians don't care. I can't imagine a life where I could not contact my legislative representatives to voice my concerns.
Apologies for the delay in the response. I only bring up my tours to reference my dicussions with jihadist. They spoke freely and openly of their wish to create a Muslim world as I treated their families wounds and ailments. The only reason we could not detain them is due to our rules of engagement which military dictorships do not have. If they did not have weapon and were not on our wanted list we had to leave them in peace which is more than they would have given me if the situation would have been reversed.
As to my "shortsigted" reference to the Jyllands-Posten cartoons, not all muslims practice aniconism. Iranian muslims display pictures of the prophet. I agree that the images could justify civil and orderly opposition but they should not be another excuse for global riots and murder. If we Americans acted in this same way to the offensive cartoons, the burning of our flag and effigy of our President that happens on a daily basis we would be labeled barbarians. There is a difference between opposition and atrocity.
"If the other event you refer to is actually the cancellation of the opera Idomeneo by Deutsche Oper in Berlin, then the explanation is that performing it as it would have been in that instance would have displayed particular disrespect and that its cancellation is justified as performing it in that modified form would have only appealed to racial and cultural prejudice as showing a severed head indicated as that of the prophet Mohammad would have been a targeted insult."
I sorry but in this case you are just wrong. The scene in which you discuss actually shows the severed heads of Jesus, Budda, and Mohammed. It is not aimed soley at the Muslim religion. It is a work of art for one of the western masters, created in 1781 and nothing more. Yet it will become another excuse for the muslims of Europe, Asia, and Africa to raise arms against the infidels. All I have heard is that Islam is a peaceful religion. I have yet to see that. In fact if it is so peaceful why did the prophet lead 73 military campaings?
You don't know my experience and I can hypothesize on data extrapolated from current population projections and from sources freely avaliable via multible media outlets. That is one of the freedoms we have in my country. If the Europeans aren't afraid of their muslim populations why cancel Mozart concerts? Why put up with riots over cartoons? Why hasn't the EU helped out in the Darfor crisis? Because of fear of the inevitable. To quote the movie Braveheart "If we can't chase them out, we will breed them out". The fight against muslim fascism will eclipse the cold war and the fight against the Nazis.
Maybe you should do 2 tours in Iraq and Afghanistan like I did and talk to some of the fanatics as I patched up their kids. Or you could stay in your little dillusional world and let my brothers and sisters in arms protect your families and ways of life. Its too bad I lost friends who were better than you so that could laugh at me. Really.
How do you figure this deal was made at gun point? Nothing changed except how the data is moved. Don't you have anyhting better to do with your life than to blame the US for all evil in the world. I am not claiming that we are perfect, far from it but have you seen a video of a American cutting off the head of an innocent in the name of God or flying a jet into a skyscraper? I guess it won't matter in another 50 years or so when all of Europe is part of a muslim Caliphate. All the muslim fascists want is for us to convert, submit, or die. I would think that the Europeans would be even more concerned with this than we here in the US since your muslim populations are rising at an exponental pace. However, it seems that America is the bad guy until the time you need our boys to come spill their blood and bail you out once again. Its about time that the world recognizes the difference between the perceived threat and the true threat. Those who forget history are destined to repeat it.
Why shouldn't we start doing some profiling? How many little gray haired caucasian grandmothers have tried a terrorist act lately?
There is no such thing as an atheist in a foxhole. I myself pray to Budda, Mohammed, Jesus-H-Christ and any other religous huncho I can think of.
Slashdot Mirror
I am surprised it took this long for someone on Slash Dot to mention Soylent Green!
"Crossing the Solway Firth from Whitehaven to Scotland, Jones hoped to hold for ransom the Earl of Selkirk, who lived on St Mary's Isle near Kirkcudbright. The Earl, Jones reasoned, could be exchanged for American sailors impressed into the Royal Navy. When the Earl was discovered to be absent from his estate, Jones claims he intended to return directly to his ship and continue seeking prizes elsewhere, but his crew wished to "pillage, burn, and plunder all they could". [3] Ultimately, Jones allowed the crew to seize a silver plate set adorned with the familyâ(TM)s emblem to placate their desires, but nothing else. Jones bought the plate himself when it was later sold off in France, and returned it to the Earl of Selkirk after the War."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Paul_Jones
Obviously, JP Jones was a true terrorist by any definition. Imagine wanting to exchange a prisoner for sailors impressed into the British Navy. Of course, impressing sailors into forced labor was a time honored British naval tradition. This act would never be considered a crime since it took place against those hated American. Isn't that the real story here, to make Americans look evil and malicious and prove that the rest of the world is populated with nothing but friendly and peace loving people?
