herfacechair -> RE: Dixie Chicks: Radical Chicks? (7/20/2006 7:53:49 PM)
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Saraheli: Their support for charities does not help 'the enemy's' cause, but stating her opinion does? That depends on the opinion being stated. If her opinion is more aligned with what our enemies think, she automatically becomes “Exhibit A” for them to prove their point in their propaganda efforts. Now, when they are speaking out loud for a charity, they are not saying anything of value to the enemy. Hence, they are not helping the enemy’s cause. Saraheli: There are many people that support 'the enemy's' opinion all around the world, even some republicans. Which makes them part of the problem instead of the solution. Unlike a large portion of the world, we don’t believe in appeasement. We don’t believe in hoping that the problem would go away, or that the problem would settle itself. They did that for Iraq for years, until we dropped our foot with them. Keep in mind that we do have support around the world, albait not as much as those that oppose us. The Israelis, for example, are behind us. But again, If you had to deal with terrorism, and have been fighting it for a while, you tend to understand the counter terrorist action done by other counties. Saraheli: She didn't say she supported terrorism, she said she didn't like Bush, there is a BIG difference. Nor did my posts say that she said she supported terrorism. You could condemn terrorism till your face turns blue. If you turn around and badmouth our Commander In Chief, who is actively leading a fight against the terrorists, you provide the terrorists with the ammunition they need for propaganda purposes. She did not say that she supported terrorism. For all practical purposes, she condemns it. But that does not stop her from acting as a mouthpiece for our enemy without even realizing it. Saraheli: As for nobody wanting to look at your pet elephant, you can't look at what isn't there, That is like saying that nobody sees germs because they don’t exist. The elephant in the room is the responsibility that comes with our freedom of speech. Our being responsible for what we say, and holding our tongue when what we say can be used against us, is not only REAL, it is cold hard reality. Hence, the elephant in the room that nobody sees. Saraheli: they're fundamentalist muslims, they would never listen to what a woman says. But that will not stop them from using a woman’s words - or a woman herself - to their advantage. Saraheli: Are you really so unsure of Bush's position Unsure? WRONG. I KNOW George Bush’s position when it comes to the War on Terrorism. Saraheli: that you think people shouldn't make public statements that don't support Bush? If you read my posts, you will see WHERE I delineate when it would be wiser to hold their tongue about Bush and the War. Put simply, public statements casting doubt on Bush adds to the uncertainty of our allies in Iraq of whether we will stay or cut and run with our tails between our legs. Lets not forget what happened in Vietnam. Saraheli: How exactly will 'the enemy' use a statement against Bush by one person? That ONE statement can be mixed with other dissenting statement to be used by the enemy to stop people from working with us. Here, let me explain… The Iraqi people are watching our attitudes. They have access to the news. They are worried about their safety. Deep down inside, they want the U.S. to stay long enough for the Iraqi government to be able to kick butt and take names. They remember the last time they went along with us. Unfortunately, many of those that went along with us ended up in a mass grave. (Post Gulf War uprising) They want to know that we mean business, that we are here to stay. However, the news that they are getting is that popular support for the war is going down, the president is losing support, and people are demanding that we pull the troops out of Iraq and redeploy them back to the U.S. THAT is going to get them thinking that we are losing the will to fight over there, and that it would be a matter of time that we DO cut and run. Self preservation kicks in and many would refuse to cooperate with us in rooting out the terrorists. Which causes our stay over there to be a long one. They would refuse to cooperate because they know that should we cut and run out of there, those that went along with us are going to get summarily executed. And you know what one of their favorite execution methods is. No amount of the anti war/dissenters words affirming their support for the troops, or affirming that we need to stay there until our job is complete, is going to reassure many of these Iraqis that we will stay rather than cut and run. Now, if they saw nothing but resolve and full support for the president, the war, and the military, and they saw that each casualty did not get us to bulge in our resolve, did not get our dissenters into a “Out of Iraq Now” frenzy, they would have confidence in our word that we will stay there until our job is complete. In fact, they would dime the terrorists out without second thought. The president is adamant that we are going to stay the