h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

hi Cooper...

The peacniks hangout http://www.h2g2.com/A633331



purplejenny

i hope to god you are not american...or at least not claiming to be

I fail to see that being American and being a pacifist are mutually exclusive.

--Cooper
(fearing Carnivore)

good enough you have the right to your position...and this person didnt claim to be a pacifist, just anti-american

I also fail to see that purplejenny claimed to be anti-American.

If it come to a decision between going with the American line (that is, war, war, war, revenge, war, war, retaliation, war, revenge) and my religious and ethical beliefs, I'll take my religious and ethical beliefs.

If you don't exercise your morals during the rough times, what good are they?

--Cooper
(fearing Carnivore)

I have to agree with Cooper on this one. Being a pacifist doesn't necessarily mean that you're anti-American.

I don't care for pacifists. I tend to think of it as sublimated cowardice. However, we should tolerate alternate views in America.

I really do take offense to that! I am an American and i don't know if you know what it feels like to watch that amount of destruction come so close to your home. so many people are dead, when you go to the subway there are posters, EVERYWHERE, with people's faces, names, identifying marks, what their wedding rings looked like, etc. I am an american and proud to be that, but that does not mean that i believe that all of this destruction and loss of life, deserves more death. DEATH NEVER JUSTIFIES MORE DEATH. All I want is to be able to live in peace with everyone i come in contact with.
peace.

there is such a large number of americans against war that just because our strutin-texan of a president says that we want it, doesn't mean all of us.

The vast majority of us are prepared for it and support him.

Hi.

I'm from the UK, and I am a pacifist. I think that International Terrorism should be tackled through International Law. The US must take a carefully considered and measured approach to avoid an escalation of conflict. I oppose and abhor all violent death, and do not wish to see more innocent lives lost.

So far I think that the US and UK have acted with restraint and intelligence, and since the Taliban is clearly a 'rogue state' in failing to extradite Bin Laden I accept the use of Special Forces in the area. So far, so good.

On a wider scale and longer time frame though I'm concerned that the US/UK may use the 'War on Terrorism' as good to cause to carry out covert missions in sensitive regions, invest more heavilly in Arms a at the expense of social investment, and (especially within the constitutionless UK) erode civil liberties.

I realise that the whole issue is still very raw and emotive, but I do also feel we should be able to have a reasoned debate about the terrorism, the war and the context, history and possible outcomes.

Regards,

pj

perhaps you need your head examined...or better why not visit the conversation titled "no subject" on my page or coopers page...maybe you somehow have been mislead to believe that we (the usa) are dealing with a rational enemy (the taliban) with which your naive sense of problem solving would actually apply?

There's nothing about purple's statement that implies a belief in the Taliban's collective sanity.

Also, there's no need to resort to implying that someone's mentally or emotionally unstable. Make your point without harassment.

--Cooper
(fearing Carnivore)

That's uncalled for, 42.

At what point is enough enough? When do we trade our pens for swords? At what point do actions have to personnaly affect you before you take the call to arms? To try to stop this from happening again? So no one else has to feel what you feel.
And as far as President Bush is concerned. . .shut up. He is the leader of the free world we love. And I will follow him. . .even to my own destruction.
42 makes some good points. Its easy to judge when you aren't involved. Peace is an idealogy. . .a great one. . .but peace is bought thru the war. Peace is secured by the soldier. We gaurd Peace. People get jealous and want what we got. . .and should we be living in an ungaurded peace. . .what we have will be taken away. .. those freedoms you enjoy are kept free by the blood the men willing to fight for it. We give you the ability to exercise your free speach by spitting on us and burning my flag. . .thats okay. . do it. . .but when you are finished look around and you'll see people like me just say "You're welcome" because we let you do that. So when you are spouting anti-war anti military philosphies. . .rememebr its the military that lets you do that. Its warfare that has brought that about. People have to die, so others may live. Its a fact. And no amount of banner waving and marching will do anything to change it. Face it. . .we don't care about what Peaceniks have to say. Just say it when I am not around.
Just be sure to tell what you got to say to the widowed wife, motherless/fatherless child, parents dressed in black around a flag draped coffin. Be sure to tell them how you feel. I am sure THEY will understand.
Aaron
Cobra 2-6 out

I am a father of three and and as a father the thought of my children having to go to war is frightning.{I was brought up that you protect your family no matter what and I would die for my family if that was the only way to protect them.}But what I find more than frightning are people with the attitude that we must turn our cheeks and try to reason with the people who cannot be reasoned with. In my eyes these people are not living in the real world. You only have to look at history to see the consiqences of trying to apease a mad man. People like this see non response as a weakness and so will the other fanatics out there. To stand up to these people will not be easy. I have friends in the military who will risk their lives to protect my family and yours {be it americans or any other people who live in a free society} for these fanatics hate all that do not conform to their views of the world. I can only pray for my friends in the military one who is an ace on this sight.

Maybe a little anology will help: when you develope a cancer the cancer is part of your body it is cells that have gone mad and divide insanely until they infect the whole body and kill it. you can not reason with the cancer. You have two chioces kill the cancer by cutting it out while doing as little damage to the healthy sane cells thus saving the whole. Or do nothing and let the cancer kill the body.

Time to remove the cancer

We run into problems when we judge people to be "cancerous" and say that we can cut them out of the body of Humanity.

That's what Hitler did.

--Cooper
(fearing Carnivore)

I tell you what, coop, I will respect your pointless and idiotic counterpoints, when you get your face in the mud with me. Trying to equate Hitler to this just proves how out of touch and idealistic you are.

HOw come nyou seem to be willing to bring up past attrocities to validate yourself, rather than present horror to carry on a rational and INTELLIGENT arguement.

Cooper,

I was going to give you the benifit of the doubt thinking maybe you were just a lttle young and out of ignorance to world events were trying to coverse with adults on subjects well over your head.

But the following statement you made in response to mine shows the thoughts of a retoric spouting apeaser without the morral fortitude or courage to defend themselves or their family.

Cooper says: "We run into problems when we judge people to be cancerous and say we can cut them out of the body of man"

WAKE UP These people have already said that there enemy is all american males who pay taxes or serve in the military. Then carried through with their threats killing over 5,000 men women and children. Not to mention all others in the world who do not conform to their religous views. This they say is their duty to kill these people. Don't you get it or are you so paralyzed with fear that you will wait for them to kill your family. If that did happen {and I pray to god it never will} I wonder how long you would spout your mindless retoric. Sad so very sad.

If it required my death to defend my nation and family, I would gladly give it.

But I WILL NOT kill to defend them. I have the moral fortitude to stick with my beliefs, whatever the situation. And those beliefs include NOT KILLING.

Is it cowardly to stick to my beliefs? Is it a lack of moral fortitude?

You say that "they" consider it "their duty to kill". Yet, you claim the same duty to cut out the cancer.

It is my duty NOT to kill.

If my family were killed, I pray that I would remain restrained. Is it right to act of a vengeful rage?

--Cooper
(fearing Carnivore)