Its funny that you have left out many of the facts in your rant on the evils of the USA. You know the country that allows people to speak and publish their thoughts without fear of retribution even if it twisted and jaded. You know, the right that the fore fathers wrote as the 1st amendment to our Constitution. You speak of the Boston Tea party, you know the one that resulted from the British implementation of the Stamp Act of 1765, the Townshend Acts of 1767 and finally the Tea Act; all without representation. The one where no one died because of the act. Yes, the Revolutionaries used guerrilla tactics to great effect. You know the war were the combatants didn't use women and children as shields. The war where the revolutionaries didn't massacre the innocent. Too bad we aren't allowed to use the same tactics now, since we were so good at it. Of course then you would have the defeatist (like Mr. Davidson) crying that we aren't fighting a fair. Boo hoo!! I would rather have the USA write the history without having to fight with one arm tied behind its back by those who wish its defeat.
Actually, Jesus just told me he thinks MightyMartian is an asshole as well.
You scored this a 3? Are you kidding? Like you never see a quote from Dr. StrangeLove in a Slashdot post. There is probably nothing less original. NeverVotedBush was probably peeing his pants because he was the first one to get to post it in this discussion. Most likely had the quote saved so he could cut and paste.
So, exactly how many 9/11 type attacks does it take for terrorism to go from trivial to significant? How many Toyko style subway gas attacks or Israel/Iraq style suicide bombs? I challenge you to name how you, personally, have had your civil rights destroyed. My guess is that it has not effected your life one iota other than raise your dander at the meer fact the government dare do something that you don't agree with. You can make statements like "authoritarian laws like the PATRIOT Act do greatly increase the risk of terrorism." when the facts point out the opposite facts, we haven't been attacked on American soil in over 5 years! My hope is that, if we let down our guard like you want us to, that I don't loose someone I care about in the next attack. I hope you don't either. I really don't understand your line of thought, people like you make it sound as if we are living under Stalinist Russia with your beliefs that "the Bush administration is actively working to destroy the Bill of Rights in order to make a trivial problem slightly worse." I don't know if you live in America but it doesn't sound like the America I live in. I haven't been thrown up against a wall and had a full body cavity search followed by a lenghty stay in a "re-education camp". I haven't heard of any death squads running around abducting people. I would have to say that you probably would know true civil rights violation if it came up and kicked you in the nuts. So go get another Starbuck's triple skim, decaf, mocha, latte, cappucino and put on your beret and Che Guevara t-shirt and thank whatever god you pray to that you live in the USA. Or do us all a favor and move to France.
"I cannot think of one 'decision' that that man has made that worked out good for U.S. citizens, let alone other peoples of the world. Don't let it happen to you Canada, I love your country, especially from the ages of 19 to 21, I really REALLY loved Canada. 30 minute drive, 20 minute border crossing, off to the bar!" Really, you can't think of one thing the President of the USA has done that worked for the US? How about we haven't been attacked on US soil since 9/11, the economy is rolling along, unemployment has been lower than the during the 90's and this includes the post 9/11 and dotcom recession. Our brave military, which was decreased from 18 divisions to 10 divisions under Clinton in order to make the rest of the world happy and creating the vaunted budget surlus, has won a war and transistioned from desert warfare to urban warfare in such a drastic fashion that the enemy has had to change its tactics and is still losing. Mr. Bush's Tax breaks has increased tax revenue which has decreased the deficit from 413 billion to 260 billion in 2 years and this includes the billions spent on the War on Terror during this period. It also include the billion spent in aid to other countries. "By nearly all measures, the amount of foreign aid provided by the United States declined for several decades but has grown in the past few years. After hitting an alltime low in the mid1990s, total foreign assistance (but excluding Iraq reconstruction) for FY2003/2004, in real terms, has been larger than any two-year period since the mid-1980s." pg 2 paragraph 4 I am most likely wasting all this research on a boozer like you. I just want to point out your lack of insite and patriotism. I suggest that next time you do your "30 minute drive, 20 minute border crossing, off to the bar!" that you stay up there with the rest of the whiny liberals and spineless socialist wannabes. Don't worry, we will come bail you ass out when the shit hits the fan, just like true Americans always have and always will.
