[Malone LaVeigh]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?g=events/wl/102602iraqprotests&a=&tmpl=sl&ns=&l=&e=1&t=

Before y'all flame away at me, I certainly don't agree with a lot of stuff in this, especially from the MidEast. I also have reservations about protesting against the war at this time, though I remain opposed to it. But Americans need to know the full repercussions of our acts around the world.

[Sean Smith]

From the slide show...

http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20030407/s/1049721227.3825238101.jpg

http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20030405/lthumb.1049578808.russia_antiwar_iraq_war_mosb106.jpg

Nice crowd you're running with. I've never found pictures of people being idiots enlightening. :rolleyes:

[Malone LaVeigh]

I'll ignore the obligatory smear, and just say you homed in right on the images I found most disturbing. People are burning US flags all over the world.

[Carlos]

You sure picked one helluva place to say you're against the war. :)

Thanks for making me aware of the repercussions of our acts.

[Sean Smith]

If the "repercussions" consist of really stupid, repugnant people getting upset, I can live with that. In fact, making idiots upset is a good thing in my book. :D

[George Dickel]

What's new about foreigners burning american flags? They've been doing it for as long as I can remember and I'm 55 years old. Since day one of this country's existence some country has not liked us. And until the day this country ceases to exist there will be someone who hates us. You can't please everyone and I'm not worrying about trying to do so.

[MeekandMild]

But Americans need to know the full repercussions of our acts around the world. Personally, I'm still waiting for the lefties to become aware of the repercussions of their having trained three generations of folk to wait on the government to hand them everything they need for life. I'm still waiting for them to figure out that deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill to leave them to live under bridges and on steam grates is wrong. I'm still waiting for them to figure out that promiscuous sex hurts the fatherless children more tan it hurts the adults who die of social diseases. I'm still waiting for them to figure out that food stamps and food subsidies are a program to help the corporate farmers rather than the people. I'm still waiting for them to figure out that public housing helps the big construction corporations while it concentrates poor people away from opportunity and freedom.

Et cetera.

You don't fool me, Malone. :scrutiny:

[Malone LaVeigh]

You don't fool me, Malone.You're right, M&M, I guess it's timed I came clean. I'm actually a deep-cover KGB agent. Curses! Foiled again.
I'm still waiting for them to figure out that deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill to leave them to live under bridges and on steam grates is wrong.I can't speak to the rest of the country, but in California, the leftist who is responsible for that was Ronald Reagan.
I'm still waiting for them to figure out that promiscuous sex hurts the fatherless children more tan it hurts the adults who die of social diseases.You're confused. Social libertarianism is not the same as the "lefties" you're trying to criticize.

[Malone LaVeigh]

Oops, hit "submit" too fast.

I'm still waiting for them to figure out that food stamps and food subsidies are a program to help the corporate farmers rather than the people.I don't entirely agree with this, but you will be happy to know that is the exact position I've heard from radical leftists.
I'm still waiting for them to figure out that public housing helps the big construction corporations while it concentrates poor people away from opportunity and freedom.Welcome to reality. Civil rights leaders have been saying that for years.

[Sir Galahad]

My birds say thanks, Malone. I just printed up new liners for their cages.:D It's hard to tell the difference between pigeon droppings and the people in those pictures. :D

[DeltaElite]

The slide show simply shows that stupid, selfish, spoiled brats are a worldwide problem, not just an American one. :D

[Boats]

We're offending the irrelevant? How dare we?:evil:

[Ebbtide]

Why is it that most protesters seem to be under 25 years of age or part of some other organized Minority Group?

Reading those protest signs clearly illustrates (to me) how partisan this war is, and how desperate those on the fringe left are willing to degrade their integrity with a "win at all cost approach" . Their counter dictions to logic confuses me to the point I think I am trying to reason with a two year old.

For the record, I could have gone either way with this war (for it/against) but I must, to some degree, "trust" the fine people we put in power to make those decisions. Albiet blind trust in many respects, of which I don't like to do unless I'm in Church.

