I have to agree with LawyerRon. This does seem to be the bottom line here in the thinking of more than just one of the parties involved (us or them).
If we are thinking this way then they are probably also as well.
It is hard to understand and come to terms with thinking so extreme that engenders so much hate. And of course the desire to eridicate the other side is some sort of a solution ? I am not particularly concerned as to how I am perceived by others but then again I am no naive member of the Wonder Land peace corps either. There is nothing holy or glorious about war. War, like any other game played or battle fought produces relative winners and real losers.
Any winning outcome from war is bought with great loss of human life usually.
Most of us are fairly intelligent beings. We can use our intelligence to avoid loss of human life where possible. We all have to make choices and decide what is most important to us. I wonder how much we really value human life and what we have learnt from history. Is war more important to us ? How does that old saying go, "You don't know what you've got till it's gone". Perhaps we all need to gain an appreciation for what it means to be alive maybe then we will gain a little respect for the human state wherever it is found. If we have no appreciation of the value of life by now, I wonder how much longer we need.
It is true that the Islamic faith seems to engender extreme thinking but this is true of other systems of thought. Killing because you are jealous or have a grievance is also no solution. In this case the war on Terrorism is a bottom line practicality. We have no choice and we must stand together on this.
We also need to use discretion and intelligence as to the decisions and actions we make. This conflict has the potential for impact on a global scale if the US and it's Allies play their cards the wrong way. We cannot afford to inflame the whole Islamic world and drag everybody else in as well. A little diplomacy will help but we have to weigh priority and opportunity so it is not lost. So far the US administration has handled it's dealings with the Muslim world very intelligently. Not all Muslim people are necessarily as unbalanced in their thinking as the terrorits we are dealing with. Again I have also seen Islamic reaction to this conflict around the world. We need to think very carefully about what we do and how we proceed and how much time we may have.
My message to others who have posted on this thread is that there is always hope
as long as we maintain our perspective and apply our intelligence and resources well. I have hopes and dreams, expectations for the future like anybody else but I am also a realist. This is my bottom line. There is much injustice in this world. There is also good and bad. If there are problems then there are also solutions to be found. All we need to do is use our brains. We are too used to blaming others and putting the onus on them to produce the goods.
With this problem the buck stops with us ! So let's get off our butts, use our brains and cooperate on this. There is an important lesson here to be learnt that could also have global impact. This is a great opportunity for all the nations of the world to work together and learn how to contribute to each others' welfare. There are nations who have a history of contribution and there are others for whom it is high time. If we could motivate all nations to make some form of contribution to the affairs and wellbeing of other nations then how would this affect world affairs ? Would any perceptions change ? Would any barriers be broken down even a little ? Would this be a positive move that we could take forward into the future ? What do we really want to provide to children in third world countries ? Education and food or guns and ammunition ?
Dear Bob, your point about the 1x1 US and Ozzie flags is well taken.
If I went I would make them bigger for easier sighting ! I would also include the flags of other nations including Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan and whoever.
I would also scratch the peace corps messages. These people are not dumb and are not to be underestimated. Maybe we all need to learn a little more respect especially for things and people we don't understand. I submit this suggestion for your scrutiny. Perhaps the little respect we pay others and maybe a small contribution to their welfare may convince them that our motivations are not all bad.
With due respect for all
regards
The Web Gecko
p.s. Note to Lawyer Ron. I have travelled through Mildura (back in the 80s).
It is near the New South Wales , Victorian and South Australian borders
a ways west of the Riverina district (citrus growing area I think).
Adelaide and the Barossa valley nearby (wine growing area) are worth
a visit. Adelaide is a beautiful city with a feel not unlike Perth
(home). Melbourne, Victoria is an interesting place but the weather
is highly variable and generally lousy. Sydney is our big smoke and
where the action is (some beautiful features/spots in NSW).
Queensland, Cairns etc., and the Great Barrier Reef (and islands/resorts
along it's east coast) are said to be paradise like. I have not been there
myself. Then there's beautiful Perth, it's Swan River and the rest of
Western Australia, major gems in the Ozzie crown. Check out our
great South West, Broome up north (Darwin as well), the Kimberley
ranges, Kakadu and Uluru (Aire's Rock) in the Northern Territory
(tropical like Broome).
Any member of your family would be made welcome over here.
We would be happy to show you around Perth etc..
Feel free to get in touch through this forum or via my
email at
markeastaugh@yahoo.com.au
chou