Iraq

Let me start this discussion by saying that I fully support our troops in Iraq, and fully support President Bush on this issue. I believe we went into Iraq for the right reasons, and at the right time. As far as the patriot act goes, if the government wants to read my emails, spy on it's citizens, etc.... My emails must really be interesting. I wish they'd let me know if they find anything good. It's the big brother syndrome, it's just 2007 and not 1984. Gee, they got the year wrong. But I digress.

The Iraq war (and the broader war on terror) cannot be won by politicians telling the troops how to fight. The military must be allowed to actually kill the enemy. We should be allowed to bomb the enemy no matter where he is. Unfortunately, this may put innocent civialians in danger. But that's been the case in all wars. Durring WWII, many non-military personnell and civialians lost their lives on both sides durring bombing raids. As I've heard it said, "This is war, expect casualties." The extreemists believe that this is a war, and that they're the good guys. They believe their cause to be just. They believe they're dying as marters. Not necessarilly marters to prevent others from being physically harmed, but marters to prevent wrong ideals from polluting the innocent. Thus if a person blows themselves up and kills as many as possible to prevent alien ideals from infecting others, it's worth it, to them. It's not the lives that matter, it's the changes in people they want to prevent. They believe that by prevent these ideals from taking root, they can preserve their way of life.

Laws are founded on faith and morals. The vast majority of people in our country believe that it's wrong to commit murder. Thus we have laws that dictate that if I choose to commit murder, I must suffer the consequences as dictated by those laws. Laws in many fundamentally islamic countries were formed in a similar fashion. The people in those countries did what was necessary to enforce their moral values upon the population of that country. And that was to enact laws that reflected their beliefes. These laws, for many years, enforced what was being taught by the predominant religion. Both women and men were taught what their role was both in society, and in their own families. Thus the faith was re-enforced by laws. Certain incompatible ideals were simply legislated out.

Problem is that our country was based on christian values, not Islamic values. Our laws (as well as the laws in most traditionally christian nations) reflect christian values. Our laws also reflect our belief that every individual has the right and responsibility to choose between what they perceive to be right and wrong. Thus the individual chooses their own destiny weather now, or in the life to come (if you believe in that). Righteousness is not legislated or defined in our country. Thus as our world shrinks and people of once distant lands come together, there will be an exchange of ideals and ideas. This is what the terrorists fight against. They are threatened by the changes in ideals they see as immoral. Thus they react in the only way they know how; And that's with violence. Going to war to prevent the perversion of their way of life. They know that if people are given freedom to choose, they might not always choose what's right.

What they don't understand is that. Any belief system shouldn't enforce it's tenants by the use of force. By fighting the way they're fighting, they're removing their victems right to choose good. Good should always be chosen, never dictated. Violence only begats violence. But should we stand by and allow them to attack us, repeatedly? And in the process, injure and kill more innocents? At this point, we americans offend the extreemists by simply existing. They know that unless they extinguish freedoms light completely, it will eventually creep into their society. Thus we western countries represent a constant threat to them. This is why the war on terror sim is right. This is why the war in Iraq is right. Would you rather fight it there or in American cities?