On Mon, 19 Nov 2007 08:51:46 -0500, DownTime wrote:

wrote:
On Nov 19, 8:22 am, DownTime wrote:
HK wrote:
There's nothing going on in Iraq that is worth one American life.
This I can agree with. The people there, who HATE each other based on
religious differences, have hated each other for far longer than the USA
has been a country. No amount of American lives will ever change that
fact. One was too many. No amount of aid, or as I call it 'free money'
will change it either.

Through education and mass communication, things can change. Maybe not
even in our lifetimes, but things can and will change. Look at the
south of our own country, desegregation in education is why we have
the tolerance we do now (although not perfect) and hate groups such as
the KKK are pretty much have no value or respect beyond being a
curiosity and the brunt of a few jokes.

Even in the 80's when I lived down there, you could see the effects.
Old fathers in the KKK and kids who went to school with blacks. How
does the father keep up the lies when his kid comes home and tells him
that his black friend Tommy is pretty cool? He is the smartest kid in
math class and his dad is a policeman.

Things can and will change...

OK, now this is two things I can agree with today. Someone stop me
before my wife goes for #3!!!

However the big difference as I interpret it, the first scenario we
discussed was not on our soil, the one you brought up is. Back to HK's
comment, I'd just re-phrase it as "nothing going on outside of our
borders is worth one American life". This in no way is meant to
denigrade or dis-repsect all those souls who have fought the battles up
to this point in time, and have given their lives and sacrificed
families; to them I still have my unending gratitude.

If I was president, the concept of being the big brother to the world
would end within the minute after I was sworn in. Can I count on your
vote?

Can you speak Chinese?