course. But, when you have people criticizing him using a misguided thought process, THAT is going to have more weight in the eyes of the enemy and in the eyes of the people that we are trying to help. That gives them (the enemy) hope that enough people would undermine him to the point that he would not have the support he needs to stay the course. Saraheli: Natalie Maines isn't the be-all-end-all, they realize that, they probably give less credence to what she says than people in the West. Negative. If it casts doubt on their enemies - and Bush is one of their major enemies - they will give it ALLOT of credence. If you don’t believe me, talk to the Vietnam Veterans who spent years in captivity in Vietnam. Words that many people in the states may have taken for granted were effectively used by the Vietnamese to lower POW moral. In the terrorists case, it could be used to convince someone that America does not have the will, that all they have to do is hold on and it will be a matter of time before the dissenters have their way. Saraheli: Celebrities who do things the general public do not like are usually put out of the spotlight and fast. Or they're the celebrities who are celebrities Because we hate them Not quite. It depends on what they did that the general public did not like. In Natalie’s case, she badmouthed the Commander in Chief at a time when he was coordinating the engagement of the enemies that threatened our interests. She suffered a backlash with her fans in the form of CD burnings and boycotts. Saraheli: Natalie Maines and The Dixie Chicks are fairly popular still, and not because we all hate them. You can still be popular even when allot of people hate you, so your statement is beside the point. The Dixie Chicks could have more listeners now had it not been for the people that refuse to listen to their songs, attend their concerts, or buy their CDs. That is an opportunity cost that is almost forever sunk. Even if they don’t need these other audiences, that is a reminder of how much more they could be making over what they are making now. Kind of like a swimmer that wins the 50 meter freestyle on a time that is 10 seconds slower than his fastest time. Saraheli: And again, I fail to see how her statement is going to be used to their advantage... Again, That ONE statement can be mixed with other dissenting statement to be used by the enemy to stop people from working with us. Here, let me explain.. The Iraqi people are watching our attitudes. They have access to the news. They are worried about their safety. Deep down inside, they want the U.S. to stay long enough for the Iraqi government to be able to kick butt and take names. They remember the last time they went along with us. Unfortunately, many of those that went along with us ended up in a mass grave. (Post Gulf War uprising) They want to know that we mean business, that we are here to stay. However, the news that they are getting is that popular support for the war is going down, the president is losing support, and people are demanding that we pull the troops out of Iraq and redeploy them back to the U.S. THAT is going to get them thinking that we are losing the will to fight over there, and that it would be a matter of time that we DO cut and run. Self preservation kicks in and many would refuse to cooperate with us in rooting out the terrorists. Which causes our stay over there to be a long one. They would refuse to cooperate because they know that should we cut and run out of there, those that went along with us are going to get summarily executed. And you know what one of their favorite execution methods is. No amount of the anti war/dissenters words affirming that we need to stay there until our job is complete is going to reassure many of these Iraqis that we will be there. Now, if they saw nothing but resolve and full support for the president, the war, and the military, and they saw that each casualty did not get us to bulge in our resolve, did not get our dissenters into a “Out of Iraq Now” frenzy, they would have confidence in our word that we will stay there until our job is complete. In fact, they would dime the terrorists out without second thought. The president is adamant that we are going to stay the course. But when you have people criticizing him using misguided thought processes, THAT is going to have more weight in the eyes of the enemy and in the eyes of the people that we are trying to help. That gives them (the enemy) hope that enough people would undermine him to the point that he would have no other choice but to cut and run. Saraheli: Maybe she did think of what 'they' would make out of it, and realized that 'they' wouldn't care one way or another. Actually, she was not thinking about that at all. She voiced her discontent with the Commander in Chief’s decision to meet an asymmetrical threat head on. She did not see the big picture, just the fact that he refused to heed the advice of other like minded people. If she thought that the enemy would “not care” about what she said, then she would be severely misguided about how our enemies work. Saraheli: As for the point of her post not being about getting her opinion heard as