The War on Terror is Lost

Published on September 22, 2005 By Champas Socialist In Current Events

It’s been coming for a while, slowly but surely. And finally they have won. According to Tony Blair, the aim of the terrorists is to bring an end to “our way of life”. According to George Bush, the terrorists are opposed to our Freedom. They have won.

It started with little things. Changes to our laws. Increased powers for our spies. Increased restrictions on our freedom of speech. Accusations of unpatriotism. But now the line has been crossed.

An innocent civilian in Britain was shot. Dead. Not by terrorists, but by us*. By our police. The people who are paid to protect citizens on British soil shot and killed an innocent civilian. The death penalty by firing squad was carried out as punishment on a tourist. The crime it seems was being late for a train and overdressing. The punishment was irreversible and extremist.

The gravity of this news shocks me far more than the attacks on the WTC, the London underground and the Bali nightclub. There was a genuine, planned agenda with a purpose to those attacks. I don’t agree with the attacks, but the perpetrators had a reason for doing what they did. The police had nothing. No evidence on the man. No suggestion of guilt beyond his attire and his tardiness (and there are suggestions they didn't even have that!). And so they did the job of the terrorists. They stole a citizen’s freedom and sent a message to the rest of us.

I now seriously live in fear for my life. I am an innocent citizen. I sometimes run for trains and I wear a backpack. Sometimes I make inappropriate jokes. I criticise the Government and have occasionally expressed an understanding of where “the enemy” is coming from. The expression of those views may very well soon become illegal. I don’t have an agreement with the “terrorists”, just an understanding and even a little compassion. And I worry now. I worry that some keystone cop is going to think nothing of blowing eight bullets into me if I put a step slightly out of place. I don’t feel free to express myself. I don’t feel free to do the things I want to do. I don’t feel free. Their objective has been achieved. I don’t feel free. I am scared.

*By us, I mean members of the Coalition of the Willing.

Comments (Page 1)

bakerstreet

on Sep 22, 2005

Police shoot innocent people all the time. There were much more than one in New York during the Clinton administration. Did you think it was the end of the free world then? Police make mistakes. Then, opportunistic people drag the corpse around for month and beat their little drum.

Either your paranoia is real, and you need to seek help, or it isn't, and you are using an awful mistake to promote your political views with a dash of fear mongering for good measure.

Champas Socialist

on Sep 22, 2005

It's their justificiation in this instance and the laws supporting it that bother me in this instance. I'm not saying the fear pervades my thoughts constantly: I'm fairly at peace with the concept of dying. But as Williams put it "I'm not scared of dying, I just don't want to". I guess a lot of my fear is more for other people, other people who are possibly more at risk.

Everyone makes mistakes in their jobs. But when that mistake costs someone their life, I damn well think that should be brought up and brought up again. Same as if an innocent civilian kills someone, even by accident, we might be more forgiving, but we darn well punish them anyway.

Champas Socialist

on Sep 22, 2005

BTW, that's a bit hypocritical isn't it, considering how long people have been bringing up the WTC attacks for? That sort of mass killing happens every day everywhere else (and I for one am sick to death of hearing about it) (yes I know my blog contributed last week). But you still hear people rambling on about it.

dabe

on Sep 22, 2005

There are an astounding number of similarities between the Patriot Act, here in the US, and the Nazi playbook. While I wouldn't go so far as to call the dubya admins Nazis, I do think they are definitely moving in that direction.

As far as this dubious war on terrorism, yeah, I agree. It's lost. The terrorists won. They have caused one of the worst knee jerking clamp down of rights in our countries. To me, that's a win for them. For crissakes, our library records?? WTF??????

And, on top of all that, the Taliban are an active, and up and coming organization in Afghanistan again. And, Iraq is seeing some of the bloodiest times of this illegal war against this dubious and nebulous enemy, that it's hard to see the victory through the bloodshed.

But hey, we're building em schools, right? How nice, considering that we bombed them in the first place. And, they still don't have more than an hour or two of electricity. Won????? Bush and Co. should be brought up on criminal charges. Until that's done, we lose.

But, 35% of the jingos continue to clap at the false and lying advances of the dubya dummies.

Island Dog

on Sep 22, 2005

We are not moving in the direction of Nazi's. That is just ridiculous.

As far as this dubious war on terrorism, yeah, I agree. It's lost. The terrorists won. They have caused one of the worst knee jerking clamp down of rights in our countries. To me, that's a win for them. For crissakes, our library records?? WTF??????

Amazing since you haven't lost any of your rights or freedoms. It's nice to know you give in to the terrorists so easy.

And, on top of all that, the Taliban are an active, and up and coming organization in Afghanistan again. And, Iraq is seeing some of the bloodiest times of this illegal war against this dubious and nebulous enemy, that it's hard to see the victory through the bloodshed.

The war in Iraq was not illegal. Do you take the time to read the progress made in both countries or do you just read the MSM headlines?

But hey, we're building em schools, right? How nice, considering that we bombed them in the first place. And, they still don't have more than an hour or two of electricity. Won????? Bush and Co. should be brought up on criminal charges. Until that's done, we lose.

