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aka Eric Peloquin is a 21.73 year old boy, has been a member since August 1, 2008, has scored 5178 submissions, giving an average score of 2.17.
Every time somebody posts something serious here, it quickly descends into some kind of joke fest whereby everyone makes some silly irrelevant joke.
that's actually not usually what happens most of the time, dude. I mean, if it's a serious enough topic most people stay on course, there's a few wise cracks here and there.... but threadless isn't a bunch of 5 year olds
Obama has pointed out many examples of how tolerant America has been to Islam throughout its history. But it's been that way for hundreds of years and the terrorists attacked in spite of this. Things got a lot worse with torture at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay but even if Obama can fix this he only returns to the conditions that existed when America was first attacked. The 9/11 terrorists didn't attack an America that tortured prisoners or an America that was "occupying" "Muslim" lands. They attacked an America that was diverse and tolerant, where people were free to practice their religion. These things were a horrible blight on America's relationship with Muslims but they were a response to the attacks, not the cause of them. Terrorists are fucked in the head. Whatever reason they had to hate America before, they will still have in the future. He may be able to rectify the damage done in the Bush years but there'll still be a handful of extremists around and that's all it takes.
Even though we'll probably never get the "extremists" to see the light, having average, everyday muslims around the world respond positively about his speech is a good start.
i liked the daily show version better where they had fox news commenting on how terrible the speech was, now that makes me laugh like a tween with a new cell phone!
But there's already average, everyday muslims around the world who respond positively to Obama, with or without Cairo Speech. In fact, I think average, everyday anybody / everybody just want to mind their own business and live in peace.
squatterjohn, it seems like you're saying you're not optimistic about our president because he can't rid the world of all the terrorists that threaten our country, am I correct?
As long as human beings exist, there will be terrorism. To expect one person to bring world peace for everyone and eliminate all terrorists in existence is ridiculous and impossible. But maybe I misunderstood what you were trying to say, I don't know.
Personally, how I interpret squatterjohn's comment is, instead of being not optismistic about Obama's good effort, it's more like despite Obama's good effort. I don't think he's blaming Obama or anything to that effect :)
I think he's saying that, presumably Obama gets to do something which kinda erases what the Bush Administration did, we are just back to square one anyway. So, nothing much has changed.
It's a sad situation. In other words, To expect one person to bring world peace for everyone and eliminate all terrorists in existence is ridiculous and impossible.
It's very easy to make things worse but much harder to put things right. It's a big boat to suddenly steer in the opposite direction. Doesn't mean you shouldn't try though.
I watched the whole thing and I support Obama just as much as I always have. I generally hate world politics because half the time I don't think the politicians even know what they're saying themselves. I wont pretend that I know everything about Amurkan history, but for the first time in a long time, the US has a leader who actually sounds like a human being. Intelligence and compassion FTW.
I think everyone should watch the documentary Peace One Day. It follows a British filmmaker's efforts to create an international day of ceasefire and nonviolence. So he made a film interviewing many Nobel peace laureates about peace and he showed it to the Arab League in an effort to gain their support but they threw him out because one of those Nobel laureates was Shimon Peres. And that is why I am not optimistic.
Obama has pointed out many examples of how tolerant America has been to Islam throughout its history. But it's been that way for hundreds of years and the terrorists attacked in spite of this. Things got a lot worse with torture at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay but even if Obama can fix this he only returns to the conditions that existed when America was first attacked. The 9/11 terrorists didn't attack an America that tortured prisoners or an America that was "occupying" "Muslim" lands. They attacked an America that was diverse and tolerant, where people were free to practice their religion. These things were a horrible blight on America's relationship with Muslims but they were a response to the attacks, not the cause of them. Terrorists are fucked in the head. Whatever reason they had to hate America before, they will still have in the future. He may be able to rectify the damage done in the Bush years but there'll still be a handful of extremists around and that's all it takes.
1) Obama also pointed out major reasons of why extremists would feel angered and hostile towards the U.S.
2) the 9/11 attacks did attack an America which fought in Irag in the 90's, and manipulated a government in Iran, both strong arab nations, who have been connected with said extremist groups
3)it is true that extremist groups are fucked in the head, however, similarly to the Nazi's, they have developed connections with those who are more moderate. i believe that Obama is mostly trying to route out this support
Woah woah woah, firstly Iran is NOT an Arab nation!
Secondly, the reason America and 33 other nations including Egypt and Saudi Arabia fought Iraq in a UN-authorised war in 1991 was because Iraq invaded Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. America has always enjoyed good relations with Egypt and Saudi Arabia and it simply isn't right that by enjoying good relationships with Arab nations America can anger extremists so if Obama restores America's standing and restores the relationships with Egyptians and Saudis who may have been upset in the last eight years, he restores the conditions to the ones that the terrorists will simply manipulate not because America has done anything bad but because they just hate America for whatever reason exists in their small minds. I'm sure you wouldn't want America to stop defending small nations that are invaded by their neighbours or stop America from supporting Israel. Obama even said he's not going to stop supporting Israel so, if nothing else this will always be an issue for radicals because they're anti-Semitic.
Thirdly, didn't we prove during the futile second Iraqi invasion that Iraq does not have connections to said extremist groups? (Though there's plenty there now thanks to that invasioon.) Most of the 9/11 hijackers and Osama bin Laden were from Saudi Arabia, the country America defended!
Lastly, I know he's speaking to the moderates. And that's what makes this seem largely like an exercise in preaching to the converted. Some moderates may have been upset with the last eight years and Obama has restored America in their eyes which is good but America was hated by extremists before Iraq and torture. The extremists still exist as they did ten years ago and it only takes a handful. What is actually being done to fightt extremism. More importantly, what are the extremists doing to promote the cause of peace?
Jun 06 '09 by
Every time somebody posts something serious here, it quickly descends into some kind of joke fest whereby everyone makes some silly irrelevant joke.