Originally Posted by deacon blues
War is sometimes a necessary evil. David said that God "teaches my hands to war". Dropping the bomb on Japan was a calculated decision that was based on weighing one million American casualties to subdue a Japanese enemy that declared war on us unprovoked and undeserved and cost us tens of thousands of our American GIs versus the loss of hundreds of thousands of Japanese lives. A difficult decision for President Truman, but the right decision. Japan wouldnt even capitulate eight days after the first bomb! If the Japanese need to blame anyone it was their own Emperor and military leadership who stubbornly refused to surrender unconditionally. I would also say that in light of history the Japanese have done quite well since the end of the war, something they would not have granted to us or any of their enemies had they won. Your argument goes against the vast majority's view of history.
You think modern day Germans regret losing the war to the allies? Do you think they blame the US and the UK for the loss of life that they as a nation instigated with the evil vision of the Nazis to conquer the world? It took war to defeat evil. It still takes war to defeat evil. Pacifism would not have stopped Hitler, Imperial Japan, the Soviet Union, Saddam Hussein, the Taliban, Hamas, Hezbollah or Al Qaeda.
And if the Japanese and Germans are so bitter towards us and our actions in WWII have set the stage for "future generations to kill us", why are they now some of our closest allies militarily and economically? You are befuddling.
And we don't "conquer" nations. We subdue evil men and leaders, and then we rebuild their nations and we hand their nations back to them at a great cost of American lives and treasure better than the way we found them. This is historical fact that cannot be denied. Tell me, who have we "conquered" in our long and glorious history of liberty and freedom?
How many pacifists have stopped people like Hitler? How many peace protestors have removed dictators and despots, imperialists and bloodthirsty men from their seats of power who lust for more land and treasure from their neighbors and their own people at the cost of many millions of lives?
Innocent people die in every war. Its unavoidable. Its unfortunate. No decent human relishes in the death of any innocent bystander. But in the big picture, less people die as a result of "just cause" wars than to allow dangerous dictators and terrorists to continue their slaughter of innocents.
And since the onset of nuclear weapons the cost of lives due to war has decreased. WWII alone brought on the death of 60 million people in less than six years. We have not seen a single war since come close to such numbers primarily because of nuclear deterrent. It is a weapon with the potential to destroy billions, yes. And this is why we must continue to fight the evil that is in the world so that they may never obtain such potential. The USA has proven that in our possession, nuclear arms are safe. The only time they have been used was when there was no other viable option in Japan in 1945.
"People like me" are the reason we are still free and the world is safer. People like you would allow the Hitlers and the Castros and the Husseins and the Stalins of the world to terrorize the world unchecked and unopposed. Yet you live in freedom and comfort because of "people like me" who are willing to die for you so you can freely express your flawed views without repercussions.
I am aware of the controversy surrounding PT. In every war, mistakes are made. I believe in the end there was no evidence that the PT controversy reached the White House.
Can you offer one shred of evidence that ANYONE of significance in power in Washington, Berlin, Paris, Moscow, London or at the UN was declaring that Hussein DIDN'T possess WMDs? You can't just accept that everyone got it wrong. Saddam Hussein will forever be one of the stupidest dictators in history. All he had to do was call the bluff---he could've called in Keith Olbermann, Al Franken, Chris Matthews, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, John Kerry, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, et al to take a tour of all of his facilities AND SHOWED THEM THE FACT THAT HE HAD NO WMDS and he would be in power today probably and definitely still alive. Yet, he continued the charade right up until the final deadline knowing that the Allies would go to war with him.
Past Bush vendettas? Really? All you got is Bush-hate? Oh yeah, ALL THAT OIL WE STOLE from the Iraqis! Look at how that worked out for us! Have you checked the gas prices lately? Where's the oil we stole?
NFSale, look, we have an elite, liberal leaning press that would love nothing more than to highlight a crumbling Iraq, filled with violence and chaos. We would have nightly stories of how Bush ushered in an age of utter destruction and lawlessness to this poor country that was harming no one before we showed up. Instead we have witnessed several free and peaceful elections, transfers of power, shared and unified governement that has pulled Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds together. The insurgency was defeated. Our troops have transferred duties to Iraqi police and military. American deaths in Iraq are at an all time low. We will be pulling out troops soon. The problem is that Bush haters wanted and demanded overnight success rather than accepting that it takes time to turn a nation like Iraq around. Your civilian death numbers are highly suspect. They mainly come from conspiracy websites and uber-left organizations that couldnt prove those numbers to save their lives. Iam sure Iraq is not a paradise, anymore than NY City is or South Central LA is, but compared to the Hussein years, a much, much better place. And liberated.
As far as my media sources, let's see, I read the USA Today almost every morning (not known for being a right wing media source), I listen to NPR many mornings at home as I fix breakfast for my kids and as I take my kids to school (about 30-45 minutes worth). I listen to Laura Ingraham in the late mornings in my car or office, Rush in afternoon in my car or office from 11-2, Sean later from 2-4 in my car or office, NPR again from 4-5. When I'm home I try to catch Chris Matthews on MSNBC, Bret Beier on Fox, OReilly on Fox. If I get up early enough I watch an hour or so of Morning Joe on MSNBC. That's not a daily lineup but throughout the week that's mostly what I listen to/watch when I do seek to find news. Occasionally I watch CNN and sometimes the first 30 minutes of the Today Show in NBC. Sometimes some events on C-Span. But often I have only time to read some of the paper and catch some things on the radio as I'm driving from one place to another. I am an info buff, but certainly not a lopsided "right wing talk radio only" kind of guy. My wife often asks me why I watch liberal on MSNBC and others (I used to watch Bill Maher when he was on ABC and Keith O when he was on MSNBC). Its because I like to hear both sides of the arguments. And the more I hear liberalarguments, the more convinced I am of conservatism and its tenets.
So you could not have been more wrong about where I get my info.[/B]
I have no personal axe to grind with you either, how could I? I dont even know you. But I am passionate about what I believe. And I am a conservative first, Republican second. And I have voted for conservative Democrats before locally and state wide. I have yet to have a chance to vote for a conservative Democrat nationally. They dont seem to get very far in the Dmeocratic Party nationally. And I am more willing to criticize Republicans when I see them abandon conservative ideals.
And I have plenty of my own opinions. But thanks for the sincere admonishment to get my own. 'Preciate it.
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