Response and "Fact Checking"
Reader comment on item: Rauf Lecture Reveals Radicalism

Submitted by Guy, Aug 24, 2010 03:39

Glad that you are impressed "Fact Checking the Fact Checkers". Most of this stuff is pretty elementary, if you will excuse what could be considered "pomposity" or "pedantic" material.

Naturally, we all abhor the periods in which the USA supported tyrants in order to further their efforts in international politics. The problem is, none of us has ever sat in the position of a Director of the CIA, or Secretary of State, while facing an adversary like the U.S.S.R. Yes, we now can see that support for a Sadaam Hussein, in order to counter a radical Iran, was a source of many, many problems. We can also see that our training and materiel for a young Osama Bin Laden, makes us look like fools, to SOME. There is a great, adage for these situations: 20/20 Hindsight. Also, I'd add, that many are "arm-chair generals". Only those who have actually acted as leaders of large, life-and-death operations, can really relate to the life of a real general like a McChrystal, or an Eisenhower.

Counting dead bodies is something people do, but I'd say we are LUCKY that Al Qaeda has not tallied up 50k or 100k or more casualties. It is not from lack of DESIRE to achieve those deaths, but from being THWARTED in many of their efforts, and those of fellow travelers in terrorism.

Ultimately, the only point I can agree with is one that you mention when you say you UNDERSTAND how Muslim citizens can harbor antipathy toward the US because their homes and relatives have died during US military operations. I'd point out, though that we really need to remember all those Iraqi citizens who profoundly thank the US for having removed Sadaam Hussein from his tyrannical reign over the Iraqi people. I've reviewed carefully the history of this madman, and I cannot imagine how most people can rationalize the notion that he should STILL BE RUNNING THINGS IN IRAQ. Since we are wallowing in "what if" and fantasy here, we must remember that many say we should never have removed Saddam. The people who say this, arguably, do not have the intellectual capacity to imagine what level of heinous, torturous, death-dealing would have occurred in a lengthy life by Hussein and/or the reign of one or the other of his psychotic children, Qusay, etc.

That seems to show the problem with both the tallying of dead bodies and with the assessment of what Israel should really be doing. You can never really imagine the repercussions of your suggested solutions. I'd say it is better to let sovereign nations deal with their own issues unless they engage in such level of atrocity that intervention is needed. Israel has not engaged in anything approaching what Iran, or Iraqi dictator Hussein engaged in. Israel has not used large-scale chemical weaponry on its adversaries. Also, Israel has tended to respond to attack as opposed to initiating attack.

Anyway, this Imam has shown that he is typical in his viewpoints of the USA, and that he does not hold the US in very high esteem. Nonetheless, he was educated here, and has chosen to vote with his feet and live here. It might behoove him to mention what it is that he ADMIRES about the USA. Once people discuss things in that manner, it becomes more apparent that they have "good will" toward America.

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