loudly as a public figure...were we reading the same post? YES, we were talking about the same post. I understood CLEARLY where feastie (sp) was coming from. You have these pop corn farts that think - or act - like they are better or wiser than the people who are actually carrying out the policies that they are criticizing. And many of them don’t realize that we don’t see them on the same pedestal that they see themselves in. What feastie (sp) did was voice a thought that is shared by many of the “red voters”. Saraheli: I wasn't confusing a political agenda with a political opinion. That's why I said political agenda, I would have thought that was obvious. No, it is not obvious. There is a difference between a political agenda and an opinion. An agenda is an action plan. An opinion is just that, an opinion. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/agenda “Something to be done, especially an item on a program or list.” - agenda Where, in this definition, does it describe an opinion? Saraheli: Judging by your posts, and the things you say, I'd guess you fall into the latter category. Your claims that I am one of those that “don’t know any better” was made by someone on another board, who claimed that I was “ignorant” when I was making a point about the war that we are involved with. Read and enjoy: http://www.brazzilbrief.com/viewtopic.php?t=9768&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=180 quote:
As a person thoroughly schooled in philosophy, with a concentration in logic, Outspoken has demonstrably debunked theories and statements absent of logic and merit. What he said in the same post: quote:
No man could produce such responses that illustrate a thorough understanding of the geopolitical circumstance of this "war" and also produce facts to support be ignorant as some have said. I would suggest that you question your own beliefs if someone is presenting an argument that exposes the flaws in your own. To remain strong to debunked theories is as health of breathing your own exhaust. If this sounds unhealth, it is because it is unhealthy. Saraheli: I sense the recurring theme of 'enemies', propaganda. Because it addresses the recurring theme that “they have the right to free speech” that is not accompanied by the “responsibility that comes with our freedom of speech.” Saraheli: Are you worried about something? No, I am not worried about anything, just pointing out a reality that people keep ignoring, given the asymmetrical war that we are involved with. Saraheli: Do you know things we don't? I don’t mean to sound crass and vein, but I have to tell it like it is. Judging by the posts that I am rebutting, that is a resounding YES! However, the information is available, in public libraries, book stores, the internet, etc, that would let many of those that I am rebutting catch up. I would recommend watching POW documentaries where the POW’s talk about the negative impact that certain celebrity’s irresponsible use of their freedom of speech had on them… Saraheli: Are You in touch with the enemy … do you run the propaganda machine? You don’t have to be in touch with the enemy - or run their propaganda machine - to know that they eat up on anti Bush, anti U.S. military, anti US theme speeches, etc. When batches of Fahrenheit 9/11 DVD’s are captured in terrorist safe house raids, a reasonable person HAS to know that the enemy eats up on anti Bush/America drivel. You don’t have to be in touch with the enemy - or be involved with their propaganda efforts - to know that they will use these things to our side’s disadvantage and their side’s advantage, especially given the tales of our Vietnam POWs. You don’t have to be in touch with the enemy - or be involved with their propaganda efforts - to know that they eat up on these things when there are numerous examples in history illustrating that they do these things. Saraheli: If the right-wingers hadn't made such a fuss about it, nobody would have even Heard about it, outside of a small column inside some entertainment magazine. WRONG. The left wing media eats up on things like that. They eat up on anything that does not reflect well on the President or any efforts being carried out by him. If you don’t believe me, compare and contrast the reports we get coming out of Iraq when there are casualties that day, or when there are no casualties that day. Our enemy has access to our left wing media outlets, using history as an example: http://www.amigospais-guaracabuya.org/oagmb009.php "What we still don't understand is why you Americans stopped the bombing of Hanoi. You had us on the ropes. If you had pressed us a little harder, just for another day or two, we were ready to surrender! It was the same at the battles of TET. You defeated us! We knew it, and we thought you knew it. But, we were elated to notice the media were definitely helping us. They were causing more disruption in America than we could in the battlefields. Yes, we were ready to surrender. You had won!" - From the memoirs of General Vo Nguyen Giap, the North Vietnamese general Pay particular attention to the underlined section of the comment.
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