We have all heard and seen all about the violent protests going on in Afghanistan over the burning of the Korans…..many people have been injured and many have been killed…….everybody has apologized for the incident from generals to ambassador to secretary of state to the president….and this brings me to the point…..
I have heard several pundits on a conserv channel condemning the president for his apology and the so called frontrunners for the GOP nomination have nationally condemned the president and basically have said that it is “much to do about nothing”……
I have a problem with this political rhetoric……would say Santorum be so blase if the Afghans had burned a bunch of bibles and religious artifacts….or Romney had been so nonchalant if the Book of Mormon had been destroyed?
It is at this point that I start losing ALL respect for these people and their so-called religious standings….these guys are NO more a good christian than I am a jet pilot…..they show an intolerance that they condemn in others….that makes these people more a hypocrite than a statesman….now would be a good time for these pea brains to explain how their religious beliefs are different than the Islamic fundamentalists that they condemn…..but we both know they will not!
There is another point that needs to be made. It has been called a horrible mistake that the holy books were burned…..I question that statement. Why? Every military person is given an indoctrination about the country they will be deployed to….he culture…the do’s and the don’ts……I would say that they slept through that indoctrination…..if they were ordered to burn the books then it is the officer that gave that order that should be made an example of…….After 10 yrs of service in the country there should be a well defined set of handling procedures of the Koran….if thee is not then every person involved in leading Americans in this country needs to be replaced by more competent personnel….
While it is inexcusable for people to be killing other people over something that was admittedly a mistake, a horrible mistake……there is someone to blame for this and that person should be found and made n example……if not a general or other officer then this dude Cocker should be recalled and discipline for it his job that Americans are as safe as possible and making sure that the troops are damn well aware of the cultural aspects are droned into their heads.
Lobotero,
I have a problem with this political rhetoric……would say Santorum be so blase if the Afghans had burned a bunch of bibles and religious artifacts….or Romney had been so nonchalant if the Book of Mormon had been destroyed?
In point of fact, Bibles sent to Afghanistan WERE BURNED.
You say Santorum and Romney are intolerant, but don’t you see that the first sentence of this post described an extreme level of intolerance – by Muslims! They behave like raving lunatics because someone burned a book! Seriously, no God I’m aware of would support such madness. And, yes, I’ve read the Qur’an.
For them to become offended to the point of committing murder over the burning of a book is so far beyond the pale that your criticism of the GOP is rather ridiculous. It seems like you’re missing the big picture. You described religious fanaticism taken to an extreme – something you’re purported to be against – and you dismiss it with a proverbial slap on the wrist. “It’s inexcusable,” you say, and then promptly begin blaming some poor soldier instead of keeping the blame right where it belongs —– on the Muslim extremists.
Do Not get me wrong…I am defending no one in this…..then in your mind NO one is to blame but those damn extremists right? i am ridiculous or what I see as another fundamentalist extreme….sorry you cannot see it……i said that someone in the hierarchy is to blame…and I say again….when deployed indoctrination (sorry but that is what it is called) in the culture, etc about the country basically the do’s and don’ts……it is someone’s fault that the books were burned……again I am defending NO one…..just trying to point out ho it could have been avoided…..and soldiers were ordered to carry out their mission and they did…..they cannot be blamed for following an order…..besides the Qur’an is more than a book to them……and if they knew what they were doing then it is inexcusable if they were unaware of what the action would do then we need to try and give them a little more training before turning hem lose in a country that is still n the 15th century…..
All the chest thumping by Santorum with stuff like Satan is in the WH (a paraphrase before I get chastised)……or that church should be in government (another paraphrase) is a form of extremism….even the stuff by Graham about Mormons is also…yes they are just words but in my book it is equivalent…..
I apologize if i sound like I was defending the riots….that was never my intention just that there are circumstances that may not be reported…..after serving in the Army i can tell you that the military plays the media as well as anyone…..
