Has everyone gone MAD!?!?

[Walker P. Boyle]

While doing the little I do to keep tabs on the "Real World" (for fear of becoming supremely depressed with the state of affairs in the world) I was floored at how INSANE everyone seems to be.

As a caveat, I'm a pacifist. I see no need and or reason for violence. War has solved nothing. Every war, even the "just wars" have done nothing but reek havoc on Humanity and give a temporary end to certain turmoils, while adding to so many others. Once the brief period of euphoria passes when the given war has subsided the bad blood which was brought to a simmer at the wars end begins to boil and reinvigorates the egomaniacal thought that "We" (whoever the "We" maybe) know what is best and can impose that will by force. Look at the Middle East for example there has been war in that area of the world for roughly 3,000 years and "We" the ever powerful, all knowing "super-power" of the US are attempting to impose our will on a culture we don't know or are even attempting to understand. Each side is playing into the apocalyptic vision the other holds to a tee...

Sorry for that rather long and rambling caveat.

NPR.org is where I get what little news I get these days (in most cases). A source I find as reliable as one can be given we only hear about 1/100 of the story of our world. What I read recently I found pretty ridiculous. The National Intelligence Estimate has stated that an imminent Al-Qaida (however they're spelling it these days) attack will happen in the next three years. Does anyone see something pretty convenient about that? Not in any conspiracy theory-esque way; although I am a quite paranoid kid.
One of the major concerns is that "international cooperation may wane as 9/11 becomes a more distant memory and perceptions of the threat diverge." And I say, "No Shit!" We've done nothing to help any situation. The only thing We (The United States and our Allies) have done is create a haven, and breeding ground for militant West hating people in Iraq. This was not the case prior to 2003, anymore so than it was when we left Saddam in power after the first Gulf War. The-Powers-that-Be wanted to implant "democracy," I add the quotes because it is again some perverse vision of democracy they promulgate toward their own ends, in a place that has never and does not want it. Not that we should allow grave injustices to run rampant, but who's place is it to run the world and impose their will on others, when obviously we have plenty of issues of our own. And I do not deny that we have it EASY, but what is the National Intelligence Estimate attempting to prove?
"Al-Qa'ida is and will remain the most serious terrorist threat to the Homeland." No SHIT! Does anyone realize, or remember, or care to know we are the reason Osama Bin Laden and people like him hate the West. During our country wide psychosis we remember as the Cold War, the CIA helped arm and train tribal groups in Afghanistan to protect themselves against Russia who was imposing itself on them from the North. I must admit I know little of the details, but once the Russians left so did the US. Leaving behind weapons and a country in shambles. Also a bunch of people who felt completely betrayed by a country they thought, and had been told was out to help, and did nothing but "protect the world from the spread of communism" meet their own ends and peace out. We've set ourself up for all this hatred sent out way. And is hatred and war the way to answer? I say NO! Gandhi forgave the man who shot him, Christ said turn the other cheek and Buddha, well Buddha was the man as well, I can't think of anything specifically but I know he was a pacifist, Ha.
An imminent attack in the next three years, sweet! Who knows we could get hit by some crazy meteor from space. They pass by more often then not. If it didn't end the world maybe it'd give us some sense of community knowing we were all going down together. Maybe the ice caps will melt and we'll all drown.
When will people start to realize it's not us against them, it's us against us man. I consider myself a pretty nuts person, but man, the logic of some folks today makes me wonder how much of a benefit the ability to think really is. When misused or informing it from only one side shit goes supremely array.

[820ambition]

key line in this post.... "When will people start to realize it's not us against them, it's us against us man."

We have one world. We have one human race. We've only got once chance. We're all here as one, we're all living here together, nobody knows any more or less, nobody is more powerful or more divine. Nobody has any more right to be here than anybody else. Who are we to police the world? How can we justify our actions, in the past and present? Where is the war going, and where is the war getting us?

And once we get there, does that mean terrorism won't continue? What are we trying to accomplish here and how good of a job are we really doing?

Are the values instilled throughout our country still accurate? Are we riding the Titanic with Bush at the helm?

[DJ Schro]

You think if a meteor hit us they would try to blame it on Al'Qa'ida? This war, if you would even call it that, has become out of sight and out of mind. People have become accustomed to and even ignorant to the fact that their are soldiers dying everyday in Iraq. It's a "War behind closed doors." 1/100th of the news if we are lucky. With no end in sight and no particular plan in place, we are our own worst enemy. Their (for lack of a better word) hate for our Western culture is growing day by day, and truthfully I empathize with them. Honestly, what do we actually know? "Mother Culture" has taught us a set of beliefs/values, that most people hold near and dear to their hearts. That is to say, people accept these "beliefs/values", live by them, and never reflect on them. If we were to reflect, maybe we'd begin to realize these often accepted values, are not actually THE Way. And at this point hopefully a change can be made. But if this doesn't happen soon, next 3 years soon, shits gonna go down. And we're all going to look at each other and say, "Wow, I never saw that coming."