Should the US & UK launch a pre-emptive strike against Iraq?

Personally, I think that some of the more recent remarks on this thread are flippant and unnecessary. War is a serious matter and this topic is intended to be a serious discussion. Please bear this in mind, thank you.


Two days after 11 September, I'd like to add my reflections:

The single thing, which concerned me most about the US on and since 11/09 is this bloodthirsty desire for revenge. It is wrong, totally and utterly wrong.

I watched the documentary 9/11 on Wednesday evening. It was deeply moving and tragic and there are really no words that can convey the horror of some of the images. The terrorist attacks on 11 September were despicable and a terrible moment in the history of the world. It is something, which none of us should ever forget.

One thing we can do though is forgive.

Yes, forgive.

That does not mean that the people responsible should not be brought to justice. Of course they should although realisticially will justice ever be delivered?

Forgiveness is important. To my mind, it is not about forgetting or accepting something. It is about living, moving on, coping with tragedy. If we don't forgive, then we can only hate.

The US was humiliated, hurt and devestated by the terrorist attacks on 11 September last year and now all it's government and its people want to do, is get even. But at what cost exactly? How do you exact revenge on an unseen enemny?

If we go to war with Iraq how many innocent Iraqi's will have to die to deliver justice for the US? Will it be one for every of the three thousand that died on 11 September 2001? Will it be twice that number? Ten times? Maybe a thousand times...

You see revenge and retribution will deliver nothing. War will not bring back the dead, it will not honour them, it will not make things better. Forgiveness will.

War with Iraq will be ill-advised and wrong. It cannot be right that the country with enough nuclear arsenal to destroy the world several times over, should be allowed to be so belligerant and totally disregard the authority of the UN. It is unacceptable.

Let us move on, not forgetting what happened on 11 September 2001 but don't sacrifice any more lives for needless revenge.

 

Turr - I appreciate your comment about the humourous posts in this thread, but some people use such humour to deal with the prospect of a tragedy. Also, it is a way of dealing with pain. It's part of the healing process

War is very serious - it's not a tool to be used lightly. I fail to see how the death of more innocent people can be classed as justice for the many who died on 9/11. If the US goes against the UN and enters Iraq without their backing then I personally cannot see how America would be able to class itself as a country that respects democracy.

 

War? Huh? What is it good for? Absolutely nothing!



//prepares to never utter another word in lifetime

 

Az, I am not sure whether your being flippant or making an ironic point. There again, I can never understand your jokes anyway

 

One thing we can do though is forgive.



I can't work you out, in one post you are moaning about what some would see as the small issue of changing Fireman to Firefighter and here you are asking people to forgive mass murderers?

 

The two issues are totally unrelated. I see no contradiction in my opinions.

Yes, these ppl are mass murderers and by the same token so is the USA, albeit through war. I don't believe war is right and seldom can it be justified. In this case particularly I don't see how it can be justified. However, I do believe that the ppl responsible for the attacks on 11 September 2001 should be brought to justice, if that is at all possible now, which I doubt.

Btw, I wasn't moaning in the thread about political correctness - I was expressing an opinion.

 

I get similarly annoyed when people change words like chairman to chairperson, fireman to firefighter

You're annoyed and you're telling us about it, I'd call that moaning.

My point is that you get annoyed at a relatively small thing as a name change (which is justified due to the amount of females in the Fire Brigade), but someone who goes out to intentionally kill thousands of people you can forgive? You have strange values.

 

I am sorry you disagree.

I believe you can forgive someone their wrongs. It is not easy and not necessarily the first reaction. Forgiveness is possible though however heinous the crime and as I was trying to explain further up I believe it is necessary if we are to move forward from the artocities committed on 11 September 2001.

Yes, I did say I was annoyed about the changes made to certain words in the aim of political correctness, I cannot deny that! I really don't see the contradiction that you are angling for and to be fair, I am not sure how you want me to respond?

I am also a little concerned that the suggestion may come across that I am more concerned about politicial correctness than the loss of 3,000 lives. Now that would be a strange set of values to have. I would like to assure you that is far from the truth.

 

I agree with T_P. Forgiveness is necessary in order to get past the hatred phase and start living again - so there are self-centred reasons for forgiving - it isn't just a bizarre tolerance thing. It is unlikely that all the culprits of Sept 11th will be caught and brought to justice so if people want to start healing and getting over it, there will have to be somekind of forgiveness.

I don't see how anyone's views on political correctness can have anything to do with one's views on forgiveness and terrorism. They are two different subjects.

 

Hi

I think the really sad thing is that various groups always try to drag religion into the issue. Don't most religious groups support the idea of peace and unity?

Religion is never a reason for aggression.

V.

 

IMHO, religion is all about hypocrisy - do as I say not as I do...but don't start me on that.

 

oh dear me!
i just sent that red seven bloke a rather...coloured PM,regarding his comments about some of the replies being juvenile in nature.
might get a ban...
might not.

mark,chill.

 

You could always try apologising Jamie. It wasn't very nice of him to call us juvenile but I think R_S was referring to our humour. But it certainly felt like he was saying "agree with me or ..." but well...

Religion is misused by a lot of people It's a good way to control people and have them do what you want them to do.

 

I am cool I just get a bit carried away sometimes with things I care passionately about, that's all.