Have the terrorists already won?

I consider myself to be very patriotic. My family came here on the Mayflower and we have had family in every American conflict before we were even a country. But as I look around at the state of the union I see citizens from all political parties that are not even interested in issues as much as particinship. I hear of American secret prisons, people being arrested and taken away in the middle of the night, people not given a trial or a say in their own defence. What has happened to this country? Is this what we really want?

Have the terrorists already won?
Scary thought isn't it. I read over some of the replies and I see a lot of selfish people that apparently think that American exists in a vacuum.



"How horrible, fantastic, incredible, it is that we should be digging trenches and trying on gas-masks here because of a quarrel in a faraway country between people of whom we know nothing. " -Neville Chamberlain
Reply:The terrorists won their first victory in 1953 when the US came to it's first draw in a war. Then in 1973, they won their second victory when the US was really pulling the last of their troops out of Viet Nam, showing that the American public can make enough noise and force a withdrawl from a war that the politicians are trying to fight rather than sending the military to fight. Then they won their third victory in 1984 when President Reagan, who I still believe is the best president this country has had in my 35 year life, ordered the withdrawl of US troops from Beirut as a result of the 1983 bombing of the Marine barracks, showing that a single incident with a relatively low loss of life in relative terms of military actions can force us to quit a fight. In fairness, that day was the highest US servicemen single day death toll since Jan 31, 1968, the first day of the Tet Offensive.



This country simply does not have what it takes to fight anymore. Even if it's just 20% of us who will no crap go anywhere, do anything to defend this country and freedom, the people who call any war a crime are louder than we are. I served for 9 years. I got out because I knew Clinton didn't have what it took to be Commander in Chief, and figured that there was no WAY Gore could blow the 2000 election, so I didn't re-enlist in 1999. Opps. Made a bad choise there.



What you don't seem to understand about the "secret prisons" is that this isn't a normal war. The enemy doesn't wear a uniform, has no nation, has no government to negociate, etc, etc. They are just there; they have no anything. Most of these people barely have a country to call their own as they are a "citizen of their cause". Those people in Gitmo don't deserve a trial any more than a German, Italian, or Japanese POW during WW2. Do you have any idea how many German POW camps there were in the US during WW2? Get this, some of the POWs were allowed to stay in the US after the war, and BECAME US CITIZENS!!! Many of the POW camps were in the South. The former Nazi POWs would be served in a resturaunt in the South THAT WOULD NOT SERVE AN ACTIVE DUTY BLACK OR A WW2 VETERAN BLACK.



It's a different war we are fighting. It's much like the Christian Crusades around the 11th to 13th Centuries. The problem is that Western society has evolved in though in the past 700 years. Most Westerners honestly think that the "bad guys" will just do the right thing because, well, it's the right thing to do. Jimmy Carter is a PRIME example of this. The Camp David Accords was NOT because Carter was this great diplomat. It was because he found 2 leaders who honestly wanted to do the right thing, and just needed a hand, and Sadat paid for doing the right thing with his life.



We are just not vicious enough for this war anymore. The terrorists have clearly demonstrated that they will kill thousands of civilians because they can. This country sends soldiers to jail for murder if they kill civilians, and I am not saying that is a bad thing. A soldier cannot make the decision to kill civilians, that is wrong. However, a military leader, military or civilian, CAN make the determination that an area is a valid target and needs to be destroyed regardless of civilians in the area.



We just lack the teeth as a nation anymore. We really do.
Reply:They have been winning ever since Bush stole the election in 2000. Lets see if we can have better leadership going forward.

Thank god the GOP lost the midterm elections. Now that we have congressional oversight, we can remedy the criminal actions of this administration.

I note reestablishing habeas corpus is a good place to start.
Reply:my family waved the mayflower in and i'm as much an american as any imagrant is. as far as secrect prisons go your out of touch if you've heard of them their not to f**king secret are they. love it or leave it!!
Reply:the real terrorists is bush bent on world domination
Reply:I think the first two replies well state what has happened.

A large portion of the nation decided that Ignorance is the way to go and they practice it much more religiously than the religions they espouse.
Reply:Dont believe the liberals like harry reid, they are un-American. SUPPORT OUR TROOPS
Reply:9/11 was an inside job. cheney, bush, rumsfeld all involved.



once you get through the denail (took me a few years)

facts become clear.



concentration camps inside the us are very real.



all, wake up before it's to late.
Reply:I go with my faith on this one. And my faith says that it doesn't matter.



Despite the fact that it would appear most Americans don't realize it (and my guess would be no one of any country realizes that it is true of every country); America is part of the world, just like all the other countries of the world. And we are told to be no part of the world; and there is a reason.



The whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one (Satan). And Satan is rather ticked at the moment, mostly because his time is about over. He intends to take as many of us with him as he can, and "patriotism" is one of the ways he does it.



Remember that God created us all, every single human. And He loves us all as well. Yes each of us, but even those like Hitler and Osama bin Laden are His children as well (they are as human as you or I). God wants us all to come back to Him; and He is attempting to give all of us as much time as possible to do so. But what patriotism does is suggest that it is noble to give our life to protect this country; to give away the gift of life God gave us to save something that is in the hands of Satan. And it works the other way as well. The terrorists are trying to protect themselves from us.



We cheer on the deaths of our brothers and sisters. The American soldiers who die are hailed as heroes, so that the government can then convince another generation to die for the personal power of those who lead us. This is not to say they are ignoble. The reason they join to fight is to protect us. But their sacrifices are for something evil that has been dressed up by politicians and corrupt clergy as a good thing, when in fact it is truly evil. We cheer on the deaths of our "enemies" who are just as much sons and daughters of God and therefore are our brothers and sisters. We have turned brother against brother, and nation against nation. Patriotism is a failing, not a virtue. It has turned us against each other and we encourage each other to hurt God (each death--no matter the country or race or religion they are from--is the death of another of God's sons or daughters).



Now is the time to get away from the false teachings of humans. We must love one another, protect one another. Yes our brothers and sisters who fight for us but also for our brothers and sisters who fight against us. Tell everyone of God's Kingdom so that as many of our brothers and sisters as possible can join us in God's Kingdom where we can all live in peace.
Reply:It's just the president and the media trying to use scare tatics to "stir the pot". Stuff has happened in every country, and we dont think anything of it. Finally after decades we get attacked one time and everyone goes crazy.

I would rather have my liberty and freedoms. I really hate how the president is so paranoid and says that we'll be attacked again if we dont follow through with his plans.
Reply:The simple answer is yes they are winning. Remember Rome!
Reply:Troll on board.