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There is a famous quote about: “Religion killing more people than any other disaster!” The Mormons killed a bunch of folks during their “Mountain Meadows Massacre” in the 1850’s. The Knights Templar fought the Saracens during the Crusades killing hundreds of thousands. John Brown accelerated the beginning of the Great American Civil War, The Spanish Inquisition was responsible for more Urban Renewal, Death, Torture and Acquistions of Propertyin the name of the Church of Rome than any single action in history.
In the name of Religion many atrocities have occurred including the Armenian Ethnic Cleansing in Turkey at the turn of the 20th Century. 911 occurred in the “Name of Allah”. The Egyptian Pharaoh cast out the Israelites out of the Holy Land. Jesus Crist was put onto a cross all in the name of Judaism and that famous schism. The persecution of Jews penultimate issue came upon during World War II and their incarceration and killing at the hands of Adolph Hitler and the Nazi regime that called again for Urban Renewal and distopia of the Jews.
Today, American Embassys throughout the Middle East are being attacked, in the name of Allah. Whether this has been perpetuated by way of humorless cartoons, bad movies, drone attacks on Al-Qaeda leadership or just because the United States of America is messing with their neighborhoods – the results are the same: Death and Destruction.
As we sit in the safety of our homes, wondering how in the world all these events are taking place – we need to ask just one question: “Is God on our side?”
There is nothing going on in this world regarding issues of ethnic cleansing – say in North and South Sudan, Rwanda, Tibet or hundreds of other locations around the world that simply must be considered pure terror and pure atrocity. Burning down our American Embassy and killing the Ambassador and three others in Libya tells us that there are still many bad guys out there which intend to do harm to the United States. Our reaction will be much more important to these and other events than what has already occurred.
In the 1900’s Teddy Roosevelt protected Americans with his “Gunboat Diplomacy”. This action was greeted by having other countries develop their own brand of “Gunboat Diplomacy”. 55 Days in Peking was an International incident that certainly epitomized the growing Imperialism of the times. Germany, Spain, Italy, Japan and the Dutch were especially active. Soon, many countries became so-called “Protectorates” of the so-called World Powers. Our American war with Spain, “The Spanish-American War” of the New York Times and William Randolph Hearst: “Remember the Main”, San Juan Hill and Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders netted the United States: The Philippines and total access to Cuba for the next 50 years. The United States was able to get Sugar from Cuba, Oil and Rubber from the Philippines.
Today, one thing is clear: We cannot have our Embassy’s around the world attacked by anyone without considerable reprisals! Either the Governments that host our Embassy’s will protect and defend our property and personnel – or the Government of the United States will. No folks, we are NOT leaving. No folks we are NOT moving out of the neighborhood. However, the message must be clear and direct: We are not there to take over your country, but we certainly are there to create a Global Dialogue and Diplomacy with the various countries involved.
Selling America and its ideals, its products, its technology, its desire to do missionary work for the Global Industrial Complex is a tough job. But things have changed a great deal since the turn of the 20th Century. It is now the 21st Century and the world is connected, in spite of what any Religion or Church, Politial Party or even Country might think. It is all too late: The Genie is out of the bottle. Pandora’s Box has been opened. Everyone knows every thing, especially if you have an I-Phone or an Android Phone.
The President of the United States is doing the right thing, by deploying our resources, our defense forces and our technology strictly for the purpose of defending our Embassy’s at risk. Ready deployment is what we do. Those that attack our facilities will pay the price. There is no going back. There never really was an option – once 911 occurred. In the words of the Eagles in Hotel California: “You can ask to go – but you can never leave!” America will not be cast out of any country on the globe – unless we determine that a leadership change at the top of that government is necessary. Then we will go…..but just temporarily. In the words of the Terminator: “We’ll be baacckkk!”
Just remember – this is not personal – this is simply business and most certainly an excellent example of Non Partisan Religiousity – at its best.
Wow! Where do I start? Let me jump right in with my thoughts about the United States of America or rather the government officials of these United States. How many times have we bombed via drones lets say, Yemen in the past couple of weeks?
http://gulfnews.com/opinions/editorials/yemen-needs-aid-not-drone-strikes-1.1074441
What about all those innocent people we killed? Where is their justice? Oh, tht’s right, they are collateral damage on this endless war on terrorism.