[Soap]

Commies are offended? Hmm...:cool:

[Preacherman]

Thanks for posting this, Malone. I don't agree with the protestors, but they have the right to their opinions, just as we have to ours.

And to those of you bashing Malone for posting this - please stop, NOW. This IS a warning - we do NOT permit individual attacks on our members. Disagree with an argument, certainly: provide a counter-argument, certainly: but DON'T bash another member personally, or there will be consequences.

If a member makes him- or herself so obnoxious that something has to be done, we moderators will do it, and have done so repeatedly in the past. Malone is NOT in that category at all: he is politely stating his opinion, and thereby providing us with the opportunity to debate issues that otherwise might not surface here. He's also doing so in the certain knowledge that his views will be opposed, but this hasn't stopped him from stepping out. Good on you, Malone!

[bfason]

Malone showed courage in voicing opposition to the war and in bringing to our attention the fierce anger and hatred that the invasion has engendered worldwide, especially in the Arab and Moslem worlds. Disagree if you must, but please do so respectfully, and just notice your tone. Remember, Malone is one of us. For all you know, some day Malone might be covering your 6.

I have already lost one long-time friend over differences in opion over the war. Actually, it wasn't the war itself, but the rude manner in which my former friend personally attacked me for articulating my view. His remarks were so hostile that I am no longer on speaking terms with him.

There were good reasons to not go to war, just as there were good reasons to think that war with Saddam was inevitable and necessary. Intelligent, honest, patriotic people disagree.

Re-read your post three times before you hit Submit Reply.

----------------------
"A well-educated citizenry being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and read book shall not be infringed."

"Hold on there, buddy, looks you got a lot of unregistred books there..."

[Feanaro]

I don't think we should take this sort of thing lightly. The Middle East is a boiling pot and we are standing underneath it, prodding it. If we aren't careful of how we poke said pot, we will be burned.

The Middle East already doesn't like us but if we don't toe the line the weekly suicide bombings in Israel may become a part of life here, too.

[westex]

Malone-You da man. I use to think the Oakland PO couldn't come in out of the rain. Now I know these folk know how to keep the peace. :cool:

I didn't look at all 285 photos but the first 80-90 look like a lot of the protesters were extras for "Planet of the Apes". If these are the people who have their panties in a twist then we're safe for a few hundred more years.

[rock jock]

I didn't look at all 285 photos but the first 80-90 look like a lot of the protesters were extras for "Planet of the Apes".
LOL!:D

Huh, I didn't see any pictures of the peace-loving protestors throwing rocks at the police and physically assaulting the drivers of SUV's. I guess those pics didn't make the cut.

[SIGarmed]

People have a right to free speech, but that doesn't mean what they say has any merit. I'd say a majority of those protestors are far left socialists and the fact that they are in other countries makes me care about them even less. Unfortunately they don't know what freedom is because they've never had it. They have been lulled into a state of ignorance bred by their respective nanny states.

They are irrelevant.

That goes with the majority of them in this country too. I also find them very disengenious. Their views are politically motivated. They can't get what they want at the ballot box so they collectively delude themselves into beleiving that maybe they can get it by assaulting the general public by cramming their views down our throats while we try to drive home from work. They do this even though it is obvious that most Americans don't view the world their way.

I read an article in a California newspaper regarding local protests stating that a large amount of these protestors aren't local residents. They go around creating a mess in someone elses backyard its no wonder locals and motorists are upset. "Bring our troops home!" they scream as in the vietnam conflict. Well our military is now an all volunteer force unlike during the vietnam era.

Their views are extreme to the point where they defy logic. This has really hurt their credibility. They act as if blind pacifism really works when we all know that it doesn't. They are on the same moral high ground as PETA. They make no sense.

Yes thank you Malone LaVeigh for shedding more light.

[jmbg29]

Remember, Malone is one of us. For all you know, some day Malone might be covering your 6. :confused: :confused: :confused: What are you talking about?

[Feanaro]

He is talking about the day the government does too far and there is a civil war. At least, so I guess...

