What ever happened to "Walk softly, but carry a BIG STICK"

May the 6,000 innocent men, women and children in Iraq who got slaughtered in the past two months rest in PEACE.

Peace.

The term doesn't belong to hippies.

It isn't wishful, idealistic thinking.

Why don't we insist on it?

Pacificism is much like Communism: it sounds good on paper, but it hasn't been successfully adopted by a single nation.

If the choice is reduced to ideological purity or preventing the next 9/11, I vote in favor of prevention.

I am surprised that we can't all agree on that.

But how does a destabilizing war in Iraq prevent the next 9/11, Mr. Tee? How does torture and rendition for the purposes of torture prevent the next 9/11 (all you really get is anything they will tell you just to stop it)?

Why don't we insist on it? posted by TKrueg
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Good idea, let's do exactly that. And if people don't like your insistance, well then, we can force them....(you know, for the good of all people)....at gunpoint, if needbe.

On second thought....never mind...bad idea.

I couldn't agree more. Thank you!

Sort of like the pre-emptive destabilizing war we declared on Germany on December 8, 1941.

Perhaps a few Ambrose Bierce quotes for recalibrating one's sensibilities on war & peace.

The slightest acquaintance with history shows that powerful republics are the most warlike and unscrupulous of nations.

War is God's way of teaching Americans geography.

For better or worse, the "War in Iraq" is just a big ol' terrorist bug zapper.

They are drawn to the bright lights of American Might: and when they reach out to touch the light....ZZZZZZTTT. The recividism rate for Dead Terrorists is much lower than the ones that get away.

As long as there are zealots, there will be wars.

Even if we leave Iraq tomorrow, it would be naive to suggest the Islamo-Fascists are going to live and let live. It's not their way: they don't hate us for what we're doing, they hate us for who we are.

see Daphne's comment above for the most cogent solution.

All I am saying, is give war a chance.
Instant gratification ain't all it's cracked up to be.

"Sort of like the pre-emptive destabilizing war we declared on Germany on December 8, 1941."

More like Germany's invasion of Poland a few years earlier. The Nazis were some of the most brutal and efficient warriors ever and they were in the process of conquering Europe. Iraq had no military and was crippled by sanctions and boxed in by no fly zones in 2003. Is Karl Rove paying you to conflate Iraq with the Nazis, or are you a volunteer?

"ZZZZZZTTT"

Along with thousands and thousands of U.S. soldiers and NON-TERRORIST Iraqis. But we commend your bravery on the front lines, Mr. T. How many Purple Hearts have you earned now? You're no armchair war-monger. You have certainly earned the right to insultingly refer to yourself as "flypaper" and make amusing sound effects to simulate the bloody deaths of thousands in so cavalier a manner. Bravo!

"Even if we leave Iraq tomorrow, it would be naive to suggest the Islamo-Fascists are going to live and let live. "

Way to demolish that straw man. Who has ever suggested such a thing? And is Karl Rove paying you to use the term "Islamo-Fascist," or are you a pro bono propogandist?

It's very simple minded and naive, not to mention ignorant of the definition of "fascist," to equate the stateless loosely organized Theocrats of Al Qaeda with the Fascist military-corporate machine of Nazi Germany. Like it or not, the Bush Administration's military-industrial complex is much closer to the dictionary version of "fascism" than the handful of Muslim extremists in Al Qaeda.

PEACE!

Peace by its definition cannot be unilateral.

Hera hear to Sam..and while I'm on can I give a brief puff of oxygen publicity to the Repns trying to proactively change the law about war crimes prosecution so that W et al can't be prosecuted for same.

Deck chairs..Titanic

The NY Times mentions the "must-pass" Defense Budget this year of $500 BILLION dollars. One year. Half a trillion.

That's screwed up...

Think what HALF of that could do to help revitalize our cities, build housing, fund health research...pick your pleasure.

Thomas Jefferson, my hero, thought a standing army would screw things up. That his "Declaration of Independence" has mutated into renditions, secret prisons, the slaughter of innocents, and with America on a war footing SOMEWHERE every year of my 55 years on this planet...what a gross distortion of the America we were meant to be.

And don't give me a bunch of BS of how all this insanity is protecting America...my daughter stood in the street looking up at the burning towers, and a half a trill doesn't seem to be enough to catch Osama, but, hey, we're safer 'cause now I have to take off my shoes to get on an airplane.

If "Peace cannot be unilateral" then the pacifist faction of Islam needs a strategy to persuade and/or mollify the blow-up-the-other-guy's-Mosque faction.

It's the same dilemma faced by the Israelis in Palestine: how do you make peace with a guerilla movement that believes you have no right to exist?

Peace is a state of mind. Love is a state of mind. Hate is a state of mind. A day of peace is a day of peace. Chill.

Fools...

There is a difference between pacifism and the idea that war can be avoided when you're the biggest military power in the world.

Saber-rattling and eye-poking don't do a damn thing to prevent war or (especially) terrorism... this isn't some schoolyard taunting. Your beloved Reagan met with Gorby... why can't Bush meet with Iran's prez?

How simplistic it is to believe that "Iraq is like a bug-zapper". Are you f-ing stupid? Do you know how many ways that statement exemplifies it? Given the terrorists around the world who may conspire against us, I think they can manage to multitask. Too bad Bush created more with one mistep after another.

And how dumb do you have to be to belive terrorism is fought with invasions, military action, and record pork spending? Terrorist cells don't need to align themselves with official states, they can reside anywhere and carry out harm without a lot of money.

Foolish, dumb, stupid. Yeah it's harsh but someone needs to say it. Time to bail on that Bush Doctrine, suckers...

stupid people without guns will be overcome

"Is Karl Rove paying you to conflate Iraq with the Nazis, or are you a volunteer?"

Is Howard Dean paying you to conflate the United States with Nazi Germany, or do you do that for free?

Hmmm. Recall who started with the Germany analogy. I think this situation is different. We're not Hitler, and we're not FDR.

I'm glad we went into Afghanistan and ground some people down. But Iraq is a different story. It's Vietnam, not WWII.

"Is Howard Dean paying you to conflate the United States with Nazi Germany, or do you do that for free?"

I'm doing it for free because it's sad, but true: militarily, there are far more similarities between GWB's United States and Nazi Germany than between Saddam's Iraq and Nazi Germany. I don't see how pointing out this truth helps Howard Dean politically.

By contrast, falsely equating Iraqis with Nazis helps portray GWB as a noble "war president," which has been tremendously politically helpful for Karl Rove.

So do you get paid to propogandize, or not?

Folks, let's stop criticizing each other and stick to the issue(s).

Sorry, Jack. Thanks for the forum.

It's o.k. The vehemence with which people are arguing about these matters is understandable. But I see it as a sign that perhaps we've made some big mistakes.

Kind of funny though this little flame war started over 'Peace Day'.

Um, Germany declared war on us, not the other way around, after we declared war on Japan in response to their attack. Look it up. Nothing 'pre-emptive' about that one.

Is that Kissinger's back in the photo?

No way! I'll give you a hint: His name is Max.