Today, I heard someone summarize the rational behind Bin-Laden's attacks on September 11 in this way: "He did not like the expansion of Western Culture into the rest of the world; we are infiltrating and "diffusing" into the world making everything a homogenized state. (Hmm....sensing any Anti-American sentiment here?) Therefore he attacked the United States' center of finance to cripple said expansion. He wants to put a stop to western expansion. And really, that's all it's about. We have wasted trillions of dollars that we could have used to build better schools and better the education system, etc. etc., on this so-called 'war'"

I'm going to give the guy some credit here, in that he is partially correct in saying that Bin-Laden would love nothing more than to see western influence come to a halt, but let us consider a few things:

Does the simple fact that any and every person NOT a proclaimed Muslim is considered an INFIDEL, have anything to do with what Bin-Laden planned out? I believe that it had EVERYTHING to do with the attacks, above and beyond any other reason! Can anyone give me a quick run-down on the Qu'ran's instructions on what to do with said infidels? EXACTLY.

Sure, western influence, "diffusion" and expansion are part of what Islam considers to be something worth exterminating, but the fact that one can walk down the streets in any given country and MOST LIKELY come across a McDonalds at SOME point during their walk had very little to do with the years upon years of planning the intricately, brilliantly laid out attacks that rained down upon us on that day. Bin Laden doesn't simply want to slow expansion down; in fact, if it were up to him, he would see each and every one of us "infidels" die. EVERY SINGLE ONE, mind you. Not some, not a couple of buildings in a big city, not a few targets here and there, but rather destruction of every square inch of this country.

Secondly, and more importantly, WHY Bin-Laden attacked us is IRRELEVANT in deciding whether or not this war is justified. I could safely say that even if he had attacked us simply because he didn't like the way we manufacture GUM, I would STILL support this war.
The fact of the matter is we got attacked! End of discussion; no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

Thirdly, I would like to point something out. Taking into consideration the fact that the terrorist in question has made it perfectly clear even BEFORE the attacks that he wishes nothing but ill for the United States, I would say that it's a pretty safe bet that had we not used all those "billions and trillions of dollars" to beef up security, deploy troops to stabilize a terrorism-harboring country, and sent units out to keep Al-Qaeda at bay while we hunt Bin-Laden down, we would have been attacked YET AGAIN. So I asked this person who so bluntly stated that money used for war should have been used on bettering the U.S. on the "inside:"
Would you prefer to stand idly by, essentially "pleading the fifth" in the face of such disaster while you use that war money to build your schools and civic centers and places of higher education, only to watch THEM TOO fall to the evil hand of terrorism when Bin-Laden attacks AGAIN?
Something in me says I'd choose to LIVE rather then have my freedoms taken away from me as I sit in a brand new school building.

What about you?

Opening Post- Welcome to All!

January 11th, 2008
First of all, thank you to everyone taking the time to stop by, read the blog and exercise the FREEDOM given to use by our founding fathers; a freedom that we should strive ALWAYS to protect, to uphold, and to exercise; and that is FREEDOM OF SPEECH. We as Americans were passed down an amazing gift; a gift that began with the pen strokes of a few great men in Independence Hall on July 4th, 1776. We were given the gift of freedom. Blood and tears were shed; lives were destroyed and changed forever, and in some cases even LOST for the great cause that is our God-given freedom. I want you to, before reading any other post on this site, read CAREFULLY the excerpt from the Declaration of Independence that I have posted here, with my comments. Read it, ponder it, take it in, and apply it to anything and everything that you read on this site. Think of it as the motivation behind the drive that causes me to wake up every day a proud, patriotic American, despite the politically correct world in which we live; willing, beyond all criticism, to stand up for her freedoms.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

God has blessed the people of this great land with freedoms that are undisputable and irrefutable-The internationally coveted “American Dream” concept is based on this principle; the same concept for which millions of people flock to American Consulates all over the world on a daily basis, regardless of global opinion of our nation. It is indeed a gift that all should have, but few are blessed with. We are among those few, and we should remember that it is our responsibility to use this freedom wisely, and strive to help others experience the joys of said freedom.

“That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”

When the above mentioned human RIGHTS are violated; when they are threatened, whether by horribly destructive means such as September 11th, or in subtle means such as a socialistic presidential candidate, it is the right of the holders of these freedoms to fiercely protect said freedoms, and never forget the decades upon decades of sacrifice it took to achieve them. It is our duty to protect these freedoms above all. This same concept applies to our presence in Iraq, and in any other country lacking the ability to protect their basic human freedoms on their own. First of all, WE WERE ATTACKED. Engrave that in your hearts and minds. Memorize it. Watch re-runs of the newscasts if you must, but REMEMBER that day. Iraq and its dictatorship harbored the same terrorists groups responsible for these attacks. And they would have continued to harbor them to this day had the United States not taken action. Of course, one is not in the wrong for stating that it was not Saddam Hussein who personally “pushed the button” directing the attacks on September 11th, but consider this: Who attacked us on December 7th, 1941? Japan! And against that country alone did we fight in World War II? Of course not! We fought against all who sought to do the same to our great land and to others around the world. Iraq, as well as a few other countries I could quickly name off here, harbored (and some) still harbor the same ill desire: the complete and total destruction of the United States. Second of all, we are one of the most blessed nations in the world. In general, most of us live long lives of economic and personal ease, free of fear and free of destruction. We do not wake up every morning wondering if on our walk to school we will step on a land mine and lose our leg, or worry if our daily commute to the market will result in the loss of our lives. We worry not about whether the military will show up on our doorstep to arrest us for speaking freely in public. Prison camps, torture cells and rape rooms are not a part of our daily vocabulary. WE ARE BLESSED. Should we not, if we have such abundant resources and domain, seek to help such people in their time of need, just as we would hope for if for any reason our country should one day fall to such a terrible leader? Yes, terrorism still exists in the world. But yet again, so do theft, child molestation, abuse, and other such horrible things, but do we scream that the existence of law enforcement is pointless? Yes, Iraqis, Americans, and their allies have lost their lives in the pursuit of one common thing: Freedom. But remember this: since when did freedom ever come without a price?