Our World Today......

[jpaulson]

Hey gang,

After watching the news just now, the reality of our state of affairs is scary. I just watched our local news station show everyone how to make a "safe room"--duct tape, food, water, flashlights, batteries, radio, clothing, and plastic sheeting. It appears that war is not a "what if", but a "how soon".

As with many of you, I remember the "cold war". Watching "The Day After" with my family, preparing us for nuclear war. Remember the drills at school? Everyone going into a tunnel or something and sitting indian style, hands crossed, head down. It was scary then, but with time, we got through it.

First, it's Bin Laden. Now it's Saddam. Next, it's North Korea. All of this on an already hurting economy. What are your views on this? It is becoming more and more apparent that this will not blow over....this is real, guys..REAL.

I guess I wanted to just open up a general discussion on everyone's views, opinions, feelings, plans, etc.... I will be the first to admit that I am scared ...not for me, but for my children. What kind of future do they have? It seems that the U.S. is making more and more enemies, and getting involved in more world struggles. Once we get through this, (the pessimistic part of me has to say "if&quot, whats next? Will my children have to live in fear of terrorism the rest of thier lives? Will we get to a point when gas masks will be as common as book-bags? I really don't know.............

For all of those that believe in God, if you haven't prayed yet, you need to. And for those that just believe in a "higher being", pray to them as well.

This is really scary stuff, guys.......

_________________
As seen on a bumper sticker--"My snake ATE your honor roll student"

[herp_chick]

I agree, JP, 100%. and you're right, it's not myself I am afraid for, it's my children. You see new footage of people in 3rd world countries, kids 10 yrs old carrying UZI's, and I DO NOT want that to be my child. Those people have never known peace, and I'm not saying that makes it better, but we have had peace. I think it would be worse to have it and then lose it. I don't want my children to have to live in constant fear, to have no childhood memories that are totally full of Joy. I believe that instead of taking care of everyone else's problems, we should start worrying about the ones right here at home, in America. We send food overseas to people who are starving, and people are starving here everyday. Wesend medicines and money to 3rd world countries to prevent infant mortality rates, but children die here everyday. What about the homeless? The good old USA sure takes care of them, right? It's not that I do not have sympathy for all the 3rd world situations I just mentioned, but how can you take care of others if you can't take care of your own? And how long will it be before we are living like that? Who do you think would help us? NO ONE. Just my .02

[addsig]

[jpaulson]

We are STILL sending money to Japan for Nagasaki and Hiroshima!!!! So, should we go to war with someone, show them our superior strength, destroy them, THEN pay for them to re-build??!?!
[addsig]

[Ed_r]

We are way too kind. I hate the fact that we have to go to war only to give American lives, and then repay and rebuild for all the damage that the other country instigated in the first place. We feed and clothe everyone yet We are the evil ones. Yet everyone else that attacks as cowards end up being the heros. I wish we wouldnt pay for it. It almost seems that when these 3rd world countries get too run down, they think hey lets start with the US. We will get blown apart and lose some peasants, but the US will rebuild our country better than ever. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img]
[addsig]

[Billybob]

At my school, over the past week we had some exchange students from Austria come. My World History teacher had some of them come in to our class and share thier thoughts about this war from thier perspective. Its very clear that nobody from thier country wants a war, and thier parents and teachers were a little afraid to let them come down here.
[addsig]

[1sttimesnakeowner]

I really think this is a fake war. There ware way too many questions that need to be asked and no ones asking them. I am pro USA and I know Saddam is evil. I am wondering why Bush is (really) doing this.
[addsig]

[deadboy]

i second your opinion 1sttimer, i think this is a fake war. Now im sorry for all of you that think Bush is a great president but i personnaly think he is not a good president. He is too worried about oil. What do you think all this is about, it's about the oil. Now im sure there are other reason but i think that is the main issue. Plus i do not think that anyone will be able to reak all the havor that they claim on the US. I think that we would be able to forsee a major attack and somewhat stop it. I mean stuff might happen, but not a lot. This may sound stupid to all of you but it is my opinion.
[addsig]

[ChrisRezendes]

I found this little song online somewhere that really sums up my feelings on this whole matter. All I have to do now is sit and wait for all the hardcore Republicans to yell at me and call me a bleeding-heart liberal, which is pretty much anyone who disagrees with them.

