How about all sending all US soldiers home?

[ClassyTulip]

The United State's Government isn't going to send any soldiers home any time soon. They're too worried about any other nation basically gaining newer intelligence than the US has and wants. We are loosing solder's lives everyday in these different wars and Nations but the US claims that it's for the greater good. I will admit though, America does help some foreign citizens get their lives in order after suffering devastations.

 

[Peachdejour]

The United State's Government isn't going to send any soldiers home any time soon. They're too worried about any other nation basically gaining newer intelligence than the US has and wants. We are loosing solder's lives everyday in these different wars and Nations but the US claims that it's for the greater good. I will admit though, America does help some foreign citizens get their lives in order after suffering devastations.

Let's not forget that we are losing a serious amount of soldiers to suicide. Yes, we help a lot of foreign citizens. We also have a lot of charities that help a lot of foreign citizens. We have ways to gather intelligence without having "boots on the ground." We need to start thinking about the greater good of the men and women we place in danger everyday.

 

[MarkM34]

I was thinking the same recently. War fuels war in my opinion. It's an aggressive stance to be in another's country. They should withdraw and have the USA protect the American people from threats coming into the country. I think that would easy a lot of hostility and the risk of another disaster could be handled more effectively.

 

[Aree Wongwanlee]

In the Philippines over 50 Journelists were killed just for having to do a story on a candidates enemy

In the Deep South of Thailand, we have a similar situation. Teachers, not journalists are targetted. However, from what I have seen from the ground, since I am at ground zero, so to speak, soldiers cannot solve this problem. It's tragic that teachers are killed here but the answer is still in education not armed force. Whoever are perpetrating all these attrocities can only do so with the support of the local people, whether overtly or, more probably, covertly. When we can get the local people to think for themselves, when we can get the local people to see the attricities for what they really are, we will be on the way to peace. This change in thinking cannot be achieved at gunpoint. It can only be achieved with education.

 

[HELLOnamesdana]

I think that there's still a lot that has to be done over seas and that it isn't time for all of our troops to come home yet! If they all come home, they are not all going to be able to get jobs to support their families anyways! Yes some of them will get lucky with jobs or go back to school, but that isn't going to happen to all of them. A lot of soldiers end up back over seas anyways because it's the only way their able to get jobs to support their families.

 

[cyberpinoy]

In the Deep South of Thailand, we have a similar situation. Teachers, not journalists are targetted. However, from what I have seen from the ground, since I am at ground zero, so to speak, soldiers cannot solve this problem. It's tragic that teachers are killed here but the answer is still in education not armed force. Whoever are perpetrating all these attrocities can only do so with the support of the local people, whether overtly or, more probably, covertly. When we can get the local people to think for themselves, when we can get the local people to see the attricities for what they really are, we will be on the way to peace. This change in thinking cannot be achieved at gunpoint. It can only be achieved with education.

If where you are is anything like where i am its not a lack of education, they know about the atrocities, they are well educated about the situations, it is fear. they fear all of it. heck they dont even help if they see someone getting beat to death in the street, they will walk right by as if nothing is happening. I wish I could say there was a better way to resolve these kinds of issues, but if you honestly think throwing a book of information at a man holding an RPG to you or your childs head is going to solve the problem it surely is not. These people committing these atrocities dont care about your books your education, they know only one thing vengeance, and they dont care who they have to kill to get it. They need money in order to finance bigger and better weapons and they dont care who they have to kidnap and hold for ransom. The problem is you can educate anyone you want, they are going to kill people no matter how smart or stupid they are.

 

[Gelsemium]

That's right because IMO it's just business, they kill because it's profitable, so sending the soldiers home it's not an option because it's a strategic move from the governments, to keep the war industry going.

 

[Aree Wongwanlee]

These people committing these atrocities dont care about your books your education

That is very true. When I say, we use books, I don't mean use it against the people with the guns. I am talking about people on the fringe. Let me try to explain what I mean.

How do you eat a scalding-hot bowl of porridge? Do you scoop right from the middle of the bowl? No, you don't. That's too hot to handle. What you do is scoop a bit from the edges, from the fringes. Then as you eat your porridge by scooping the cooler bits around the fringes, eventually, you will finish your bowl of porridge.