Of corse, ewe cood reed over what ewe type befour ewe post it, but that wood taek to much tiem and effart.
What the fuck are you talking about? Isn't it a little early to be hitting the hooch?
Why isn't this post and all the replies considered off topic? Oh thats right (I mean left), as long as its anti-America, anti-Bush, anti-Republican it is right on topic. I bet most of you American libererals have never been further outside the US than the all inclusive beach resorts of the Caribean and Mexico. If you are so apologetitic for America's actions why don't leave America and help undo all the wrongs we cause. I'll tell you why, because you couldn't get your Starbucks, or check your so self righteous posts on the internet, or drive your Prious around town to show you love the environment and display your Fuck Bush stickers. Hell, you might even get hurt or in trouble and the USMC might not be able to save your ass. Go ahead, move to Europe with its high unemployment and inflation. Good luck keeping your head in the middle east unless you want to convert and pray 5 times a day. I hear Africa is beautiful this time of year, especially in Darfur (where the US government spent half a billion in aid in 2005 http://www.usaid.gov/locations/sub-saharan_africa/ sudan/darfur.html) Central, South America, the south Pacific are all beautiful unless you want clean water, don't mind bugs, socialists and or muslim terrorist and drug lords, or want a job.
The sad truth is that most of you whiners lack the cahonnes and strength of conviction to give up your nice comfortable lifes here in the good old USA to move to even a civilized country. You would miss your mommy or your girlfriend or your favorite pizza or hanging out and bashing America. I know I am going to hear that there are all sorts of places that an American can and have moved without dire consequences and I am sure there are a lot of nice spots. But you will do it because it too easy to tell me I am wrong when you don't have to put up or shut up. I have been all over the world and I leave soon for South America (hooray for chloraquine, thats antimalarial medication for you whiney liberals who haven't been farther south than Cancun) but I always come back to the greatest nation in the world and you could not pay me move anywhere else.
God Bless America And God Bless the President of the United States (whom ever it may be, now and forever)
The deal wasn't made at gunpoint. We are open to negotiations. The EC could have declined. If the EC had said "No" what would we have done? Dropped a bomb? Please, we have had nuclear weapons since 1945 and have we used them since, especially on allies? Would we use sanctions? Again, that is absurd. Do you think we really want to harm our European allies? Do you think that the flow of of information is only one way? We could probably take the information if we really wanted to. Or we could be be like other countries like the Chinese who are constanly trying to hack our government or we could threaten tactical nuclear strikes like the Russians if eastern Europe stations US missile interceptors. Instead we try going about it diplomatically and once again we are the bad guys. I understand you see it as America once again bullying our way into getting what we want. We see it as protecting our borders. Maybe you have forgotten the airliners flying into the towers killing more innocent civilians then the attacks at Pearl Harbor but we haven't. The terrorist can no longer plan strikes from within our borders and the breakup of the plot this summer in Britain proves that the information being passed is helping. Perhaps with European cooperation we can push back the front line of the war on terror to the middle east. America wears the largest target the rest of the world chooses to point their anger and critisms at us. We are not perfect far from it, but now is time to recognize the percieved threats and the actual threats.
First of all, how do think Lincoln felt when he stood on the battlefield at Gettysburg and delivered his famous address. You don't think he understood that it was going to take much more catastophic loss of life to win the war? I am sure that he knew families that paid the ultimate sacrifice and that the death and destruction that he encounter must have shaken him to the foundation of his soul yet he percerved because he had ordered it. You make sound as if Grant just stood up and said "OK, I'm in charge". The President recognized the facts and made the decisions that allowed the union to remain. Secondly, How do you know that the President doesn't personally know anyone in combat? Actually only about 10% of our forces are frontline combat troops. We can all thank the former President Clinton for the massive downsizing of our combat forces. We certainly could have used the 10 combat divisions that he disbanded when he wasn't fornicating with staffers, lying to grand juries or using the FBI to spy his country men. Maybe he should have spent more time worry about catching Osama, kicking ass in Somalia, catching the perpetrators of the bombings of the USS Cole and the barracks in Saudia Arabia Finally, the National Guard is a sizable component of the Army. They are on loan the the state govenors until requested by the President. I would hazard a guess that a large number of National Guard units have been activated and are serving in combat areas. And the next time you see a Guard unit training on the weekends you should pull over and wave because they are part of the force that allows whiny chicken shit liberals to nothing more than pay taxes and bad mouth their country and President on the internet (which was invented by the US military and not Al Gore).
