Car bomb explodes at Glasgow airport. Flights cancelled.

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

I think the idea that terrorists are uneducated comes from the Palastinian suicide bombers who, according to many reports I've heard, are indoctrinated from poor Palastinian families with promises of untold pleasures after death.

The terrorists in the sleeper cells and so on are a different breed. Highly intelligent so they can aquire the skills to enable them to blend into other foreign societies.

It just seems such a waste. To spend all that time to become doctors, and the world needs more doctors, only to throw away all the potential healing and good that could have been done.

I'm sure we've all met people who have university degrees dripping off their arms and yet appear to be the stupidest knobs in the world.

Every society has them, including our own.

Cowperson

[Burninator]

Originally Posted by Cowperson

I'm sure we've all met people who have university degrees dripping off their arms and yet appear to be the stupidest knobs in the world.

Every society has them, including our own.

Cowperson

Right. But our society (or any other for that matter) doesn't have university educated people flying planes into buildings or blowing themselves up at nearly the same magnitude. Outside of the occasional nut job in our society that goes crazy and is highly educated there is way more of the same highly educated Islamics that are blowing them selves up for the same cause. I wouldn't attribute this to something that happens in every society, because from what I can see, it doesn't.

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by Burninator

I wouldn't attribute this to something that happens in every society, because from what I can see, it doesn't.

I, uh, didn't say it did.

Brainwashing is the critical factor, not education.

Was Bushido a religion? It was a way of life - as the more fanatical brands of Islam might be described as a way of life rather than just an organized religion - that led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Japanese in suicidal attacks in WWII.

Cowperson

[Jayems]

I don't get it... why does this POS get his image blurred out?

By the way bud, Worst Suicide Bomber EVER!

You fail. No virgins for you!

[HOZ]

Here is an article from John Robson on the subject. We are fighting and idea. Not poverty.

As students of history know, John Maynard Keynes was right that "soon or late, it is ideas, not vested interests, which are dangerous for good and evil." It's why doctors try to bomb nightclubs and airports. Clearly.

*******

Not everyone gets it. At a Wednesday press conference, NDP leader Jack Layton said we should label civilian casualties in Afghanistan "unacceptable," distance ourselves from the Bush administration, withdraw our troops and initiate a "comprehensive peace process" because "nobody could advance the idea that there's a military solution ultimately in Afghanistan."
Since the Taliban see an obvious military solution, shooting their way back into power and killing everybody who taught girls, I asked him: "When you talk about your comprehensive peace process, what's the offer to the Taliban?" Mr. Layton blithered that "Students of history will know that all major conflicts are resolved ultimately through peace-oriented discussions ..."

Unfortunately for him I am a student of history with three university degrees in the subject from two different countries, so I said: "And by the armies marching into Berlin and an atomic bomb dropped on Japan. That's how World War II ended and students of history know that." He responded: "Well I beg to differ that if you study the precise processes that took place most of the conflicts in the world you'll see that there are always negotiations that take place. And that's what needs to happen here."

And in a kind of a related way, from Andrew Sullivan's view on Live Earth

[LIP MAN]

I have never gotten the notion that dropping an atomic bomb on civilians was the right thing to do. I've had many discussions about it (with people with history backgrounds) It's been debated as to which battles were most key in World War 2 (D day was "overrated" as a key IMHO)

With that being said I lean towards the left, but agree with the War in Afghanistan. Iraq was unneccessary and I always felt that way but Afghanistan is in need of a change, although really outside of Kabul it is soooo difficult to maintain some stability. History has definitely shown us that.

[Jayems]

Originally Posted by HOZ

Here is an article from John Robson on the subject. We are fighting and idea. Not poverty.

As students of history know, John Maynard Keynes was right that "soon or late, it is ideas, not vested interests, which are dangerous for good and evil." It's why doctors try to bomb nightclubs and airports. Clearly.

*******

Not everyone gets it. At a Wednesday press conference, NDP leader Jack Layton said we should label civilian casualties in Afghanistan "unacceptable," distance ourselves from the Bush administration, withdraw our troops and initiate a "comprehensive peace process" because "nobody could advance the idea that there's a military solution ultimately in Afghanistan."
Since the Taliban see an obvious military solution, shooting their way back into power and killing everybody who taught girls, I asked him: "When you talk about your comprehensive peace process, what's the offer to the Taliban?" Mr. Layton blithered that "Students of history will know that all major conflicts are resolved ultimately through peace-oriented discussions ..."

Unfortunately for him I am a student of history with three university degrees in the subject from two different countries, so I said: "And by the armies marching into Berlin and an atomic bomb dropped on Japan. That's how World War II ended and students of history know that." He responded: "Well I beg to differ that if you study the precise processes that took place most of the conflicts in the world you'll see that there are always negotiations that take place. And that's what needs to happen here."

And in a kind of a related way, from Andrew Sullivan's view on Live Earth

Good article. I enjoyed it.