http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/06/18/saudi.kidnap/index.html
Gah-roovy.
I would mourn for this guy, but I think I would do the same as iraqians if my country were invaded, plus he had it coming when he went to a war zone.
I don’t think anyone has being beheaded “coming”.
Well, if you were going to a warzone, specifically a warzone where everybody hates you because you are from the invading country, and you had absolutely no protection, would you feel safe?
No, but what does that have to do with being captured by militant fundamentalists and beheaded?
Let me rephrase it then. If you knew you were going into the homes of militant fundamentalists who behead people, and you also knew there would be nobody to protect you, would you feel your neck is safe?
Except the people who beheaded the last guy did so in Iraq, and were arrested. So I wouldn’t really be afraid of being beheaded if I was in a different country.
You’d think Saudi Arabia is allied to US, but it’s just a stage play. A few of those in government are allied with US because that is profitable to them, but the people of that country like US as much as iranians, iraqians, afhegani etc.
While all of that is true, he most certinaly did not have this coming. It’s not like he had a sign around his neck saying “This shouldn’t be here - remove please!” or anything. I mean seriously, you think he asked for this?
This man lived in Saudi Arabia for over ten years and seemed to have established a pretty decent life for himself there. He wasn’t fighting anyone or causing any trouble. The terrorists picked him up because he happened to be American and happened to work on helicopters used by the military. It’s not like he was shipped over there less than a year ago to go kill people or something.
I do think that with affairs as they are there that it’s a dangerous place for people with ties to the US and that those people should take great care in their lives, but a person like Paul Johnson did not deserve something like this. They way you’re speaking, it sounds like you think the opposite. Is that true?
I’m pretty close to calling the people of the Middle East barbarians. I feel really sorry for that guy. I wish Al-Queda would turn to other methods to get their point across, but they’re terrrorists. That would be like asking a dog not to bark.
So you’re willing to call all Middle Easteners barbarians because of some extremists? Good for you! That’s exactly what they did with Americans. Damn man, with that thinking, they are getting just what they want.
:kissy:
So you mean that fighting to defend your country from invasion is barbarie? As if the american independence and the french revolution didn’t have their beheadings too…
Vicki, the keywords here are: american, "happened to work on helicopters used by the military". That is more than enough to be hated in more than half of the world. As for whether the man deserved it or not, my thoughts are these: he did not deserve to die just for being american, and he did not deserve to die for working for the military forces. I do think, though, that those who take risks have no rights to complain when they end up being crippled or killed. Speaking metaphorically, I cheer on a knife juggler, but if he accidentally hacks his fingers off I won’t mourn. It’s part of the show.
I don’t know how much other people go into this, but I’ve been watching the scenario from a lot of places recently. I figure Bush has a plan to strike Iran in 2005 shall he win this year’s ellections. Iran has announced that they might retake their works with enriched Uranium. This depends on a few polictical arrangements with other countries that may or may not put sanctions on Iran, and there’s no telling what will give. Tension is building up fast there. Another place of concern is Syria. Bush said a long time ago that it was like Iraq, ran by an evil dictator. If the draft comes out, Syria is the most probable target for an invasion. After all, unlike North Korea and Iran, it surely has no nuke work.
My problem with it is that he was beheaded. Beheading is brutal and no one deserves to die like that. If they had just shot him, all right, it’s bad, but it’s better in some way. I think partly since the head is still alive afterward for a couple fo seconds.
Also, the guy ahd been there for a decade. He had been tehre way before the fighting and many of the current tensions. Sorry Ren, but not everyone has a crystal ball like you. They go off of the current information when they make decisions, they don’t look into the future and see what future conflicts will be.
Also, we aren’t going to go to war with Iran. Iran isn’t on any sort of agenda. If we were to go to war any other country whiel we have Afghanistan and Iraq going, it would be Syria, hell we’ve already had skirmishes with them in the last couple of months.
This none-chalant (spelling?) attitude towards people dying over there is pretty fucked up. By saying that there should be no sympathy for the guy is fucked up. That is like saying that we shouldn’t care about the troops that are dying over there since they had a bit of a choice.
Also, yes I’m back. I’ve straightened somethings out, though the problems with the girl are better and worse at the same time.
The saudi have been hating americans for much more than one decade now. Living somewhere where you are hated and not noticing it is hard for me to believe.
And
I think sympathizing for people who go to those places is like having the attitude I am now picturing in the next lines:
“Alright, his turn to try the russian roullete! Let’s cheer him up!”
Boom!
“Huh? He’s… dead? How come? Not fair! This shouldn’t have happened! Why, God, why?”
I do agree with you, Nick, on the part that says the cruelty is excessive. It is sad, though, that in human history there has never been a war without a dirty side. The only way to avoid such things from hapenning is avoiding the war itself. Te sad thing is the snowball effect there. It’ll only stop growing when it hits the lowest point.
edit 1: if I had a voice on the methods of dealing with enemies in wars, I’d say they should never be beheaded, nor cripled, nor burned etc. IF they are to be killed, at least it should be made in a clean, painless way. Like putting them to sleep and stopping their hearts.
edit 2: crystal ball, I like that :ah-ha!:
I think sympathizing for people who go to those places is like having the attitude I am now picturing in the next lines:
“Alright, his turn to try the russian roullete! Let’s cheer him up!”
Boom!
“Huh? He’s… dead? How come? Not fair! This shouldn’t have happened! Why, God, why?”
Isn’t that what happens when anyone takes a risk and ends up dying for it? No one’s obligated to mourn for him, but you still can. I wouldn’t say this guy had it coming.
By the way, does anyone else find this quote disturbing?:
“The murder of Paul shows the evil nature of the enemy we face. … We must pursue these people and bring them to justice before they hurt other Americans.”
-George W. Bush
Xwing1056
Sounds like the usual rhetoric, 'wing.
But the amount of things wrong in that quote is more horrifying even than usual.
Oh? Could you elucidate what in it horrifies you so?
I find it horrifying too, and if I and Wing think the same way in this topic, then it should be because the fundamentalists will be (actually have arleady been) saying about the same thing about americans. Which means that the amount of blood being spilled will not be decreasing for a long time.