This is how to deal with terrorists....

Stop with the name-calling and sniping at each other.
Now.

Originally posted by GradyPhilpott

Originally posted by upuaut
I don't know how smart I am in any absolute sense, but I'm obviously too smart for you since you couldn't address any of my points and instead saw fit to make an inane comment about medication...

My Dear Friend

In an absolute sense, only 1% of the population is smarter than me, but that is immaterial since smarts in the absolute sense is not what gets us through life.

Smarts are only immaterial in the sense that they aren't helping you respond to my post. To do so, you need the will, and the will seems lacking.
I don't have any respect for people who blabber about others being wrong, but are incapable of even beginning to articulate how or why.

Your problem is that your facts are all wrong and you haven't yet seen enough of life. I simply can't spend all my time beating a dead horse.

Which facts are wrong, and how does any factual error on my behalf invalidate my position? I will soon tire of babysitting you through this debate: productive discussion can only take place if both sides are willing to follow this simple standard operating procedure.

I haven't learned all I need to learn and life has much in store for me. If you are lucky, when you are my age, you will be able to say the same thing. If you do reach my age, it will, in all likelihood, be because of the likes of me.

I haven't seen enough of life, and now, I am assumed to be younger than you. I think you will find it hard to defend yourself against the accusation of thinking you know more than you do. Because demonstrably, you do not know my age.

*sigh*

U.

[edit on 14-8-2004 by upuaut]

[edit on 14-8-2004 by upuaut]

[roughly translated, the statement was "I think I am right and you are not well informed."]

[edit on 15-8-2004 by Byrd]

Originally posted by Deadallready
I have served in the Army and I have was part of the first TSA screeners at Regan National Airport where I was rated as the Top screener for stopping bombs and prohibited items. Most of the bombs were fake but, every time you are on a machine you will see one or more. I once caught a blasting cap in a bag. It was live and that is very hard to spot. I was also raised a military Brat and during Vietnam I lived in Japan among other posts. I come from a family that has two recentlty retired Generals with 5 stars among them. What have you done, Punk!

Excuse me? I seem to be one of the few people who actually bothers to provide a meaning profile. You may click that button, at any time.

Originally posted by upuaut
...you need the will, and the will seems lacking.

I thought I explained that already. I'm not responding because you are not listening to me. You hit the quote button and preach. I don't owe you anything. Read my posts. Thank you.

Originally posted by GradyPhilpott

Originally posted by upuaut
...you need the will, and the will seems lacking.

I thought I explained that already. I'm not responding because you are not listening to me. You hit the quote button and preach. I don't owe you anything. Read my posts. Thank you.

On the contrary, I have quoted you and responded specifically to each quote. In contrast, the only answers I have had from you are mocking and evasive. Who is not listening to who?

You don't owe me anything, that is right. Do you owe anything to your country? Just be aware that you are embodying, in a public forum, precisely the type of attitude the world hates: an arrogant self-assurance that puts itself above questioning or reason. You do our country a disservice by feeding this stereotype.

Semper fidelis... to what? To your own glorified self-image? No, well prove me wrong and respond to my points.

U.

Originally posted by upuaut

Originally posted by GradyPhilpott

Originally posted by upuaut
...you need the will, and the will seems lacking.

I thought I explained that already. I'm not responding because you are not listening to me. You hit the quote button and preach. I don't owe you anything. Read my posts. Thank you.

On the contrary, I have quoted you and responded specifically to each quote. In contrast, the only answers I have had from you are mocking and evasive. Who is not listening to who?

You don't owe me anything, that is right. Do you owe anything to your country? Just be aware that you are embodying, in a public forum, precisely the type of attitude the world hates: an arrogant self-assurance that puts itself above questioning or reason. You do our country a disservice by feeding this stereotype.

Semper fidelis... to what? To your own glorified self-image? No, well prove me wrong and respond to my points.

U.

U.

Don't you understand that I am not going to give in to your heckling. If you want to know me and my allegiances, why don't you click on my profile and seek out my posts. You may then learn about my values, my history, and what have you, as I do my best to present myself honestly.