Same with fighting these extremists. There are people living on the fringes of the areas where these extremists are active. Educate these people on the fringes. By doing so, you are countering the propaganda of the extremists. The extremists do not exist by themselves. All extremist groups depend on outsiders to support them. Their own economy cannot support them. So we will along the fringes of their areas of activity. The people on the fringes are not extremists. However, if we do not educate them, they will become extremists, too. Educate them. Teach them how to think for themselves.

Remember that every person has an influence on every other person that they come in contact with. An educated person who can think for himself will have an influence on other people he comes in contact with.

It will be a long, long war, but this is a war we must win. We cannot give up. We cannot follow the way of the extremists. We cannot perpetuate the violence by answering violence with violence.

 

[fire421]

I agree that we do too much for other countries and should let the other countries work things out for themselves. We spend way too much money on foreign affairs.

 

[kittyworker]

The question is where does the military fit into civilian affairs. Yes we could have them building new bridges but shouldn't we have builders already doing that? I don't think the military should be our answer to every problem.

 

[Peninha]

The problem is that the countries that have undergone a war don't have the necessary civilian infra-structures or businesses so the military need to assume that effort.

 

[cyberpinoy]

That is very true. When I say, we use books, I don't mean use it against the people with the guns. I am talking about people on the fringe. Let me try to explain what I mean.

How do you eat a scalding-hot bowl of porridge? Do you scoop right from the middle of the bowl? No, you don't. That's too hot to handle. What you do is scoop a bit from the edges, from the fringes. Then as you eat your porridge by scooping the cooler bits around the fringes, eventually, you will finish your bowl of porridge.

Same with fighting these extremists. There are people living on the fringes of the areas where these extremists are active. Educate these people on the fringes. By doing so, you are countering the propaganda of the extremists. The extremists do not exist by themselves. All extremist groups depend on outsiders to support them. Their own economy cannot support them. So we will along the fringes of their areas of activity. The people on the fringes are not extremists. However, if we do not educate them, they will become extremists, too. Educate them. Teach them how to think for themselves.

Remember that every person has an influence on every other person that they come in contact with. An educated person who can think for himself will have an influence on other people he comes in contact with.

It will be a long, long war, but this is a war we must win. We cannot give up. We cannot follow the way of the extremists. We cannot perpetuate the violence by answering violence with violence.

I wish here in the Philippines it were that simple, How about the MILF or NPA comes to your house which is on the fringes, and demands a donation by thier commander who sent them, they see you have some money because you have a starex, a couple motorbikes, and your house is nice, not perfect but not a bamboo hut either. Unfortunately you dont have any money in your pocket at that time. You tell them you cant give at this time because you dont have any money on hand to give them, maybe you can give next time they come. Ok no problem, but the next time they come they come with tear gas and gas your house while you sleep, then break in and rape your wife and daughters and take what they want. How does educating people keep things like this from happening. You cant always know when the people collecting from for these terrorists will come, you cant purposely not pay them or hell will break loose, paying them only contributes to thier cause and helps them to get weapons and other things to use against you when they need money again, so what id the educated thing to do?

There is no middle ground with these people, if you dont give them what they want they will take it by violence and force, these people know nothing but violence, and that is exactly what will end them. The Philippines has been trying for decades to stop this peacefuilly, quietly, and even by paying them, but the more the government pays the more thay want. the time for education is well passed, the time for peaseful negotiation is long over, its now time for bombs and destruction, do to them what they have done to the Philippine and foreigners here for the past 100 + years. It does not take 100 years to destroy and unorganized group of thugs, it take a bomb and a promise, a promise that if they do not diasband and stop thier terrorism you will bomb everything and everyone involved with thier actions.

like I said sometimes, SOMETIMES, violence is the only answer some of these groups understand unfortunately.

 

[missbishi]

It is true that there are countries in the world who need help from others. There are some who are simply too small and defenceless to fight, with no resources. What do we do in those cases? Should we take a step back altogether? Could we offer some sort of political support? Or should we use resources that are probably desperately needed in our own country in order to help them?