We sure don’t hear about that do we? Only when they hit their target, an Al-Qaida operative. If the US government minded their own business and stopped playing world cop, we would be better off and have more money to spend on our own needs. I am sick and tired of our tax payer money going to other countries to bribe their officials to be our friends. If I were Queen, all that would stop immediately! And that includes money to Israel and Palestine. These countries need to learn to get along by themselves and the US needs to “butt out”.
As for this religious crap, this hateful behavior is exactly why I stay away from all organized religion. If some idiot decided to make a video about Jesus and claimed that he was a crook and child molestor, the Christians would throw a fit. They might even riot. I am not willing to find out. Are you? This video ( I have not seen it) sounds to me like nothing but hatred and bigotry.
I heard the person who made the video is in hiding, if I were Queen, that jerk would be out in the public, explaining exactly what he is up to. I believe in people taking responsiblity for their actions, no matter what. Unfortunately, 4 people lost their lives who had nothing to do with this video, and I would hold that person who made the video accountable. He knew darned well what would happen when this video went public. Just ask Salmon Rushdie.
The United States is not innocent, although the media and our government officials love to play the “victim’ card. The US doesn’t give a crap about whether or not countries or religious groups get along. They love it when there is conflict. It creates fear and fear is a great way to control the masses. Oh and fear sells alot of guns. Just ask the military.
Oh and stop going to other countries selling ” our religion” under the guise of missionary work. We are no better than anyone else and we need to stop that immediately. If there is one thing I learned, people will fight and die for their religious beliefs. If they decide to change their mind, they do it on they do it on their own, not because some group knocked on their door to tell them the “good news”.
I loved it when Hillary Clinton was all for Egypt having the right to protest, but protesting the United States embassies? Not so much. Welcome Egypt to protesting American style, you can protest but only under the “time, place, and manner” rule.
@ Inge:
You say, “As for this religious crap, this hateful behavior is exactly why I stay away from all organized religion.”
In my opinion, the problem is not someone’s religion or faith, or lack of it, the problem is EXTREMISTS who will corrupt any religion or faith, or engage in EXTREMIST & violent behavior even without any religious “rationalization”.
Paco
*Inge – you are good one and a true American. We appreciate your thoughts and input without doubt. The problem has always been one of so-called “Markets for our goods”. We went to war with Japan because of our thurst for oil and our demands to send our products to “areas of influence – controlled by the Japanese; through outright war, rape and by intimidation thereof!” We went to war with Germany, because our Allies would not be able to afford our products if they were engaged in a huge war that was sapping their coffers. This is the reason why they created “The World Banking Systems”. The concept was – that even if a country or two was going broke through war or overspending….the other countries could still afford to buy goods.
Religion has always been a “huge lever” to encourage war and other bad behavior. Ethnic divides and such. The German slogan for 200 years was: “At war…..or rebuilding!” They hardly cared which one. That is the main reason why Hitler never copitulated and surrendered before the destruction of Germany. He wanted to know before he left for Agentina….that his country – less several million folks….would be rebuilt and survive for many more years. Bad logic…..maybe! Germany had already tried surrendering in World War I – and had to pay an endless price in reparations which made Germany a third rate country…until Hitler came along when he started making machines of war and killing folks.
*Inge – it seriously just comes down to “markets”. When folks have no money – we send them money. Look at Eqypt – a couple of $billion dollars a year to buy our old fighter aircraft and tanks, Dupont and Monsanto seed and Big Pharma over manufactured products…..small time US companies trying to make a buck selling high tech phone systems and creating cable networks. Hey, no one said it was a clean process….very dirty….paying people off for access on this side and that side of the pond.
At any rate, everyone knows this stuff. Everyone knows that Swiss Bank Accounts, Cayman Island Investments and Bermuda Holding Companies are everywhere for all those rich and famous folks. It’s not right. The American Middle Class and even Lower Class – pays the freight….heck, that money has got to come from some place.
OK, yes we need to send our Marines in there….to protect American interests. OK, so we have to kill a few bad guys…..even if they surround themselves with helpless innocent civilians or even willing family members. Just like here in the States…..you need to be careful who and when you associate with certain folks.
Thanks again, for your from the heart comments…….we love you for them!
Your inaccuracies really don’t add much to the validity of your theories.
