Peter,
This is not about whether I'm a 'principled pacifist' or whatever (I'm all
for action as it happens). This is however about taking action with a view
to achieving the best possible result. If the goal is revenge then by all
means bomb them and their children. They will then take revenge in turn and
so on.
If the goal is to avoid this type of attack happening again then your people
will have to go in and do this the hard way - fighting man to man on the
ground to topple the organisations and regimes behind this atrocity. And
after that - the World will need to rebuild Afghanistan(? - insert
appropriate country/ies) to ensure that the people living there never again
feel so desperate that they have to do this again.
Someone said that war in the 20th century was waged by the military on
civilians but that the wars of the 21st century will be waged by civilians
on the military and other civilians. Remember that atom bombs are 40's
technology. We need to make sure that no-one feels the need to use them at
any cost.
----- Original Message -----
From: Peter Alling <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Monday, September 17, 2001 12:18 PM
Subject: Re: Bombing Japan - private
> Yes we carpet bombed empty jungle. The destroyed city shots we saw from
> Vietnam were mostly, well what you'd expect propaganda, imagine that lies
> from a regime that completely controls the press.
>
> At the end of the American involvement in Vietnam, the average age of a
NVA
> (That's North Vietnamese Army), Master Sargent was 16. That's an age of
16 for
> the highest ranking NCO in an Army. At that point we declared victory
gave
> the war to the South Vietnamese and pulled out. The Vietcong were wiped
out
> during the Tiet offensive. They weren't a factor in the war after that
ill
> fated
> attack. The war was prosecuted by the North Vietnamese Army from then
> on. (Some
> think that this was a plan by the North to insure that they would have no
> effective
> opposition after the war, but that's another story).
>
> As you said it is important to get the facts straight and apparently you
> are no
> historian.
>
> The North Vietnamese Army a bit over two years after the US left Vietnam
> staged an armored
> offensive in the best traditions of Patten and Rommel, blitzkrieging down
> highway one in
> Vietnam. Our congress refused to send aid to the South, not one of our
> finest hours.
>
> It's good that you don't make assertions about your knowledge
> of Korea.
>
> You draw parallels where there are none. You get your facts wrong. A
> principled
> pacifist I can understand. A person calling for restraint for the sake of
> innocent
> victims I can understand. You I believe I'm beginning to understand.
>
>
>
> At 11:17 AM 9/14/2001 +0800, Nenad wrote:
> >Not sure about Korea but the as far as Vietnam is concerned I have to
bring
> >to your attention that the US carpet bombed North Vietnam
indiscriminately
> >dropping a considerably higher tonnage of bombs than on Germany in WW2.
> >They also used napalm and dropped highly toxic defoliant, the infamous
> >"agent orange" to destroy the jungles that harboured the Vietcong.
> >
> >I hate to point it out but it was all for nothing as the Vietcong did not
> >give up and in the end won anyway.
> >
> >No offence intended but it is important to get the facts right before
> >suggesting a course of action for the present.
> >
> >Nenad
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: Daniel J. Matyola <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >Sent: Thursday, September 13, 2001 8:14 PM
> >Subject: Re: Bombing Japan - private
> >
> >
> > > I disagree most strongly, sir.
> > >
> > > These terrorist, and those who attacked the WTC previously and various
> >embassies, have
> > > the full support of several nations. These states provide them with
> >shelter, money,
> > > training and encouragement. The religious leaders and political
leaders
> >of these
> > > countries tell them the US is absolute evil, and promise them eternal
> >glory in heaven
> > > if they die killing Americans. THEY have made civilian populations
the
> >target, just as
> > > Hitler did. Giving them safety only fuels their beliefs that the US
is
> >weak, and that
> > > God will help them to prevail if they persist in this course.
> > >
> > > These "civilized rules of war" prevented the US from attacking the
source
> >of the
> > > opposing forces in Korea and Viet Nam, with disastrous results for our
> >American
> > > troops. This time, they have attacked our civilian population. To
> >respond by rounding
> > > up a few of the "usual suspects" and ending it there will lead to an
> >enormous tragedy
> > > in this country.
> > >
> > > Dan
> > >
> > > Frank Theriault wrote:
> > >
> > > > The subject of this thread was brought up due to many calls to
punish
> >not only the
> > > > perpetrators of yesterday's horrid deeds, but the countries who
"harbour
> >and
> > > > finance" such monsters.
> > > > As many on both sides of this argument have said, reacting to, and
> >fighting
> > > > terrorism, requires a new set of rules. And one of the new
realities is
> >that
> > > > bombing civilians of the country that the terrorists may have come
from
> >will not
> > > > deter them. It will result in dead innocents, and a more resolved
bunch
> >of
> > > > terrorists.
-
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