I am firm in my convictions, because I have come by them honestly. I will not be swayed by the shallow and the fashionable because I have taken that route before.

You are attacking me and calling me names because you think that I am as weak as you and because you are not comfortable with your own beliefs. If you were strong and held your convictions strongly you would not be concerned with me at all and you certainly would not be on the offensive.

If you care to enumerate your convictions to the board, your doing so is not contingent upon my participation. If when you know enough about me to understand me for who I am and what I have experienced in life, then you may approach me respectfully and I might consider a discussion with you, but if I were you, I would not hold my breath.

I do not care what you think of me, for I know who I am. I also know that those who know me, respect me. I have not always lived a very good life, but much of it has been given in the service of others. I do not need strangers to validate my life.

Thank you.

Originally posted by GradyPhilpott
Don't you understand that I am not going to give in to your heckling.

Oh, so now my attempts to hold a focused, on topic debate with you has become 'heckling' ? What next ? I expect you to back up your posts to this thread with analysis and demonstration, and that will no doubt qualify as harrasment in your bizarre book....

If you want to know me and my allegiances, why don't you click on my profile and seek out my posts. You may then learn about my values, my history, and what have you, as I do my best to present myself honestly.

I am firm in my convictions, because I have come by them honestly. I will not be swayed by the shallow and the fashionable because I have taken that route before.

*groan*
This isn't about you. This is about the topic of the thread. You exhibit another evasive tactic now, trying to pretend I have made this about you. All I want is for you to confront the reactions you have received to your posts on this thread with reason, or *gasp* admit that some of your positions are misguided...
Beyond the topic of this thread, I am not really all that interested in you and your allegiances.

You are attacking me and calling me names because you think that I am as weak as you and because you are not comfortable with your own beliefs. If you were strong and held your convictions strongly you would not be concerned with me at all and you certainly would not be on the offensive.

Not much to respond to this. I am not attacking you or calling you names. I am drawing the conclusions that beg to be drawn from your inability to debate this topic, and your demonstrated propensity to try to belittle those who try to debate you rationally by calling them mentally ill, or under-aged. Even if I felt so-inlcined, I would not need to attack you: your debating tactics smear you more than I ever could.

If you care to enumerate your convictions to the board, your doing so is not contingent upon my participation. If when you know enough about me to understand me for who I am and what I have experienced in life, then you may approach me respectfully and I might consider a discussion with you, but if I were you, I would not hold my breath.

What is it with all the red herrings? The situation is simple: either you are prepared to rationally defend your words on this thread, or you aren't. No smoke screen or diversion will detract from the fact that you are trying to make excuses for not being able to deconstruct my position.
Far from holding my breath for you to climb down from your imaginary throne and discuss this thread's topic with me, I don't expect you will because, as I have said, everything points to you desperately avoiding such action because reason will reveal your position as without merit.
I have shown you far more respect than you have shown me, so this latest attempt at an excuse to not debate me is a poor effort.

I do not care what you think of me, for I know who I am.

Good for you. Interesting you felt the need to type such a thing.

I also know that those who know me, respect me. I have not always lived a very good life, but much of it has been given in the service of others. I do not need strangers to validate my life.

A very healthy attitude. However, this is not about you, nor is it about validating your life: reread the topic of the thread and the point by point response I posted to you on this topic, and which has so far attracted only evasion and haughtiness from you.



U.

They way I see it, what we have here are forward thinking young people trying educate a 55 yearold Vietnam veteran, university graduate and MENSA member about the fact that, among other things, Iraq had nothing to do with 911.

If your bio is true, then I'd say you should have the benefit of good judgement to see through the propaganda. Yet here we are with a veteran, of perhaps the most morally unjust war of the last 50 years, advocating the misguided act of sending young people to fight and die for reprehensible reasons.

I live in hope that one day, the likes of your warmongering generation will fade out, and make way for young, fresh and innovative thinkers who move forward with the momentum of change. Who exercise intelligence when formulating response to threat and understand completely that force should always be used as a last resort.

