"I hope it's your families that suffer"

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You know, I'm used to some callousness in this entire sorry affair, but I found a video on the Committee on "Extraordinary Renditions" and it hits a new low. I'm sorry for not providing a more mainstream source, but at least the video speaks for itself : http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/24/rohrabacher-terrorists/

I wish I could be as elaborate as I am appalled, so I can properly express my opinion. I know I'm not, but I'm angry enough almost not to care.

 

...and he wonders why “I know there’s a lot of people who hate America.”

When are these despots going to realize that you don't stop terrorism by inciting terror on your enemies, but in fact INCREASE terrorism against your nation since your enemies have a) more motive to do so ('this is revenge for the torture you put my sister through! >boom<') and b) begin to feel that 'unconventional warfare' is the only option against such an intimidating opponent.

People love to throw around the cliche "fight fire with fire" but this is PRECISELY what not to do here - if this man is angry at you because of what you have and how you won't help his people and treat them with disdain, you DON"T shoot him before he can bomb your supermalls; that just gives his wife, and his son, and his cousin all another motive to attack you.

In this case, if you 'fight fire with fire', all you get is more fire. You might have extinguished the spot you struck with your torch, but everything combustible around it just got ignited, and if you keep it up, eventually your HAND that holds your 'fire' is going to burn too.

To continue the analogy, you don't smack a burning drape with a lit torch, you douse it with water, or smother it with a blanket. I'd would draw a parallel with removing either the heat (water) or the air (smother) with understanding and removing the opponent's MOTIVE for hating you - if someone doesn't hate you anymore, why are they going to smuggle a bio-weapon into your country?

Find out WHY these people want your blood. Find out why they're ready and willing to die in just the chance to get at you.

And then do something constructive about it. If they envy you your wealth and health and prosperity, provide medical aid to their poor; feed their starving. If they object to your political allies, re-examine those allies and think CAREFULLY about who you truly want as your friends.

And if they hate you simply because they don't know you? Introduce yourself. If they're brainwashed by factions, use a little information campaign; try drafting a few of those myriad P-R firms that try to make the latest corporate monster into 'the nice guy' and sic them on your enemies.

And even though it's a joke, George Carlin's strategy of "World Peace through Formal Introductions" does make a point: you're FAR less likely to commit 'warlike acts' against someone you know and understand. ("War with the Albanians? Hell, no - I know those guys!")

I've been saying 'you don't beat terrorism with bombs and bullets, but with food and medicine' for YEARS before 9/11. So I'll say it now - with delight and sheer schadenfreude - as I've said it before, and will KEEP saying it until you listen:

I warned you.