Sung to "If you're happy and you know it"

If you cannot find Osama, bomb Iraq.
If the markets are a drama, bomb Iraq.
If the terrorists are frisky,
Pakistan is looking shifty,
North Korea is too risky,
Bomb Iraq.

If we have no allies with us, bomb Iraq.
If we think that someone's dissed us, bomb Iraq.
So to he(ck) with the inspections,
Let's look tough for the elections,
Close your mind and take directions,
Bomb Iraq.

It's pre-emptive non-aggression, bomb Iraq.
To prevent this mass destruction, bomb Iraq.
They've got weapons we can't see,
And that's all the proof we need,
If they're not there, they must be there,
Bomb Iraq.

If you never were elected, bomb Iraq.
If your mood is quite dejected, bomb Iraq.
If you think Saddam's gone mad,
With the weapons that he had,
And he tried to kill your dad,
Bomb Iraq.

If corporate fraud is growin', bomb Iraq.
If your ties to it are showin', bomb Iraq.
If your politics are sleazy,
And hiding that ain't easy,
And your manhood's getting queasy,
Bomb Iraq.

Fall in line and follow orders, bomb Iraq.
For our might knows not our borders, bomb Iraq.
Disagree? We'll call it treason,
Let's make war not love this season,
Even if we have no reason,
Bomb Iraq.
[addsig]

[1sttimesnakeowner]

I feel the same as the both of you. I voted for Bush.... I at one time was a Republican, no more. Put two parties in control and see what you get. Both are bad. Bush Sr. was the head of the CIA before he was vice pres with Ronnie like 1975. The things I have read about him and Bush Jr make me sick. Anyone got thier hands on H.R.3162???( USA PATRIOT ACT ) I havent read all of it. I have to put it down because I am so mad with what it states. You can do a look up on yahoo. Or look up on www.infowars.com I have more to say but I have to get going. We have to go site in a few of our guns for a hunt next month. Ill be back on tonight.
[addsig]

[schatzie001]

Hey, here's a quiz for all of us...How many times has a dictator proven to be benevolent, honest, forthcoming, ?

Um, lemme think, uh Hitler? No
How about Mussolini? No
How about Stalin? No
Castro possibly? No
Pol Pot? No
Saddam? NO

All the people listed above (this is only a partial list) were dictators who killed their own people for speaking out against them, committed atrocities against their OWN people. A dictator is never satisfied. If someone would have stood up to Hitler when he broke the Rhineland treaty, millions of lives would have been saved.

Sure, war is a scary thing. As a veteran, I know the fears our service men and women are facing. We have to all live with the fact that these terrorists want nothing more than to destroy our lives and make us afraid of our own shadows, just because we are Americans.

I for one am not going to let that happen. Sure, I will be more careful of my environment, and my eyes are open wider now but these freaks are not going to make me crawl into a hole.

I also agree that we spend too much helping other countries, just have to have them spit on us when things get hot. I don't need "Fair weather friends", and neither does America.

But if we are going to war, we all have to be strong and support our Country and our brave souls in the armed forces.

[addsig]

[1sttimesnakeowner]

But if we are going to war, we all have to be strong and support our Country and our brave souls in the armed forces.

No.... No we dont. Not on this war.... Hmmmm Support Bush you mean??? After hearing him speak differnet times and reading, hearing the news. NOT A CHANCE.

If we are not careful we'll have another cold war. If we the people of this great Country do not open our eyes we will lose so much! Too much is on the line for that. I have friends going into that war...... Will they come back? Maybe. If they dont, it was for oil, power, control?
Hmmmm lets rethink this.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I remember the "cold war". Watching "The Day After" with my family, preparing us for nuclear war. Remember the drills at school? Everyone going into a tunnel or something and sitting indian style, hands crossed, head down. It was scary then, but with time, we got through it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is no different of a time. History repeats itself.
[img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/img]
[addsig]

[NYCSpeedcore]

