OK.. time out folks!
I am locking this thread for the remainder of the afternoon. This is not aimed at any one person but I suspect that heat is forming and I want to let the pressure out. I WILLunlock it later in the day (when I return from my chores) and will hope that fevers will have cooled.
DO NOT start this debate in another thread - it's against site AUP and will bring a ban to the person/s involved.
I have returned and, as promised, unlocked this thread.
Please bear in mind that the thread WILL be locked again if personal abuse continues. All the Mods are watching this debate very closely and the first time abuse is offered a ban will come about.
Healthy debate is good for the intellect and for society - name calling is totally useless.
I did not want to poke my oar in here but have just seen this >>>>>>>
Click to read it
Ladies please read and be proud of you gender.
Phredd (ex RAMC and proud of her)
I read that article in the paper and was very moved by her bravery.
As a Buddhist I am aposed to war, but if only life were that simple. In my own personal opinion these things are far from black and white and I am positive that our 'enemies' feel as justified in their beliefs/reasons/motives as we do in ours.
As I said I am against war as a response (for varied and lengthy reasons) but I admire and think about those who are in our armed forces and have the courage to do the things they do and to risk their lives everyday for what they believe is right - for you and for me.
I come from a family where several close relatives who were (and a couple who still are) in the Royal Marines. From talking with them, usually late at night after a few glasses of wine, we get on to the subject of their last posting or current afairs etc. Anyway what I am trying to say here is that through talking to them I have always noticed that it's not something they do lightly, they do it because they feel patriotic, feel like they want to make a difference and to help people at home and abroad.
This is never going to be a perfect world and we won't always agree on each others point of view, but getting angry and trying to vent our anger against each other over this very emotive subject is perhaps what our 'enemies' would want.
We have just come back from the States and whilst over there on the newas they predicted an attack on a plane! We were not very amused but what can you do?
We have been to the U S a number of times but arent looking to go back in the forseeable future!!!
The bottom line is there are too many nutters out there and a plane makes an easy target for them so we, sadly, think its only a matter of time before one is brought down.
Mr & Mrs goodtimez
I heard on the news ealier that at airports massive queues are forming and its taking 4 times as long to check people in,they say its because of the proper checks they need to do but it makes me wonder how good the normal checking system was if it only took a 1/4 of the time.
I remember my hubby going to new york a month after 9/11 and he said the checks were the best he had ever been through but then we went a year later and they seemed to be more relaxed, Maybe it should always be that non essential items should be put in the hold and not taken on as hand luggage.
If we take the stance that all war is wrong and we should keep out of it unless it lands on our doorstep opens the front door and shouts "surprise!" - should we have allowed 100's of 1000's more Jews be killed during the 40's (and no doubt to this day or to the completion of their elimination)? After all, Mr H had not set foot on our great shores had he?
Some wars are wrong.
Some wars are difficult to understand the complexity of, when on the face of it, it seems just to be about money or land or oil.
Some wars we may well at lease be able to apply moral values to in-part justify the actions - if they take out a bastard who is committing genocide.
To make broad and blanket statements that 'all war is wrong' lacks some thought IMO.
To suggest that our troops should have decided not to go and refused to fight is plain ignorant. The day our troops ignore their orders and make their own minds up as to what they will or will not do is the day we either have a military coo and find ourselves under a much less fair governing system or we have no armed forces.
There are countries that would like to see Israel obliterated even long before their war with Lebanon.....Israel will never be able to talk even if they found peace with Palestine, to these countries,they just don't want to know....Does Israel have the right to defend its self by whatever means nessessary?
Jags, I would ask you not to lock this thread.
The more we talk about a subject the more we understand it.
We in the west are lucky because we have access to the free media and we can form our own views.
Imagine living in a poor country with no access to free media and the rulers of that country telling you what is true, in the end you will belive them.
Terrorisism works, you only have to look at the IRA/PIRA/PLO to see that.
Wether you agree with it depends on who's side you are on.
The man who has stood outside the houses of parliment for the last five years has made no difference to goverment policy, however, if he was blowing people up, the goverment would have taken notice.
As long as human beings walk the face of this planet, we will kill each other.
I would also ask people to respect the armed forces, they have to do what the goverment tell them to do.
"For those that have fought for it, freedom has a taste the protected will never know".
There is no such thing as unbiased media.
.
:banghead:
:rotflmao: :rotflmao: 