I have already posted how the electricity in Iraq is better than when Saddam was in power. And as far as criminal charges are concerned, there is no basis for them.

But, 35% of the jingos continue to clap at the false and lying advances of the dubya dummies.

You mean 35% of 1000 Americans in a biased media poll. Please be clear about that.

Gene Nash

on Sep 22, 2005

That sort of mass killing happens every day everywhere else

Every day? Everywhere?

Thousands of citizens from one country are killed in less than a couple hours by religious zealots from another country every day, everywhere?

(You did say That sort of mass killing.... But even then, isn't the "everyday... everywhere" more than a little difficult to support?)

MythicalMino

on Sep 22, 2005

Hmmm....I know I read that John Kerry, along with many other democrats, signed the Patriot Act into law. In fact, I know Kerry was spouting off from the hip that he planned on making the Patriot Act even stronger.

But it was ok for those same schools to be used as ammunition depots and bases for "military" strikes?

I suppose next you are going to say that the insurgents are freedom fighters, simply fighting to protect freedom in the middle east....oh wait....

COL Gene

on Sep 22, 2005

If you define winning as changing the American life style then the terrotists have won. I acknowledge our daily life has changed but I believe we are in a vary long struggle. We win some days and lose on other days. The issue for me is how effectively are we using our limited resources to conduct this fight . This fight is very different then ANY other war. Bush is NOT effectively fighting this war. The Iraq War has not made us safer and has consumed both human and financial resources. We have created many new enemies that are willing to do things like 9/11 or the London Bombings. We have used our resourses to create more terrorists.

Island Dog

on Sep 22, 2005

Bush is NOT effectively fighting this war. The Iraq War has not made us safer and has consumed both human and financial resources. We have created many new enemies that are willing to do things like 9/11 or the London Bombings. We have used our resourses to create more terrorists.

Col, the war on terrorism started a long time ago. Our country was attacked long before Sept. 11 and we had a President who refused to act because he was afraid of "offending" people or "creating" new enemies. Bush is the first President to stand up and fight islamic terrorists.

As far as linking the Iraq war with Sept. 11 and London is absurd. First of all Sept. 11 happened first, what do you blame that on? The London bombings woudl have happened regardless if we were in Iraq or not. If they didn't use Iraq as the propaganda excuse, it would probably be blamed on Israel, and if not Israel than something else. Islamists want a world wide islamic state, nothing less.

ParaTed2k

on Sep 22, 2005

Yes, on that day, with that tragedy, that battle in the war on terror was lost. However, you and I are still able to speak out for or against our governments openly with no fear or threat of punishment from our government. So, while we have suffered losses, respectfully I disagree, the war is far from being lost.

COL Gene

on Sep 22, 2005

Bush used our resources to attack an EVIL Dictator but not someone that was and danger to the United States. We have used many times the resources aginst Iraq then aginst the people responsible for 9/11 and the other attacks before 9/11. We have created many NEW enemies because we invaded Iraq both in Iraq and through out the Moslem world! We are NOT safer for the 1,900 dead, 35,000 injured and the $300 billion we have used in the Iraq War.

Island Dog

on Sep 22, 2005

Bush used our resources to attack an EVIL Dictator but not someone that was and danger to the United States.

Col, democrats said Iraq was a threat to the U.S., were they lying?

We have created many NEW enemies because we invaded Iraq both in Iraq and through out the Moslem world! We are NOT safer for the 1,900 dead, 35,000 injured and the $300 billion we have used in the Iraq War.

Col, it doesn't take much to make enemies in the muslim world. Apparantly ice cream offends them now. The removal of Saddam, the democratic elections and movements happening in the Middle East is just what was needed. If it was up to people like you Saddam would still be in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Terrorists would be running every country just because you don't want to "offend" them. You are the reason democrats don't get elected.

FishHead

on Sep 26, 2005

Just a small tip to avoiding the bullets Champas, when police tell you to stop, presumably to check if you have something in your bag, stop. Don't run, it makes cops nervous.

Champas Socialist

on Sep 27, 2005

Fair points all round, except for of course, Island Dog. I don't expect any different from the new drmiler though.

I've expressed my view, no one has swayed me here, but I accept what you all have to say (particularly, from the opposition benches, ParaTed).

Thanks for the tip FishHead...while I'm about it I might just get something to make my skin just that little bit less olivey-coloured too ay! (Oh and I'll leave the turban at home).

kingbee

on Sep 27, 2005

Our country was attacked long before Sept. 11 and we had a President who refused to act because he was afraid of "offending" people or "creating" new enemies

and now we have a cia director who says he knows where bin laden is but confesses it would require stepping on some toes to get him--toes which seem most likely to be attached to the feet of those who helped north korea become a nuclear power and put iran on the fast track to getting there.

as far as reagan withdrawing from lebanon after the terrorist bombing in beirut or former president bush not taking saddam out when he coulda easily done so, perhaps you're being a bit too critical. after all, they were busy waging war to prevent the us from being invaded by grenada and panama.

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