Protesters costing the country Millions!

[whitebird]

Dogstar

Thank you for you support. I thought I was all alone for a moment there.

Everyone else - I truly care about life. The lives or our soldiers, the lives of the people that they are trying to help, the lives of our own children. I also care about all of you.

[JulieCitySlicker]

Sorry If what I said offended anyone! I just think the protesting is Thats all

[JenRN]

Marcos, you always know how to make me feel better! Did you see the post I had about how other countries are blinded by their government's portrayl of the USA? Actually last night on the news they had newspapers from Brazil, France, Jordan, Australia and other countries and they were flat out propoganda against the USA!!!! They had flat out lies in them and the facts about the war were so wrong it was sickening!!!! The media has a way of swaying people to get them to think like them!!!! Like I said in that post I had a German exchnage student live with me for over a year and they one thing she said OVER and OVER is that " America is nothing like what my country lead me to believe!!!" She actually got to see it for herself, and she said the propaganda was so strong against the USA she could not believe it!!!! You see other countries are jealous of the USA, if our country was so damn bad, why do others flee here by the thousands EVERYDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!Like I said before this is NOT directed at you!!!!! I just get so damn irritated when people who don't live here think they know America, what they know is what their media allows them to see!!!!! Hey I am the first to admit, America is not a bowl of cherries all the time BUT........ we do a hell of a lot for others and in return get shit on constantly!!!!!!

[Shoebird]

I think the problem with most people is that they're uninformed or ignorant. Sure, no one wants another person to say to them, "No, you're wrong and I'm right, and that's final" but tolerance must be in effect on both sides for it to work.

People say, "Just kill Saddam" but they don't realize it's an international crime to kill a head of state. Saddam Hussein was a madman who ruled through fear and death threats, but even though he may or may not be dead, this war is FAR from being over. Sadly, we'll be in Iraq for many years to come. The majority of Iraqis were taken in by propaganda from their leader, not unlike the subtle ways we are "brainwashed" into certain ideas by our own leaders. Through habit and repetition, we ourselves are forced into categories that separate us based on belief and class. Why do Republicans have Republican friends and live in Republican suburbs?

Every 20 or so years, we've had a major war, and this is no exception. We're still aiding Germany a half-century after their unification, and the same will go for Iraq (not to mention Afghanistan). The war is expensive enough; the actual rebuilding will be even more laborious.

...This post went off-topic, so I apologize for that, but I thank those who read it anyway.

[JulieCitySlicker]

Think about this one will ya Our tax dollars are now being used on these people just so they can raise hell and run a muck cuz they disagree with the war in Iraq. We are paying for crap like this Who pays so the cops can show up whenever a protest cession gets started...US!

[JenRN]

I am a republican and have democrat non party, and republican friends. I am friends with whites, blacks, asians, hispanics and gays. I live in a middle class area of town. Just because someone is a republican does not mean they are some old stuffy fuddy duddy that is close minded! That is people being prejudice against republicans it they think that!

Did anyone else hear about the latest of Saddam? They have actual footage of him putting people alive through industrial shredders!!!! Now to me for anyone to stand by and let a leader of a country do that to his people, they are the ones who are cowards!!!!

[JulieCitySlicker]

Quote:

Originally posted by JenRN
I am a republican and have democrat  non party, and republican friends.  I am friends with whites, blacks, asians, hispanics and gays.  I live in a middle class area of town.  Just because someone is a republican does not mean they are some old stuffy fuddy duddy that is close minded!  That is people being prejudice against republicans it they think that!  

Did anyone else hear about the latest of Saddam?  They have actual footage of him putting people alive through industrial shredders!!!!  Now to me for anyone to stand by and let a leader of a country do that to his people, they are the ones who are cowards!!!!

I heard about that to Jen That is just disgusting How do they just let this happen there

[Bridge of Clay]

as I go on:

(sorry, I had to restart my computer)

10- The only country who had to deal with a major terrorism strike was USA. I wonder what other countrie´s ideas would be if that also had happened to them.

11- Something you can´t deny is that USA supplied weapons for Saddam and Osama. So it´s better you don´t sell weapons to anybody else.

12- No matter what Blair says, the fact is no proofs of chemical or biological weapons were found in Iraq so far. That´s what make people angrier about the war. IMHO, I believe they do have this weapons. First, Iraq wouldn´t be accused of it for no reason. Secondly, it´s said Saddam bought this weapons from Russia, USA and probably from some other small country.

13-Of course people are jealous of USA. It´s the most powerful and richest country among all... Anyway, it still is the country who saved the world in WW1, WW2 and Cold War... Not to say this feeling is unfair.

14-Finally, I conclude saying even if you don´t support the war, the least you HAVE to do is support your country. Being patriot is healthy and it´s important, and it´s one of the things I admire in Americans. People here aren´t really patriots. It makes me sick. But I mean good patriotism, not nationalism(sp?) as in Mussolini´s case...

Jen, I didn´t see your post yet. I´m sorry I made you mad at me, that wasn´t my intention. I just told you the truth.