One day your vociferous mentality will die, we will bury it, and forget.

[edit on 15-8-2004 by cargo]

Originally posted by cargo
I live in hope that one day, the likes of your warmongering generation will fade out, and make way for young, fresh and innovative thinkers who move forward with the momentum of change. Who exercise intelligence when formulating response to threat and understand completely that force should always be used as a last resort.
[edit on 15-8-2004 by cargo]

Amen to that.

U.

Originally posted by upuaut

Originally posted by shoo
That was just sweet! This is our holy war and needs to be fought like a war!
Nuff stupid stuff said!

Holy War?
Are you some kind of fanatic?

I guess it is a way of the world that like elements from different extremes, such as yourself and Islamic fundamentalists, seek each other out and neutralize each other. Try not to harm too many innocent people in the process, is all I have to say.

And if you see an Iraqi 6 year old torn limb to limb by the explosion of an American bomb, with your own eyes, and realize the folly of your pursuit, come tell us about it on ATS.

Oh my god! HOW I HATE TO EXPLAIN STUPID PEOPLE MY POSTS.

So, I will explain my post now little man:

On the first page we had a lot of dumb "yea, superb video!"-comments. Also this one:

That was just sweet! This is a war and needs to be fought like a war.
Nuff Said!

Which I took and wrote it from a similar position but this time from a muslims extremists view with a link to a 9/11 video instead of the one out of Falluja:

That was just sweet! This is our holy war and needs to be fought like a war! Nuff stupid stuff said!

(didn't you get it when you have read "nuff stupid stuff said!"???!)

And now, specially for you. The reason:
To show up how sick those comments had been and to give the people an impression that this way of thinking is the same low level humanity as terrorists apply.

Got it? Jesus, Jesus.

Originally posted by shoo

Originally posted by upuaut

Originally posted by shoo
That was just sweet! This is our holy war and needs to be fought like a war!
Nuff stupid stuff said!

Holy War?
Are you some kind of fanatic?

I guess it is a way of the world that like elements from different extremes, such as yourself and Islamic fundamentalists, seek each other out and neutralize each other. Try not to harm too many innocent people in the process, is all I have to say.

And if you see an Iraqi 6 year old torn limb to limb by the explosion of an American bomb, with your own eyes, and realize the folly of your pursuit, come tell us about it on ATS.

Oh my god! HOW I HATE TO EXPLAIN STUPID PEOPLE MY POSTS.

So, I will explain my post now little man:

On the first page we had a lot of dumb "yea, superb video!"-comments. Also this one:

That was just sweet! This is a war and needs to be fought like a war.
Nuff Said!

Which I took and wrote it from a similar position but this time from a muslims extremists view with a link to a 9/11 video instead of the one out of Falluja:

That was just sweet! This is our holy war and needs to be fought like a war! Nuff stupid stuff said!

(didn't you get it when you have read "nuff stupid stuff said!"???!)

And now, specially for you. The reason:
To show up how sick those comments had been and to give the people an impression that this way of thinking is the same low level humanity as terrorists apply.

Got it? Jesus, Jesus.

Yes, I got it.
But it was difficult because your explanation was almost drowned in an avalanche of condescension. You and I agree about the the revolting comments made on this thread by people rejoicing over acts of war. What it seems we don't agree upon is that to err is human, and I just had a human moment. It costs me nothing to recognize it.
Can you recognize you went way overboard in condescension and venom over such an innocent misunderstanding, I wonder...

Stay well,
U.

the sad fact is that the group of men seen oblitorated in that film have no possible way of affecting our homeland security. think about it....how can a group of men armed with AK's threaten the United States when they are thousands of miles away? they were simply standing up to the occupiers who desecrated their home. it is sad because they have faith in what they are fighting for, they have a clear idea of who and what they are fighting. in their eyes we are the most evil entity to grace this wonderful planet. i am affraid we have lost our way as a decent moraly obligated country. we are more concerned with what tune our cell phone makes, then what kind of objections people have to our occupation of a struggling, terrorfyingly violent, overwhelmingly anti-american country. you can label saddam all you want, the men killed in the video had no affiliation with him. so why did we blow them up? because we can~! our technoligal supiriority will grant us unlimited wealth as we are able to rape and pillage every facet of the globe, all to maintain our vast library of automobiles and fancy resturaunts. i do not see how any american can sleep well know there is a kid in iraq peeling his dads remains off the wall of his elementary school...

as for those of you who cant stop arguing, please take each others words with a grain of salt. other wise you are simply 5 year olds with extended vocabularies.



