It sounds as if we have a parallel between the middle east and asia and the hidden problems we have here which is often lost in the appearance of a free society. Our problems seem to be the same and our leaders be they American or North Korean don't seem to be able to address them. Maybe if we look a little closr the similarity with our problems are closer than we think. Could the solutions for them help us too?

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Originally Posted by Morganite

Iranians do not wear the turban. Muslims wear a skull cap, rather like the Jewish yamulkah. You are confusing them with Sikhs from Punjab in India!

That's whats wrong with America when it comes to other nations and cultures, hardly anyone knows diddley squat about them. Like the American who shot the Sikh garage proprietor in Phoenix after 9-11 because he thought he was an Arab. He wasn't a terrrorit, he wasn't an Arab, but he is still dead through abysmal ignorance and prejudice.

The Koran is writen and read in Arabic, and there are no words in there that can hurt you any more than someone quoting words from the Hebrew Old Testament or the Greek New Testament can hurt you whether the quoter is mad or not.

I'd rather my daughters marry decent Arabs than some of the wild men from the extreme conservative right wing militants who string up naked children and flog them, or who murder doctors and nurses and think they are doing God's will.


M:rolleyes:

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So if this state of ignorance exists what do you see as the cause and what do you suggest as the remedy?

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Originally Posted by prissy_xoxo

I just heard a news report that Iran is offering travel agents a stipend of $20 U.S. each for any western tourists they bring. Oh yea right. The terrorism tour.

We shouldn't let Iran keeping enriching its nuclear capability. I read where Iran is choking on its own fumes and is in need of nuclear energy. If they wanted only for energy reasons they would help themselves and comply to being monitored against warhead development.

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I hope they make considerable progress in Iraq. This way it wouldn't have been in vain.
God bless the soldiers. I don't know how they tell one sect from the other.

I hope this political season wanes bc I'm ready for a nice peaceful season. I think the U.S. needs a vacation.

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Whose in charge of monitoring us against warhead development?

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Originally Posted by Starman

Whose in charge of monitoring us against warhead development?

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The US has had warheads for what? 50 years.

When I first obtained my license to practice, I had to be judged by an experienced mentor.
When I first learned to drive, I had to be judged by an experience driver.

Don't you think that when you learn to blow up the planet, you should first be judged by someone that already knows how to blow up the planet?

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Originally Posted by bhayne

The US has had warheads for what? 50 years.

When I first obtained my license to practice, I had to be judged by an experienced mentor.
When I first learned to drive, I had to be judged by an experience driver.

Don't you think that when you learn to blow up the planet, you should first be judged by someone that already knows how to blow up the planet?

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Are you being serious or is this double entendre talk?

In any case, if I condemn a weapon as evil and not suited for others, wouldn't it be reasonable for me not to have it or at least be in the process of getting rid of it? Or if I recommend that others be monitored then why would I be an exception? Or better yet why should I be trusted when I refuse to trust others?

Communist China has nuclear weapons pointed in our direction right now and the USA is on friendly terms with that country. Cuba doesn't have nuclear weapons pointed at the USA and the USA is hell bent on reuining its economy to prove that communism is evil.

Excuse me but something just doesn't quite add up in all this.

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Originally Posted by prissy_xoxo

Bc we don't sell them to terrorists? Beats me. Maybe it's bc we invented these weapons?

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That's a good point about the selling it to people who might use them in that fashion.

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Originally Posted by Starman

Are you being serious or is this double entendre talk?

In any case, if I condemn a weapon as evil and not suited for others, wouldn't it be reasonable for me not to have it or at least be in the process of getting rid of it?

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This 'weapon' ended the second world war and saved democracy. There was a race to create this 'weapon' and we won!

If we abandon this 'weapon' because it is evil, we may not be so lucky during the third world war!

I don't know about you, but I sure am glad we don't live like the North Korean majority!

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Originally Posted by bhayne

This 'weapon' ended the second world war and saved democracy.

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That's a bit of a stretch isn't it? Not sure "democracy" was at risk.

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Originally Posted by bhayne

There was a race to create this 'weapon' and we won!!

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Using mainly non-american scientists.

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Originally Posted by NeedKarma

That's a bit of a stretch isn't it? Not sure "democracy" was at risk.

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You may not have been sure... but at that time everyone else was! Although those scientists all knew how to speak English, I bet they are glad they didn't have to learn Japanese!

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Originally Posted by bhayne

This 'weapon' ended the second world war and saved democracy. There was a race to create this 'weapon' and we won!!

If we abandon this 'weapon' because it is evil, we may not be so lucky during the third world war!!

I don't know about you, but I sure am glad we don't live like the North Korean majority!!

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My point was that if we require something to be done then we will be expected to set the example ourselves. Make sense?


BTW

A third world war involving nuclear weapons would endanger all life on earth. So it's really hard to imagine a winner of such a war. Although I have no doubt that some humans will be born with the stupidity needed to start such a war.

These little dictatorship countries like North Korea, Veneswela and Iran don't care about winning. They just want to be heard.

