Comments on: I’ve been thinking it over… https://www.habitablezone.com/2014/09/17/ive-been-thinking-it-over/ Thu, 23 Apr 2026 21:07:28 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: DanS https://www.habitablezone.com/2014/09/17/ive-been-thinking-it-over/#comment-31819 DanS Thu, 18 Sep 2014 14:27:19 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=47362#comment-31819 Our focus should be on assistance to Israel, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt in defeating a shared enemy. This is their backyard, they know the culture, and the Islamic State's (IS) threat toward Western civilization strikes directly at their main interests. The West is where all that tasty, decadent money lies. We should be directing engagements with the local forces (listed above), not blocking them. If they are prepared to strike, even within the sovereignty of Syria, let 'em loose. I have no problem with our allies attacking our enemies. Pretty cut-n-dried. Our focus should be on assistance to Israel, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt in defeating a shared enemy. This is their backyard, they know the culture, and the Islamic State’s (IS) threat toward Western civilization strikes directly at their main interests. The West is where all that tasty, decadent money lies. We should be directing engagements with the local forces (listed above), not blocking them. If they are prepared to strike, even within the sovereignty of Syria, let ‘em loose. I have no problem with our allies attacking our enemies.

Pretty cut-n-dried.

]]> By: bowser https://www.habitablezone.com/2014/09/17/ive-been-thinking-it-over/#comment-31816 bowser Thu, 18 Sep 2014 05:14:44 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=47362#comment-31816 How about we do things that will help them like us? Make it too expensive to attack us. Get to where their friends, families and neighbors will attack them if they act out against the US. Build them schools, hospitals, libraries, parks. Support the infrastructure they have created to survive in their world. Help them to feel safe and secure. I think that's a far more effective way to counter hate than killing, maiming, imprisoning, raping. Sure, punish criminals. And don't spawn new hatreds. Woo those who aren't criminals. Make their lives easier. I'd bet it's cheaper than the way we've gone about it. That will never, ever get past the adolescent, Old Testament views which satisfy the adolescent egos. "Suffer, sucker. Hate me? I'll teach you. Like your kids? Gone. House? The same!" And then claim that you are the only victims. Terribly sad. How about we do things that will help them like us? Make it too expensive to attack us. Get to where their friends, families and neighbors will attack them if they act out against the US.

Build them schools, hospitals, libraries, parks. Support the infrastructure they have created to survive in their world. Help them to feel safe and secure.

I think that’s a far more effective way to counter hate than killing, maiming, imprisoning, raping.

Sure, punish criminals. And don’t spawn new hatreds. Woo those who aren’t criminals. Make their lives easier.

I’d bet it’s cheaper than the way we’ve gone about it.

That will never, ever get past the adolescent, Old Testament views which satisfy the adolescent egos. “Suffer, sucker. Hate me? I’ll teach you. Like your kids? Gone. House? The same!”

And then claim that you are the only victims. Terribly sad.

]]> By: mcfly https://www.habitablezone.com/2014/09/17/ive-been-thinking-it-over/#comment-31814 mcfly Thu, 18 Sep 2014 03:24:32 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=47362#comment-31814 We'd find ourselves less resented by the rest of the world if we just stayed off their damn lawn. We’d find ourselves less resented by the rest of the world if we just stayed off their damn lawn.

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