LOL…Scanmead, I understand and I’m sorry. I really wasn’t lumping “YOU” per say as a left-winger in particular. My comments are directed to the wider range generally those at both extremes from the political center be it liberals, left-wing liberals or conservatives and right-wing conservatives. But from the read here there seems to be no response from the conservative sector and the majority partaking in the discussion are either liberal or left-wing oriented so my comments encompass that scope in general. I’m not saying that it’s a bad thing either way but from my stand point it makes more sense to apply even temperance towards either the left or the right since most Americans (75-80% by stats) fall somewhere in between and this is why I’m an Independent. I too will be disengaging from posting after this post.

 

With time one is able to pick up the jargon of either side and see immediately where a person falls within the ideological spectrum. There are certain key wards, jargon, arguments or rhetoric often called political jingoism, which are indicative and recognizable and tall-telling of a person’s political stand.

 

When I was in college I attended a course on “Media and advertising” in which the students were to view television advertisements and had to pin point what the sponsor was selling and how they were doing it within its allotted 30 seconds. Now I think most people have been subject to some similar course or courses to varying degrees and know what I’m talking about. The most often used motivator was always sex by about 75% of the time in one form or another. This came in handy later when studying political science and logistics, in particular when using logistics and truisms. The professor was politically motivated and often made his logistical examples using politics. “My aunt is fat therefore all aunts are fat”, “Who’s buried in Grant’s tomb?”…that sort of thing to be simplistic.

 

Allibaba, yes, I agree that as the world becomes increasingly more depleted in natural resources the more wars there will be unless nations decide either to share or discover alternative means for the same ends. Be it water, food or fuel.

 

Early in history the Middle Eastern countries Mesopotamia, Syria, Babylonia, Phoenicia, and those in Northern Africa…generally those nations considered the cradle of civilization contributed greatly to human history and civilization. The foundations of many natural sciences, art and philosophy have largely been thought to have originated there, mathematics, medicine, astronomy, music to name a few.

 

In modern times the governments of many of those nations have decided long ago to keep the riches for the ruling class (much royal bounty has been spent frivolously) and not pass on the riches of their natural resources to their citizens, therefore impoverishing them.

 

I dread and fear that as the western nations learn and discover alternative means of fuel supplies the Middle East will no longer enjoy the wealth it now enjoys from governing the oil supplies other than by oil by-products. It should not be forgotten that many countries enjoy their own natural resources and the United States is still considered the bread basket of the world and currently enjoys the privilege of feeding many in the world. Most modern Middle Eastern wars are fought over territory or religion. I can only imagine the wars if it ever came to food, water or medicine.

 

Tom:

 

“With all due respect... this is the problem,,,   Judging something unseeing”

 

Tom, you again jump the gun. I said:

 

“If it’s left-wing or right-wing propaganda, I don’t want to waste my time with it.”

 

Operative word being “IF”

 

“BTW..  You think you are not tainted with some propaganda?”

 

That’s the point, I know propaganda when I see it and really have no great hunger to have it spoon-fed to me by anyone. And I would be more than happy to meet with you anytime...but mind you...I drink tea and whiskey! ;)

 

Silverblade, as I said before; “I take issue when natural tragedies are compared to wanton terrorist massacres of innocent people.”

 

Do I really have to discern the difference between natural disasters and human made catastrophes to you? If you live in the modern world more than likely you will have to drive a car. When you drive a car you incur the possibility of being involved in an accident. Insurance companies make their living evaluating these probabilities and charge you accordingly. Same is true when you smoke, take an airplane flight, drink alcohol, do drugs or any number of things that humans decide they want to do with their freedoms.

 

If you decide you want to shot someone because he stole your girlfriend or because you wanted his money or just because you didn’t like him or her, that’s a criminal act. This is an individual act, you will have to answer accordingly for your crime.

 

Terrorism is an act of war by an anarchist group or person not officially recognized by any official government elected by its people against an innocent society for the sole purpose of making a statement. Thus this is an act of war and not a crime!

 

“How many folk have you know, killed by terrorism?”

 

Well, you must be new here. I lost 21 work colleagues and a 40 year old widow cousin whose four young children had to be transplanted within the family after the tragedy. We had two memorials her and several for my colleagues. The first immediately after the attack when she didn’t come home and the second 6 months later when a positive DNA identification was made from a couple strands of hair and a bit of her tooth was discovered. I will never forget her or those wonderful people I had the pleasure to work with throughout my career.

 

I myself was within yards of the attack, felt the intensity of the second plane’s resultant fireball blast on my face and suffered several effects; respiratory and short term emotional and psychological effects from watching live people falling to their deaths and I sometimes still wake up feeling like I’m running for my life amongst the falling ash.

 

So yes, if you weren’t involved, you tend to care less. If you were involved and/or you can truly empathize then you might have a better grasp of what actually transpired. It’s like watching an accident on news TV you can say “oh gee that’s terrible!” or you could have been involved in the accident and fully realize the impact on you and your family. I realize the impact for my American society since it wasn’t an accident but a wanton act of terror on the innocent and totally unexpected on that fine September day.

 

I thank all of you for participating. I will be disengaging so as not to garner anymore disdain and hope that this post served to be as educational to you as it was to me.

 

Quest