Amen to that. Actually there are quite a few countries that statements such as this would earn a midnight visit. For the most part Iraq and Afganhistan are not 2 of them any more.
If European planes stopped landing on US soil then how would you get to Disney Land or Las Vegas? Then we would cut off your imports and our security data and Europe would be left to bicker among theselves as how best to get back at the US while trying to appease the muslims. Yes this would hurt our economy but would most likey hurt your economies more since the EU ships in more than we ship out. So I don't see how it would have been an "interesting experience". I am sorry that your politicaians don't care. I can't imagine a life where I could not contact my legislative representatives to voice my concerns.
Apologies for the delay in the response. I only bring up my tours to reference my dicussions with jihadist. They spoke freely and openly of their wish to create a Muslim world as I treated their families wounds and ailments. The only reason we could not detain them is due to our rules of engagement which military dictorships do not have. If they did not have weapon and were not on our wanted list we had to leave them in peace which is more than they would have given me if the situation would have been reversed. As to my "shortsigted" reference to the Jyllands-Posten cartoons, not all muslims practice aniconism. Iranian muslims display pictures of the prophet. I agree that the images could justify civil and orderly opposition but they should not be another excuse for global riots and murder. If we Americans acted in this same way to the offensive cartoons, the burning of our flag and effigy of our President that happens on a daily basis we would be labeled barbarians. There is a difference between opposition and atrocity. "If the other event you refer to is actually the cancellation of the opera Idomeneo by Deutsche Oper in Berlin, then the explanation is that performing it as it would have been in that instance would have displayed particular disrespect and that its cancellation is justified as performing it in that modified form would have only appealed to racial and cultural prejudice as showing a severed head indicated as that of the prophet Mohammad would have been a targeted insult." I sorry but in this case you are just wrong. The scene in which you discuss actually shows the severed heads of Jesus, Budda, and Mohammed. It is not aimed soley at the Muslim religion. It is a work of art for one of the western masters, created in 1781 and nothing more. Yet it will become another excuse for the muslims of Europe, Asia, and Africa to raise arms against the infidels. All I have heard is that Islam is a peaceful religion. I have yet to see that. In fact if it is so peaceful why did the prophet lead 73 military campaings?
You don't know my experience and I can hypothesize on data extrapolated from current population projections and from sources freely avaliable via multible media outlets. That is one of the freedoms we have in my country. If the Europeans aren't afraid of their muslim populations why cancel Mozart concerts? Why put up with riots over cartoons? Why hasn't the EU helped out in the Darfor crisis? Because of fear of the inevitable. To quote the movie Braveheart "If we can't chase them out, we will breed them out". The fight against muslim fascism will eclipse the cold war and the fight against the Nazis.
Maybe you should do 2 tours in Iraq and Afghanistan like I did and talk to some of the fanatics as I patched up their kids. Or you could stay in your little dillusional world and let my brothers and sisters in arms protect your families and ways of life. Its too bad I lost friends who were better than you so that could laugh at me. Really.
How do you figure this deal was made at gun point? Nothing changed except how the data is moved. Don't you have anyhting better to do with your life than to blame the US for all evil in the world. I am not claiming that we are perfect, far from it but have you seen a video of a American cutting off the head of an innocent in the name of God or flying a jet into a skyscraper? I guess it won't matter in another 50 years or so when all of Europe is part of a muslim Caliphate. All the muslim fascists want is for us to convert, submit, or die. I would think that the Europeans would be even more concerned with this than we here in the US since your muslim populations are rising at an exponental pace. However, it seems that America is the bad guy until the time you need our boys to come spill their blood and bail you out once again. Its about time that the world recognizes the difference between the perceived threat and the true threat. Those who forget history are destined to repeat it.
Why shouldn't we start doing some profiling? How many little gray haired caucasian grandmothers have tried a terrorist act lately? There is no such thing as an atheist in a foxhole. I myself pray to Budda, Mohammed, Jesus-H-Christ and any other religous huncho I can think of.