| I haven't been to Iraq, although my being there in the next 6 to 12 months is a distinct possibility. But I have lived and worked in two Muslim countries: Nigeria and Saudi Arabia. And also I have had several long talks with my son-in-law, who just returned from a year in Tikrit. The First Division, of which our Bamberg Gang is a part, replaced the Forth Division, of which my son-in-law is a member. And my son-in-law has confirmed everything Gary reported. What we are seeing through the media is about 1 % of what is going on over there. For one thing, the media is only reporting our losses. The body count on the other side is huge. We just never hear results from the thousands of raids and activities carried out by the good guys (that's our Army and Marines for James from Philly and anyone else, who can't recognize who the "good guys" are).
And also Liad is 100% correct. This is a religious war. It's just that the majority of Americans don't have the spiritual perspicacity to realize that. As a populace, we have lost the capacity to understand the mind set of someone with religious beliefs held so deeply, as to be willing to die for those beliefs. Unfortunately, we may win all the battles and lose the war, because the politicians fail to appreciate the type of war in which we are engaged. One cannot reason with someone, whose activities are dictated by religious conviction, even if those religious convictions seem absurd to us. One can't hold a conviction much more deeply than to be willing to kill himself to advance its causes. We can't reason with someone like that because his actions are not the result of rationality, but rather obedience to a set of beliefs and dogmas. When confronted by someone, who cannot be reasoned with or deterred, and is determined to kill you, even if he has to die carrying out that purpose, what are your choices? Primative as it may sound, you choices are kill or be killed. The USA and the rest of the civilized world does not have the mind set to defend itself in this type of war. And there are 1.2 billion muslims. Iraq is just the tip of the iceberg. Historically, the civilized world has never been a match for barbarians. By the time the civilized realize they really are in a fight to the death, they've already lost it.
The whole world seems to be against Israel's attempts to defend themselves against an enemy that has only one purpose on the face of this earth-to kill every last Jew in Israel. The Jews understand this. They, I believe, recognize precisely that they are fighting for their lives. The muslims hate us, (even our muslim "friends") because they blame us for Israel's continued existence. But it's not the first time the might of the United States has been pitted against muslim fanatics. The same thing happened in the Phillipines after we took possession of them succeeding the Spanish American War. And, Buddy, they fought us to a stand still for years. And they did that with swords and close range attacks while we were occupying their country with repeating rifles and machine guns.
And, Liad, I also am extremely sorry for your loss. And I'm glad to see you posting on TM again. May the Lord in His mercy protect the remainder of your family from similar losses in the future.
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S.T.
What do we have that we did not receive, and if we received it, why do we glory, as if we received it not? |