I know how media manipulates people. Let me tell you one example: There are two main newspapers here, Folha de SP and Estado de SP. Folha is indeed making propaganda against USA. On the other hand, Estado (which is the best one for me, I dislike Folha) tries to keep neutral (sp?). It´s hard to support something that 80% of the population is against. Estado has over the past couple weeks translating articles from the most of USA newspapers, no matter the article supports or not the war. And on today´s edition, there´s an article saying about how US media is kinda making a campaign for the war, criticizing the media, specially radio stations... I think you have to be moderated about this matters, that´s a subject you gotta be careful. I wanted, for ecample, wanted to be a journalist, but I was disgusted by their behavior...

The important before you can make an opinion of your own is to know both points of view.

I can´t stand how people bash USA, sometimes for senseless reasons. And I can´t believe some see Saddam as a poor guy.
Of course nobody like wars, but I agree is the only way to oust him. I´m just afraid of what comes next...

[Bridge of Clay]

To quote Creed, no one´s right and no one´s wrong. But I´d rather support USA than that sick bastard...

Of couse everybody wants peace.

But it´s a shame how much money is spent because of only one sick mind...

[Xterminator27]

HEres the real shame,

Every Year over 2 trillion dollars are spent on war,
Every 10 years we double our pollution rate
Every minut over 4 football feilds of trees are cut down.

1outta 6 USA children live in poverty
Every 5 seconds a child dies from preventable desises or hunger.

Usa spends billion on maken nukes when u cant use em. Nukes are like strapebn dynamite to urself. No matter where usa shoots em, if theeres a nukeular war, we will ALL suffer.
30 years ago People use t put baby oil on their skin to make a tan, Not because of Ozone breaks and global warming, u need to have liek 30 Spthings to not get burned.

If we keep this up, in about 300 years half teh entire population of humans will be dead. The other half will kill themselves, because fo radeing others and fighting and killing to survive.

Our World is Seriously FUCKED, many people do nto realize this but it is true. And it is not going tp just go aaway.

U may think, 300 years, why do i have to worry?. well YOU dont, but ur children may a bit, and there children probly will, and tHere children will more and their children will suffer and tehri children will die.

Every 100 years literally EVERY single person living here will be dead. And replaced with a whoel new batch of people.
Not to mention teh facts that we are running out of Freash water, And astoid could hit us at any tiem and kill us all in a flash, all weve done or ever could do will eb for nothing and we will be as if we never existed. We coud easly fix this, but no, well spend our money on usless war nukes and well take our time and effort to Speed up the process of our own Doom to ourslefs.

[souldancer]

Like others in this thread, I don't condone violent protesters (or violence,...period) - or extremists, but I unfortunately emotions generate energy and of course, the media will focus on the negative side. I do value freedom of expression. I don't want to live in a monarchy...and i think many protests and movements have been based around values, visions, and issues - not about 'us against them' - it;s not a simple black and white world out there..I think it's just as crazed that people are abusive in the name of peace, as it is for pro-war people to say that protesters are anti-American. This is still a democracy, isn't it? And, while I never hoped to see a self-initiated war in my life-time, I do see hope, in that people all over the world are engaged in an open dialogue and visable expression about the very legitimacy of war. I liked hearing what Dr. Robert Muller, Chancellor emeritus of the University of Peace in Costa said...there is a superpower of the merging, surging voice of the people of the world. All around the world, people are waging peace.
hmmm, what about the cost of 'war'...and I don't just mean the finances, but what about the human lives lost, suffering families and friends, devasted environment... how do you place a value on that? Excuse me now while I go dump some tea in the harbor

[Dogstar]

Quote:

Originally posted by whitebird
Dogstar

Thank you for you support.  I thought I was all alone for a moment there.  

You are welcome, whitebird, and you are far from alone. As souldancer noted, there are many voices in America and worldwide who question the validity of war, period. And their voices are as legitimate as those who support the president and the war. Violence begets violence, plain and simple.

And to say that we should be silent simply because it won't do any good is a travesty. Tell that to Ghandi or Martin Luther King Jr. Apathy and inaction are what has gotten us to this point.

[whitebird]

What I really appreciate about this board, and the people that post here is the fact that even though we don't all agree on an idea, it can be looked at from all angles, and views points. The discussions are interesting and often very very well stated.

I really don't think any of us like to see money wasted for war or for the protesting of same. There is such a great need in this world for funds to advance the lives of it's people, and to protect the environment at the same time.

By being able to post and read e-mails from all over the world, to understand what each of us are feeling and thinking has opened up an avenue to reach freedom and peace. I think that thru our discussions we can make a difference.

What would the world now be like if we could have had these chats with Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr. ? There will be other great people of peace to come our way, we simply need to watch for them, and value their wisdom while they are in our midst.

[marlsy]

very well stated whitebird! I agree. :P

[whitebird]

Thanks Marlsy.
What souldancer said about emotions generating energy is very true. Unfortunately it is often very difficult to channel that energy in a positive manner when passions are running high. I agree that there is no easy fix to the situation the U.S. is now in, but if people could stop and pause for a moment before acting in the passion of the moment, many bad situations could be avoided.
Perhaps the young man that JenRN helped, would never have been hurt.

There are people on this board whose opinions I greatly value, and many others that teach me to stop and think, and to consider views other than my own. To all of you, my thanks.