You don't have to read my blog for long to understand what side of the political isle I sit on. I also have several friends who sit on the opposite side and one of them is a friend of my wife, Jana. In this recent post
the comments turned into a debate over the war in Iraq and how the U.S. are the bad guys according to Jana and many of her readers.
Despite a multitude of things I disagree with, Jana made one comment that just floored me. In response to a comment about the U.S. trying to spread freedom through the world, she said some people don't want freedom. What? Jana is very intelligent and I believe her feelings are shared by many on the left. They don't feel freedom is something people really need or deserve. They really would like to move to more of a socialist society where the government controls our lives.
Our nature is to be free. God created us to be free and it is because sin came into the world that freedom is denied to some not because it is a better way to live.
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5 comments:
Oh where to start.
A) Using religion as a crutch to form basis of your arguments is flawed thinking. The same thing can be said for the neverending conflicts between Palestine and Israel, look what religion has endowed upon them. What a great foundation to build on!
B) It is NOT the job or position of the US to force "freedom" on any person or country. Freedom is something people in the United States enjoy because our society has been focused on such a foundation forever. Other countries that have not subscribed to such thinking because of religion (see mental crutch argument) and its not up to us to come storming in and force our beliefs and ways on them.
C) The war in Iraq has done nothing but inflamed the extremist movements throughout the middle east and other hostile parts of the world. Who do they blame? Why they blame the U.S. We can't seem to keep our noses the hell out of everyone elses business. The only time we should do so is when crimes against humanity are taking place. We're so involved in our invasion of Iraq that our government can't seem to give a crap about the horrific events in places like Darfur.
D) 5 years later and we still don't have Osama in custody, nor do we know where he is. Could it be because we don't care? Bingo! With all the technology our military sports the government is too focused on "Westernizing" Iraq and spying on its own citizens. Stupidity and failure do not deserve recognition.
E) If in the future you disagree with something on someone elses website, have the goddamn testicular fortitude to discuss the issue there instead of running to your own safe haven where you can control the responses and erase all the ones you don't agree with (such as this one, I'm sure) to further your arguments in a positive light. Wonder where you learned that one, all that Fox News watching has paid off!
I typically don't comment on comments on my blog, I usually like to let them stand on their own. But I did want to address a couple of points.
First, to Gary
My personal belief is that comments should be brief and to the point and if they are going to be the length of a blog post then you need to put that on your own blog. Also, I chose to post this entry on my blog versus commenting on Jana's because it had nothing to do with Jana's original post.
Jana
I do consider you a friend, a friend who I disagree with a lot though. I don't think I attacked you or said anything hurtful, I just disagreed. I didn't call you a socialist, I just said people on the left typically want more of a socialist society where the government controls more of our lives and restricts our freedoms.
Finally, the United States is not spreading our model of democracy. For example, the Iraqis set up their own government how they felt best and it doesn't model our system of government. They wrote their own constitution and held their own elections. The U.S. just gave them the opportunity.
Wow! Now we are fighting with each other. Sad. Apoligize and let it go. Everyone has thier own opinions.
I don't usually voice my opinions here or anywhere else on the net. However, I would like to point out some very simple things to consider. First, I am Jeff's brother and we are a lot alike. I don't look to religion in the same ways as he, but I have studied world history more than most. Consider life without continental drift. Consider that an actual nuclear weapon has never been used on people. WWII was hydrogen bombs, 50,000 times weaker than what N. Korea is getting ready to test. Consider how the world would be if Asian countries had large naval ships in the 1400's....If you don't understand how prevailing winds and the relative calm of the Pacific ocean could have put explorers on the west coast before the Europeans found the east, you need to pull your head out and look around. How would the world be different? The same? My great grandfather was at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. In a little over a month, he saw over 60,000 Americans die. Freedom isn't free. Its a cruel world out there and were are all at risk of becoming someone else's religious or political statement. Bob Woodward, Rush, Mike Wallace, Rosie and Oprah have no idea what it is like to stand in 120 degree heat all day, sleep in a hole in the sand and get back up the next day to stand vigil over someone other countries voter poll. All the while knowing you are a target. If you want to know why America is in Iraq, ask a soldier who has done a few tours and signed up to go back. The lesson is, if you really want to understand the world, ask questions. Don't listen to sound bites on your way to Wendy's and decide you now have the whole picture.
One last thought. Have you calculated the odds that you were to be born in the US vs China, Iraq, or Africa? Count your blessings and remember what team your on.
Sorry for the length.
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