We've seen with Sadam how much they are willing to risk!

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Originally Posted by bhayne

These little dictatorship countries like North Korea, Veneswela and Iran don't care about winning. They just want to be heard.

We've seen with Sadam how much they are willing to risk!!

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A third world war would involve many more countries than just Venezuela, Iran and Korea. That's why it's called a world war. Also, if indeed all these countries want is to be heard, then they really don't pose much of a threat and you would need to logically conclude that the president's reaction to them is unwarranted. Right?

About Sadam, I hope that you are aware that he was once a USA ally and that the USA helped him in his war against Iran by providing his regime with military aid. This was when Sadam was doing all the crimes he is going to be hanged for now. Isn't that a bit weird?

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Originally Posted by Starman

A third world war would involve many more countries than just Venezuela, Iran and Korea. That's why it's called a world war.

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Humm... Japan and Germany ring a bell?

Of course if Japan had nuclear arms and no one else did, I'd probably be speaking and writing Japanese right now!

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Originally Posted by Starman

So if this state of ignorance exists what do you see as the cause and what do you suggest as the remedy?

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Ignorance is the cause, education is the answer. The American school system has to take much of the blame for ignorabnce of other countries and cusotms and cultures. Mr Bush was surprised to learn how far away China was!<br><br>If a country embarks on imperialist adventures, it ought to know where it is going, what to expect, and something about the people it is conquering or influencing.<br><br>Likewise, a country that proclaims itself "The Melting Pot of Nations" ought to be conversant with much more than the lint in its own navel, and should understand the difference between a Sikh and a Muslim, apart from the obvious fact that the majority of each has darker skins than the average American. <br><br>Sitting in the dark and guessing who is who and what whilst holding a loaded hair triggered AK47 and nervously twitching to take a pot shot at anything one thinks could, perhaps, look like, or resemble, somewhat, an enemy is no way to live a full and rich life nor&nbsp; make a significant contribution to one's family, neighborhood, nation, or to the wider world.&nbsp; <br><br>Education admits light into darkness, and dispels fear, prejudice, and bigotry.<br><br>M:)<br><br><br>

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Originally Posted by Morganite

Ignorance is the cause, education is the answer. The American school system has to take much of the blame for ignorabnce of other countries and cusotms and cultures. Mr Bush was surprised to learn how far away China was!<br><br>If a country embarks on imperialist adventures, it ought to know where it is going, what to expect, and something about the people it is conquering or influencing.<br><br>Likewise, a country that proclaims itself "The Melting Pot of Nations" ought to be conversant with much more than the lint in its own navel, and should understand the difference between a Sikh and a Muslim, apart from the obvious fact that the majority of each has darker skins than the average American. <br><br>Sitting in the dark and guessing who is who and what whilst holding a loaded hair triggered AK47 and nervously twitching to take a pot shot at anything one thinks could, perhaps, look like, or resemble, somewhat, an enemy is no way to live a full and rich life nor&nbsp; make a significant contribution to one's family, neighborhood, nation, or to the wider world.&nbsp; <br><br>Education admits light into darkness, and dispels fear, prejudice, and bigotry.<br><br>M:)<br><br><br>

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Certainly, I agree 100% The educational system is to blame for citizen ignorance.
Unfortunately if the problem isn't perceived as such it will never be addressed. I personally don't detect any particular concern in that area. I guess when people aren't at the receiving end of the ignorance-motivated behaviors they tend not to notice such things--and the majority of the ignorant and those who are contributing to the perpetuation of the ignorance are not.

BTW
Bush really said he didn't know where China was? Just where did he say he thought it was?

The HTML <> doesn't work on this website. Try [ ]
That will fix the problem. It did for me at least.

How about the american press? I think they go a long way in feeding us facts the politician and the big interests want us too know and then give us the truth after they have gotten what they want and its too late to do anything about it. Weapons of mass destruction, my a$$. Love to see the sweet deal some fat oil people wll get when the sand clears.

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Originally Posted by talaniman

How about the american press? I think they go a long way in feeding us facts the politician and the big interests want us too know and then give us the truth after they have gotten what they want and its too late to do anything about it. Weapons of mass destruction, my a$$. Love to see the sweet deal some fat oil people wll get when the sand clears.

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Bush claims that he himself was misinformed.
I think some of the ones responsible for misinforming him resigned.
As for misleading press, true, the press sometimes misleads and I'm sure it does so sometimes under government pressure. Once something is tagged as a national security risk the press has to buckle under. For example, suppose the press is told that we are about to be hit by a comet and there's nothing we can do. The government might order the press not to reveal this for trhe sake of national security. Otherwise a panicked population might begin wreaking havoc. It all boils down to the citizen'e right to know vs the national interests.

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Originally Posted by bhayne

These little dictatorship countries like North Korea, Veneswela and Iran don't care about winning. They just want to be heard.

We've seen with Sadam how much they are willing to risk!!

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You could say exactly the same about GW Bush.

These small dictatorship contries are all led by fear.

Ask yourself, does Bush lead by fear??