[edit on 15-8-2004 by sturod84]

[edit on 16-8-2004 by sturod84]

We cheer when they die, they cheer when we die.

Who cheers when we wipe ourselfs off the face of the planet?

Violence will not solve problems without creating new ones, someones got to turn the other cheek and negotiate.

Originally posted by cargo
If your bio is true, then I'd say you should have the benefit of good judgement to see through the propaganda. Yet here we are with a veteran, of perhaps the most morally unjust war of the last 50 years, advocating the misguided act of sending young people to fight and die for reprehensible reasons.
[edit on 15-8-2004 by cargo]

You see cargo, you just haven't been around long enough or put enough time into studying you perspectives to really understand what is going on. Why was the war in Vietnam unjust. The global expansion of communism was the largest threat to our way of life and the US was in a treaty to protect its members, SEATO. It would have been unjust to ignore that threat. To understand the cost of communism, read The Little Black Book of Communism. Failing that, get to know some of the Vietnamese in your community and ask them about living under communism.

You live in hope that my generation will die out? Have no fear, my friend, that is the reality of life. Then you will be left to fend for your own liberty. You have my blessing.

And might you consider that having lived 55 years and acquired an advanced education that I might have actually learned something and that your "forward thinking" is not as forward as you might think? Might you consider that I once was as deluded as you and that through the process of experience and education, I might have come to the views I now hold?

Naw. Why learn from those who've gone before? Life's lessons are better learned the hard way.

[edit on 04/8/15 by GradyPhilpott]

Originally posted by GradyPhilpott
Why was the war in Vietnam unjust. The global expansion of communism was the largest threat to our way of life and the US was in a treaty to protect its members, SEATO. It would have been unjust to ignore that threat. To understand the cost of communism, read The Little Black Book of Communism. Failing that, get to know some of the Vietnamese in your community and ask them about living under communism.

So what if Communism was bad to live under. It still doesn't give a country the right to go in and say 'we'll whoop their god damn behinds' then bomb the country for years and destory forests.

Wouldn't the global expansion of our way of life be a huge threat to others if they saw it as being 'wrong'?

Who decides whether our way of life or Communism is better?



[edit on 15/8/04 by Hyperen]

Originally posted by Hyperen

So what if Communism was bad to live under. It still doesn't give a country the right to go in and say 'we'll whoop their god damn behinds' then bomb the country for years and destory forests.

The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization gave us the right and the obligation to defend all members against aggression. You might also not that Australia, S. Korea, and New Zealand provided troops during the war in Vietnam.



[edit on 04/8/15 by GradyPhilpott]

Originally posted by W411Eddie
I don't know what I find more disturbing that video or everyone on this THREAD's reaction to it.. I don't see how anyone can not find that video disturbing/sick at some extent.

The 9/11 video is still very disturbing because of these crazy bastards that did it.. but we are suppose to be the U.S.A and we aren't suppose to BOMB a group of people running or are we?

When a group of people are on their way to kill U.S. troops, coalition troops and Iraqi police officers, they need to be bombed. In fact I hope they went back and destroyed the damn safe house.

Originally posted by flashburn
When a group of people are on their way to kill U.S. troops, coalition troops and Iraqi police officers, they need to be bombed. In fact I hope they went back and destroyed the damn safe house.

Try and look at it the other way. They are fighting against what they see as invaders, occupiers, conquerors.

What they are depends on your opinion but they see them as that; conquerors who have taken over their country.

What would you do if a country came and took over your country? - And they were there saying they were going to change your regime to what they see as the best system.

[edit on 15/8/04 by Hyperen]