…then in your mind NO one is to blame but those damn extremists right?
Exactly. If the Qur’ans were not destroyed out of malice, ill-will, or rancor, then nobody is to blame except the extremists who have blown this way out of proportion. It was a mistake, for crying out loud! The vicious, immoral, and brutish response to a simple human error is to be condemned in the strongest possible language.
…i said that someone in the hierarchy is to blame…and I say again….when deployed indoctrination (sorry but that is what it is called) in the culture, etc about the country basically the do’s and don’ts……it is someone’s fault that the books were burned…
Mistakes happen, Lobotero. My biggest problem was the idea of “making an example” out of one of our soldiers for something that amounts to a mere mistake.
We’ve thrown our soliders into a war – a grinder, really – that has taken too many lives, ruined many others, and has lasted too long. So the suggestion that we punish one of our men for such a small, insignificant thing just to appease a group of savages is absolutely infuriating. We’ve apologized to them countless times, and if that isn’t enough, then fuck ’em.
We didn’t ask to be attacked on September 11th, 2001. We didn’t tell Osama and his cabal to base in Afghanistan, or tell the Taliban to allow it. They did that all on their own. Perhaps if the people of Afghanistan would quit smoking and shooting up poppy plants, they might become somewhat civilized instead of acting like a bunch of mindless savages. It’s their own fault they’re stuck in the 15th century.
There are many good Muslims out there. More good than bad. I know some. I’m friend’s with some. There are many good Afghani’s, too. But the people who are killing and going nuts over the Qur’an burning are the same dame people that beat women, stone women, blow up buildings, and strap bombs on children. I’d rather put a bullet in them than speak to them.
Morning Terrance…..first, i have meaning to ask….how is your wife doing? Second, I appreciate your passion and I am a bit envious…I wished there had been people like you when we returned from Vietnam…..
I believe we agree…these are senseless killings and I am opposed to any American soldier dying needlessly, their job is hard enough without all this drama. Regardless who causes the death…they should be punished and that includes companies like KBR are caused the electrocution deaths of American soldiers in Iraq…..my problem is if anyone is punished it will be a NCO or lower as the uppers CYA…. scapegoat is always the way it work……
Lobotero,
My wife is doing very well, but she’s ready to have the baby. He pushes out on her all the time making her uncomfortable most of the day. He’s due in 10 weeks.
Looking back on my comments, it appears I may have been a bit rude. I’m sorry about that. And I want to clarify that when I said “savages,” I was referring to those who are killing and involved in violence. I wasn’t referring to Afghani’s or Muslims generally.
The wars of just been a big mess right from the get-go. Instead of focusing on Afghanistan from the start, we had a president that dropped the ball and went into Iraq and devoted few resources to Afghanistan. It’s just one big mess and we need to come home. The Taliban is out, so let’s come home.
Terrance, glad all is well and I would bet that you are getting excited also…you will let us all know when the baby is born, right?
Do not worry I took it as you passion over the situation….i did not take offense….my outlook is just a little different than most people…I worked in the Middle east for years and understand some things a little different than most…..
Plus I enjoy a good exchange with my readers and you are really good to do that with….
I will definitely be posting photographs when he finally gets here.
Thanks. What did you do in the Middle-East, anyway? I’ve always been fascinated with the different cultures and the history. One of my favorite books is “The MIddle East: A History of the Last 2,000 Years” by Bernard Lewis. Ever read it? It’s pretty cool.
I worked as a researcher/analyst of a Spanish newspaper…..I worked in Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon, West Bank, Syria and was in Iraq before the 90’s war thing…I have not rd that one but I can recommend “History of the Middle East” by Mansfield and “A Peace To End All Peace” by Fromkin which is about the end of WW1 and the beginning of modern day Middle East…..
I will be posting a post for Woman’s History month next month about Gertrude Bell who was very interesting person that help draw the borders of modern day Middle East….check it out if you get a chance…..