[Gewehr98]

Remember, Malone is one of us. For all you know, some day Malone might be covering your 6.

Depends if he considers it to be a just cause, right? :rolleyes:

[OF]

Frankly, I could care less what the "Arab world/street" thinks about what we do any more. Playtime is over. If the whole UN disgrace leading up the war has shown us anything it is how utterly ridiculous this relativistic action-only-by-global-consensus crap is.

- Gabe

[cuchulainn]

1) What makes you think we (or Americans in general) are unaware of the protesters or their anger? Americans' opinions cannot change by learning about the protests or seeing pictures of them because, well, they do know about them and have seen pictures of them. Even rah-rah-Fox carried shots of that guy with rubber bullet wounds.



2) What do the protesters matter in terms of what the USA should do? If you support this war, it is because you think either that it is "the right thing" to do or that it is in the USA's best interest (or a combo of those).

A) If it is wrong that the war is "the right thing" (in our interest) then we should stop regardless of the protesters. Indeed, we should stop even if the world takes to the street singing our praises.

B) If it is correct that the war is "the right thing" (in our interest) then we should proceed regardless of world opinion.

The protesters are irrelevant to the correct course. They are "the mob," and the USA is not a democracy and thus shuns following the mob.



3) Recriminations? There are three possible recrimination from the feelings in those pictures: Economic, diplomatic, violent.

A) Economic. Those are not pictures of recriminations. They are pictures of feelings that may or may not turn into recriminations. Feelings fade, and the world needs our money more than it needs to stay angry with us. No hubris there, just the facts.

B) Diplomatic. See 2) -- we should do what is right (or stop doing what is wrong) regardless of the diplomatic hassles it causes.

C) Violent as in "We might cause terrorists to attack us." Well, will we avoid that through "more diplomacy"? Obviously not. They attacked us anyway. The terrorists will attack us regardless of who and when we engage in war. They proved that. We cannot avoid their crimes by modifying our behavior. Their threats of violence are thus irrelevant to whether we should wage war.

[KMKeller]

I for one am far less concerned with doing something to make other people like me than I am for doing what's right.

[OF]

Amen to that. Clinton-era leadership-by-poll is behind us, no more decision making based on the path of least resistance. Forward!

- Gabe

[bfason]

If we've turned Saddam into a hero in the Arab world, then that must be counted as a cost. If we've created a million Bin Ladens, then the cost of intervention starts to climb. If the anger in the Arab and Moslem worlds topples friendly governments in Morocco and Indonesia who have cooperated with us in the war on terrorism, then that's a serious downside. Just something to think about.

I always thought that the war against Saddam's regime would go quickly and, as wars go, easily. It's the post-Saddam reconstruction of Iraq that is fraught with dangers. Let's hope that the Bush Administration know what they are doing.

[cuchulainn]

Yes, there is a risk that there might be costs.

[DeltaElite]

Edited by moderator

[CMichael]

I think for now on the US should only make policy to make the people in the photos happy.

Thank you for bringing this to our attention Malone. I hope the government gets on it ASAP :rolleyes:

[Soap]

KMKeller- Well said.

[bfason]

I have no anti war friends, I don't hang around with such weak people.

I know one anti-war guy who is a retired Marien recon colonel and decorated veteran of three wars. If you met him, I guarantee you that the adjective "weak" is the last thing that would come to your mind.

[DeltaElite]

It appears that humor doesn't come to your mind either.
That's why there is a :neener: at the end. :D

[Don Gwinn]

That's an interesting philosophy, DE. Sort of like the people who don't have any friends who are cops, since they don't hang around with corrupt JBTs.

Since some of you don't seem to know what the word "warning" means, let me make it simple. If you attack other members, moderators MIGHT ask you nicely to stop. That is called a "warning." If you still don't stop, moderators might decide that The High Road is better off without you. This is almost always done with much regret that it could not be otherwise, but choices have consequences. Preacherman asked you nicely to stop attacking Malone. If you don't, some of you will not be coming back. It may already be too late for some of you.