“The problem has always been one of so-called “Markets for our goods”. We went to war with Japan because of our thurst for oil and our demands to send our products to “areas of influence – controlled by the Japanese; through outright war, rape and by intimidation thereof!”
Where do you get that from? Japan had attacked China (our ally) in ’37 so we cut off Japan’s oil. Then there was that Pearl Harbor thing that drew us into the War against the Axis of Germany, Japan, Italy, and others.
While we’re at it, quotation marks like these ” ” ” ” mean that you are actually quoting someone.
So you can’t put quotes around the phrase …You can ask to go – but you can never leave! and attribute that to the Eagles on their title song “Hotel California.”
You can put quotes on
” You can check-out any time you like,
But you can never leave! ”
because those are the actual lyrics.
And we’ll be baack?
Didn’t you mean “I’ll be baaaaccckkk.”
Now, I have to ask, is this a lack of erudition ? Or too much in the beaker tonight ?
Almost 7 decades ago there was a state sponsored religion that had such a grip on a nation it took two atom bombs to break its grip and set the people free.
*Demo – you believe your fantasy and we will believe ours. Right on Cook!
Way to work the Reply button.
Next you’ll try to tell us that Elvis was seen with Adolf and Eva in Bariloche.
*As the Middle East sets its wildfires……around our Embassy’s ….it is good that we have deployed appropriate military and intelligence forces to the region. It is heartening that the various governments in the region are making valid attempts to protect our people and property. This was no doubt an orchestrated scenario designed to counter our various and effective drone disployments against terrorist targets. We will have to exhibit both a True Grit and a Bulldog Will. We can’t use
the Reagan withdrawal method….as we did in Lebanon. That was then…this is now!
Demo – actually Marilyn, James Dean and Natalie Wood were all seen recently at a birthday party for Elvis….on Catalina Island….at Two Harbours….all aboard the Good Ship Lollipop!
“We cannot have our Embassy’s around the world attacked by anyone without considerable reprisals!”
OK, well who would you attack? Libya? They’re friends of ours, and had nothing to do with it. The attack on our embassy came from some religious assholes. Should we attack them? Maybe they’ll have big bulls eyes on their backs identifying them as Muslim fanatics. Or maybe they’ll be wearing their Official Muslim Fanatics uniforms.
Your post is easily one of the most childishly written pieces I’ve ever struggled through. I still don’t know what the hell you were talking about. And, please (please!) stop capitalizing every other noun. Are there no dictionaries in your house. At long last, have you no dictionary? And what did I advise you some months ago about your plague of ellipses?
*Anita – our resident English Professor. Thank you so much for your words of
geo-political wisdom.
If you by happenstance saw the front page of the Register when our Ambassador was being dragged out with no shirt…..and his pants at half mast and that strange look on his face……..well, you get the idea that perhaps there is more to this story than most want to admit.
Reprisals? We would say! Sadly, some Egyptian guy from San Diego is being blamed for the acts of thousands of rave meeting Islamic terrorists. You don’t get it ….do you?
OK, thank goodness others can sense the subtile differences….of what the future will hold.
Keep those irate students of yours – that want YOU to think…..held back as much as possible. After all, you never really bought off on the “No Child Left Behind” thing anyway! Did you?
Guys, you shouldn’t always assume that anyone who knows how to speak and write correct English is an English professor.
After all, I concede that not everybody who can’t write correctly is a retard. Not everybody.
Sorry guys. I didn’t understand any of that, either. Who’s writing your stuff, Sarah Palin? Sounds like one of her famous “word salads.” And……again…..with………the…………..ellipses.
Mad dog mentality.
What are the choices?
To cower and hide from suicidal terrorists who are protected and supported by militia of men, women, and children dressed in civilian clothes.
Or
Recognize that those people in civilian clothes are militia terrorist combatants and should be engaged and destroyed.
Over the past decades the failure to “engaged and destroyed” has empowered the enemy. But that worm may be turning now.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellipse
*No Vern…you are right….she is a math teacher!
@ RAW
You state, “we need to ask just one question: “Is God on our side?””
I am reminded of Abraham Lincoln…and to paraphrase Lincoln:
“My concern is not whether God is on our side, but rather whether we are on God’s side.”
Quote:
“Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right”.
In essence, we should ask ourselves if we are on the right Ethical and Moral course, in our daily discourse . . . or do we need to readjust our behavior to our high moral-compass.
Paco