There is part of me which thinks we should do everything we can to help. However, this often means lives being lost in combat. This is hard to swallow at any time but to lose lives in somebody else's war is a particular waste. Should we offer financial aid when our own economies are crumbling? So many questions!

 

[Aree Wongwanlee]

@cyberpinoy, I am sad to hear that the situation is so bad in the Philippines. Sounds almost as bad as in the Middle-East. Actually, there's something which we have missed here. Did we ever ask ourselves how this came about? How did these terrorists come to believe that what they did is right? Do you think that it's something which happened overnight? Like, a nice, peace-loving, rational person goes to bed one night, and wakes up the next morning believing that he must kill everyone who does not agree with him, and takes whatever he wants by force, just because he wants it?

No, it doesn't happen that way. The violence and atrocities that we see, are only the tip of the iceberg or the pus of the carbuncle, if you prefer to look at it like that. It's not the tip of the iceberg or the pus of the carbuncle that we have to deal with, to solve the problem. It's the root cause of the problem that we must deal with if we want to solve the problem permanently.

The underlying root causes are all in the minds of the people. They believe, rightly or wrongly, that their rights have been abused, that they have been taken advantage of, that the government never cared about them, that the only way they can get justice is if they demand it for themselves, at gunpoint.

The first question is whether the government in their area is interested in seeing that they get a fair chance in life, that they should be empowered to do better for themselves, that they should be educated and trained with useful skills. If the government in question is not interested in the people, if the government is only concerned with the well-being of its elite group, if the government works on the policy of, the government shall remain the government and the governed shall remain the governed, no matter what, at whatever cost, then we are not talking about terrorists anymore. We are talking about people with genuine grievances, with a justifiable cause, with every right to expect our help in their fight for freedom and justice.

I am not in the Philippines so I do not know what the exact situation is like there, @cyberpinoy. Perhaps you have first-hand information. Please tell us something which you have personally witnessed. Incidents which are reported in the media, we can find out for ourselves. We would like to know what it's actually like at ground zero.

 

[cyberpinoy]

It is true that there are countries in the world who need help from others. There are some who are simply too small and defenceless to fight, with no resources. What do we do in those cases? Should we take a step back altogether? Could we offer some sort of political support? Or should we use resources that are probably desperately needed in our own country in order to help them?

There is part of me which thinks we should do everything we can to help. However, this often means lives being lost in combat. This is hard to swallow at any time but to lose lives in somebody else's war is a particular waste. Should we offer financial aid when our own economies are crumbling? So many questions!

Financial aid in the Philippines is useless, I hate to say this because you are right, sometimes defending them manually puts our own soldiers lives at risk, However if you send money to the Philippines, Which USA already does, they dont use it for what it is intended for, that is why these groups still exist in Philipines, the military aid and financial aid USA sends them to be used to defend themselves against domestic terrorism is used for other things, like Shoes for the presidents wife, or exotic trips and things that they were not intended for, even as far as using the funds to pay ransom notes to the terrorists that only allows them to buy more weapons on the black market. It is so hard for any leader to make a decision what the right course of action is here, but what they have been doing here in the Philippines is not working, they have gone from 1 really unorganized group to over 3. 3 Home grown and a few from the outside. What i see is terrorists see an opportunity here, thats why you have 3 groups here now, its a great way to make a lot of money and they know it, Enough pressure against the Philippines government and they will just throw some money or weapons your way. Its a crazy circle of bullcrap here, and the terrorists are winning. When the terrorists make a bold move and do something atrocious the Philippines government refuses to accept responsibility and face their repercussions of their actions, and they know it is their fault, they are paid by countries to combat against these acts of terror, at the end of the day and bottom line, terror exists in the Philippines because the Philippine government Allows it to. Its a business to them and a profitable one at that. X amount of contries contribute X amount of dollars for helping in defending against domestic violence and thy send X amount of dollars to the terrorist groups leaving X amount of dollars in profit for them.

Here is some educations for this matter, if ALL countries stop sending the Philippines Money and financial aid and start sending troops instead the Philippines war on terror will be over the second the Philippines government realizes they will no longer get money to help their cause only military aid, at the point terror will stop immediately here in the Philippines. But as long as we keep throwing gas in the fire of terrorism here, it will never go out.