Terrorists & Suicide Bombers

[MysteryMeat]

I don't know. I was already pretty anti-consumerist before 9/11, but the things I can certainly say I took for granted back then is how much our country pokes its proverbial nose in other countries' businesses, all while its up the butt of Israel. I took what I believe was the real message of the 9/11 attacks, rather than the spin-doctored one the politicians tube-steak fed the rest of the country.

It's going to sound like a funny point, but I was watching 'Throw Momma From the Train' not long after the 9/11 attacks, and a scene really struck me. Harry(?)/Billy Crystal is trying to teach Owen/Danny DeVito about what really makes a good literary murder mystery. As he's making points about why Owen's book isn't a good one, he starts talking about not just motive, but drive. The fact that someone not only needs the reasoning and emotions behind wanting to murder another human being, but they have to be pushed far into extraordinary circumstances to break through and actually commit the act.

The point I'm making here is that while pondering about the points above, I started trying to put myself into a suicide bomber's shoes, and wonder about what it really takes for a man, woman, or child to not only have been brought to that brink, but over it so far as to have no regard for their own life. I started looking more into foreign policy, started reading the independent press, and started educating myself to try and understand.

I understand the martryrdom is there within the religion; I also understand that in some cases, their families get paid for their sacrifice, but I still have to ask: why Americans? why now? what is really so terrible about us that a group of terrorists organized to wake up this country with some 747's. I don't believe it's our "free and open way of life", or our supposed "Godlessness", or the fact that women here wear skin-revealing clothes, or any of the many other differences between our cultures. Those things aren't threatening enough to warrant the jihad.

The Iraqi war and the grab for oil isn't a start; this has been going on for many, many years. America as a whole were given a brief glance at what was really going on in the world, then just as quickly re-covered the reality around us with Britney Spear's drunken wedding and Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction".

So American foreign policy is evil and intrusive.

Americans are preoccupied with mind numbing bs.

And the attackers on 9/11 acted reasonably.

Are those your assertions?

[MysteryMeat]

Originally posted by xiannaix
So American foreign policy is evil and intrusive.

Americans are preoccupied with mind numbing bs.

And the attackers on 9/11 acted reasonably.

Are those your assertions?

Pretty much, although I'd replace the word 'reasonaby' with 'desperately'.

[SenseOfCommons]

The bottom line...

America is actually a conglomerate of the whole world. Even the oldest ancestors of "America" (other than native americans) have only been around a couple hundred years. The thing about America, or the U.S. is that every single country has their hand in the pot as per the new world. We are not yet our "own" nation... our relative 'newness' is why these things happen. Although we have a collective American heritage, everyone's from a different part of the world... this is a good thing in many ways, but in other ways it creates distrust because there are so many opinions that have to be utilized. On another note, our "government" pays heed to special interests, and those interests are not only pliable in the U.S., but overseas. All the policy makers, etc.. have vested interests in certain ideals or certain ethnical standards. In one way, our country has set the standard for people working together to achieve greatness, but from other viewpoints, it has mixed the bag too much.

I dunno.. hard to explain. Many of those psychotic killers have merely been brainwashed by extremist values. It really makes me sick.

[USAcommitteeX]

I started trying to put myself into a suicide bomber's shoes, and wonder about what it really takes for a man, woman, or child to not only have been brought to that brink, but over it so far as to have no regard for their own life.

Since the Palestinian uprising began in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in September 2000, to Saddams capture he had been paying $20 000 (about R180 000) to every family of Palestinian suicide bombers whose homes are demolished by the Israelis and $10 000 dollars to the families of Palestinians killed in clashes with Israeli forces. Young men are taught from boyhood that in return for so-called martyrdom their families will be compensated financially, their pictures will be posted in schools and mosques, and they will earn a special place in paradise, which includes “unlimited sex” with 72 virgins. Most of the time they will pick soft targets, malls, pubs, schools, 2 years ago a terrorist blew himself up at a Rave in Tel Aviv killing 20 Israeli teens. When they target a bus, they are taught where to sit inside to inflict the most damage, their favorite shrapnel is steel ball bearings, they have also used rat poision, can you imagine the slow painfull death if that shit gets in your blood? Its hideous.

[MysteryMeat]

Originally posted by USAcommitteeX
Since the Palestinian uprising began in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in September 2000, to Saddams capture he had been paying $20 000 (about R180 000) to every family of Palestinian suicide bombers whose homes are demolished by the Israelis and $10 000 dollars to the families of Palestinians killed in clashes with Israeli forces. Young men are taught from boyhood that in return for so-called martyrdom their families will be compensated financially, their pictures will be posted in schools and mosques, and they will earn a special place in paradise, which includes “unlimited sex” with 72 virgins. Most of the time they will pick soft targets, malls, pubs, schools, 2 years ago a terrorist blew himself up at a Rave in Tel Aviv killing 20 Israeli teens. When they target a bus, they are taught where to sit inside to inflict the most damage, their favorite shrapnel is steel ball bearings, they have also used rat poision, can you imagine the slow painfull death if that shit gets in your blood? Its hideous.

Regardless of the method, you're still skirting the issue of 'why'. That's my point, there has to be an extreme motivation there, and I believe it's far beyond just a territorial dispute. Those people in particular (the Israelis and the Palestinians) have inflicted a great amount of misery on each other's lives.

If this country sucks so much to you, just leave.

[MysteryMeat]

Originally posted by -m-3000
If this country sucks so much to you, just leave.

As I don't subscribe to the government here, nor do I choose to play their little games and be a part of the shameful political system employed here - I get to enjoy a life outside of the "responsibility" to appreciate what these people try to tell me they've given me, but in actuality, have only attempted to take more of my freedoms than they give.

*breath* (damned long sentence)

I rather subscribe to the notion that I have the right to live anywhere on the planet I choose, and since I don't concern myself with politics, I'm just as free and happy here as I would be anywhere else. The tired argument "if it sucks so much, why don't you leave" always leaves out the option of those that can severely dislike a country's poilitical system, yet enjoy the land itself.



...FYI, I'm already on my way out of this country; I've been working in that direction for a good, long bit