The one thing I see that some are missing, is that it does not matter if we want war or not, it's not up to us. Even if we back away what they end up wanting to do is what is going to happen. Let's say we decide we don't want war and walk away, is it going to take another few buildings to get us to wage war? I happen to live in NYC, and I see armed solders walking around the city streets and subways. It's a little weird to see guys in full camo guns at hand right next to you at dunkin dounuts... I am a little worried to be honest. I remember looking out my apartment and seeing the smoke from the twin towers, living in this city I know we are a prime target. The last thing I want is war, but at this point I do not know if it is avoidable. I don't know if the country will ever be the same, for once america is not going to be the dream world it has been for so long. Behind my parents house when walking the dog I saw armed guards cruiseing the woods because we live next to a resivor. In my mind they have succeded already, and fear things are going to get worse before they get better.
[addsig]

[Ed_r]

Chris I couldn't agree more, the song pretty much sums it up.

I for one can't stand Bush. Lets face it he is the first President ever elected that DID NOT have the majority of the popular vote, and the state that put him over the top is the one his brother is Governor of. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img]
He knows he will NEVER get re-elected on normal terms. Oh BTW the countries economy is not failing!!! Trust me the republican are making a TON of money right now. When we (the little people) get scared and sell all our stocks off at a huge loss, the Republicans buy it up as fast as we sell it. Then when we get sick of it and vote in a Democrat the common people's economy goes way up, and all the stock the Republicans bought up is now worth 50 times what they bought it for. The republicans then gladly sell it off to the common people to let them make a little bit of money, so we can fund the Republicans next run. Who says the Civil War is OVER. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/img]
I agree Sadam is a total whack job. But its our own fault. He gets a bug up his rump , we go drop some bombs on him, it's a game. Now Georgie boy wants to be the hero saying in not so many words that he wants to take over Iraq. Yes we all know its for the oil, after all it was his life before the politics game. He lost a ton of money in the Enron Scam so it's time to build his retirement back up.
Not sure what the true answer is. Do you take over all your enemies, and make them see things your way, but still have them hate you that you changed their lives? Or do you leave them alone and let them live their psychotic lives and ideas. We have militant groups right here in the US that we cant control, what makes them think they can control anything overseas?
Sometimes I think its time we took all our money out of the failing countries. Yes trust me I'm sure we have money in Iraq and N.Korea and such, and let them see where they would be without our support. You spit on me? Hmmm ok well we don't HAVE to help fund your nation, so we will let you fend for yourself.


_________________
Don't forget REPTILE FEST!!! April 5th and 6th 2003 at the UIC Chicago campus. http://chicagoherp.org/fest/main.htm

[najaboy]

As they say, "Rhose who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it." Saddam's utter disregard for in fulfilling his obligations are comparable to Hitler's contempt for the Versailles Treaty. In Hitler's case, the international community looked the other way.

Is it acceptable that Iraq continue to develop and hide NBC weapons? Is it okay that US & British airmen are fired upon by Iraq on an almost daily basis? Is it okay that Saddam subsidizes terrorism?

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font class="pn-sub">Quote:</font><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT class="pn-sub"><BLOCKQUOTE>Lets face it he is the first President ever elected that DID NOT have the majority of the popular vote </BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>
Ed, Ed, Ed, I'm hoping that you don't actually believe that lie?

Fact: John Quincy Adams received less than a third of the popular vote
Fact: Abraham Lincoln received 40% of the popular vote
Fact: Rutherford B. Hayes received 48% of the popular vote
Fact: Grover Cleveland received 46% of the popular vote
Fact: Benajamin Harrison lost the popular vote.
Fact: Woodrow Wilson received 45% of the popular vote
Fact: Harry Truman received less than half of the popular vote
Fact: Bill Klinton did not have a majority in either the 1992 or 1996 elections

Now, if you meant that he was the first POTUS ever elected that did not receive more popular votes than his opposition, you would also be mistaken. In 1824, Andrew Jackson carried not only the most popular votes, but the most electoral votes. John Quincy Adams won the presidency.

In 1876, Samuel Tilden led Rutheford Hayes substantially in the popular vote. Hayes won the presidency.

In 1888, Benjamin Harrison beat incumbent Grover Cleveland, despite trailing Cleveland in popular votes.

_________________
What part of &quot;shall not be infringed&quot; do you not understand?