http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/e...on/4659093.stm :(
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It really sucks!
Yesterday we heard we were going to host the 2012 Olympics and I hoped this would start the process of rebuilding our international relations. Now we will become as crazed as certain other countries, and in the process alienate ourselves more.
I don't agree with terrorism, it's definitely wrong, but I am aware they we in the west have made ourselves targets for such acts by constantly annoying other countries.
It's Karma!
What a total and utter bummer! I feel sorry for the people and the families that have been screwed by this, and also the people who felt the need to do it in the first place.
I guess we've just got to wait and see what happens next. I get the feelign that I will be having my ID card through the post sooner rather than later!
Tim...
"we in the west have made ourselves targets for such acts by constantly annoying other countries."
Can you elaborate please
WTF are you talking about?? What little you know about what your country does for others.Quote:
Originally Posted by TimHall
Well, we have this habit of poking our noses in other peoples affairs if we think they will affect our economies. We were friendly with Iraq, so we helped them fight Iran, who at the time were our enemies. Some time later the roles switch and all of a sudden Iraq starts using our weapons and training against us. If it wasn't so sad it would be comical.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.Hanky
Not sure I'm understanding this sentence right. I don't believe we are all bad, but I don't believe we are the innocent victims in this either. I have some friends who have been on the other side of some of these conflicts and it's interesting when you get to hear both sides of the story, rather than just the homogenised opinions of your own countries news service.Quote:
Originally Posted by OracleDoc
It's only my opinion, but you have to ask youself why people are taking a poke at the USA and UK, rather than other countries who have not been to annoying historically.
Just to reiterate, I don't believe we are all bad, but I don't believe we are the innocent victims in this either.
Hey, it's only my opinion.
Cheers
Tim...
So its ok, or in your words "its karma" that innocent people die because of policies our government choose to follow? I think sometimes people get too wrapped up in this "my country vs. your country" thing... we are all individuals with a right to live a life and not to have it taken away by some idiot with a bomb and a point to prove against our leader.Quote:
Originally Posted by TimHall
So do you think you deserved this?
Do you think the people on the subway are NOT innocent?
I voted for a government that has done some things I do not agree with. On the one hand I helped put them in power so I have to share some of the responsibility. On the other hand, I don't agree with all of their foreign policies, so perhaps I'm not part of the problem.
I'm not a fan of patriotism, to me it's just an acceptable face of racism, but I am judged by others based on the country I live in. That certainly makes me think of things in a "my country" type of way in some situations. When the leaders of my country do something wrong it alters peoples perceptions of me. That's the way it is. Do I like that fact? No. Does it happen? Yes.
Regarding the victims of terrorist attacks, I do think of them as innocent as they did not directly or knowingly provoke the act itself, but we all stand by and watch terrible injustices happen without standing up and being counted. That certainly doesn't make us completely innocent.
Look, I realise this really isn't the place to talk about this. It's an emotive subject and everything I've said will be quoted out of context to serve someone elses purpose, so I guess I'm going to knock it on the head.
Cheers
Tim...
If you want to let this thread sie that is fine by me, I am just curious and asking questions. You are confusing me though, in one post you said.
"Well, we have this habit of poking our noses in other peoples affairs if we think they will affect our economies"
and then...
"but we all stand by and watch terrible injustices happen without standing up and being counted."
Now I may be misunderstanding, or misinterpreting this but you can see the contradiction no?
Well, the context of these two statements is different. In the first, the context was on a country level. In the second quote I was talking about individuals.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.Hanky
Two different posts, two different contexts. Sorry I didn't make myself clear.
Mr.H:
If I was chatting in the pub I would gladly talk about this for ages. Since 911 I guess it has been a constant topic of conversation all round the world. The issue here is it's not always easy to convey an emotive argument like this on a text based forum. It's two easy to get taken out of context.
I don't care if others agree with me or not. I just don't want them to take my opinions out of context and believe I said something I did not.
I guess if I was a clever man I would not have opened my gob in the first place, but would that make me part of the problem? :)
Cheers
Tim...
Understood and agreed.
Getting back to davey's post. It is shocking and hurting. I just hope that the security tightens up. Even here(Holland), things seem well maintained but it makes me worry that the lackadaisical approach towards the maintenence/security and of course these days when no one has money to put enough cops on street or invest in investigative technologies, will all be exposed and let us down.
On another note I agree with Tim on poking noses. There is a massive negative sentiment towards west and you might(one might) turn your back to it but you haven't put out the fire/hatred. That has to be taken really seriously.
Bottom line: Some blokes are read mad and for a long time, and that ain't a good thing.