Poppies

[agent pondscum]

is it in Saving private ryan, where theres a bit where they go past a war memorial and they all say thank you? ?
anyway after watever movie it was was released some1 went to this HHHUUUUGGGGEEE cemetary near newcastle and posted up this huge banner that said the people of sandgate (the suburb where the cemetary is ) say thank you. right in front of where the memorial is, its right by the road and all these ppl were beeping their horns in support, then all these people were ringing local talk back radio saying it was disrespectful. i think that it was one of the most moving things ive seen, the people who put it up put a heap of time in2 the banner and it was a sign of respect that we had the freedom to put that sign up because of them!

[chantel]

wow that's such an excellent story, how can anyone see that as disrespectful- too often we become blasae (however you spell it) abot things like war memorials, because we see them everyday but that is such a great idea.
going to an anzac day ceremony in turkey is one of my big aims in the next couple of years although next year i think i might attend one in japan which might feel a little strange- kinda like watching pearl harbour in japan, i felt embarassed watching it in a cinema with a lot of elder japanese people around.

[sam]

Hmm..I don't get this Afghan stuff.  People are being manipulated by the media.  Afghan BAD, all towel heads die, etc.  There is ultimately no right to the situation, America's history and actions are as checkered as any other country's.  Your forgetting that 9/11 was an act of retaliation in the first place.  Retaliation against a government that is evil (however, well hidden) and their actions.  Things like Vietnam where America terribly screwed up (Carpet Bombing of Hanoi, My Lai Massacre, etc), Iraq (Military action was needed, but not when 100,000 civilians had to die for it) and recently I've been watching CNN and there has been talk of extending their current campaign to the rest of the Al Qaeda network - meanign bombing of in upwards of 60 countries, starting with the Phillipines.  That is ridiculous.  I could go on but I'm hungry.

[TLCM]

I agree with you,  I could go on for ages about how and why I agree with you but you pretty much summed up my thoughts and I couldn't be bothered to think up something really long and factual at the moment.

[scheibes]

in answer to slightly_shambled , we never did watch much tv at school, but we had some teachers who mainly just instilled in us that we shouldn't believe what we read and see in the news, there's always gonna be some bias
it's happened all through out history and still continues to happen
i'm just sick of the way the US "markets" the war , as if to say it's all ok, there seems to be a lot of mistaken targets and they seem to hit them pretty well

[bossman]

I can't see how people think the US Gov is evil, that just mystifies me.  All they're trying to do is make it safer for their citizens.  I feel sorry for the afghan civilans in the camps but not the taliban, they brought this shit on them selves.  Can people tell me what America has done to Osama Bin Laden to make him hate them so much, the answer is nothing.  Why he hates america, is because america supports israel.  People seem to forget it was the yanks who helped the afghans defeat the soviets (admittedly, it was in their best interests).  The world is a fucked up place

[agent pondscum]

i think that maybe just maybe that if you are under a label then all the sudden you believe 100% in wat that faction is doing!
ive heard stories bout no music no smiling no singing no playing no games no women etc etc etc, then they talked to the resuced aid workers and they said that they were really nice, that they had fruit and veges all the time that they were not mistreated etc etc
i think that there are varying degrees.
i just cant understand the logic of the us gov.!
isnt war terrorism? ? ? ? ?
is this a school yard fight where the one with the most mates on his side wins ? ? ? ? ?
you decide, its your opinion so i think you should form it yourself!  ;D

[scheibes]

it just stems from the US way of doing things if u ask me
they were the ones who trained osama and his men to help rid afghan of the soviets, gave them weapons etc
and now they have turned on them
sure it sounds good to have the world rid of terriorism but is it really possible?

[sam]

People speak out against the Taliban because of their rules, etc.  Yes, September 11th was a terrible thing, unjust and all, but it still comes down to beliefs.  It is accepted that murder is wrong, but what if somebody see's it from the other side of the coin?  Of course in America, the Government dishes out the life.  I'd prefer someone to rot in prison than die, where there is no concious and they are completely free once again.  Sure the Taliban may have no music, etc, as laws, but we have no murder, no vandalism, rape...the list goes on.  Utopia is not possible, but a comparatively just society is, one where we can all get along.  Which was beginning to come together before 9/11, which, I agree the Taliban should be blamed for.  Blame them for their actions, not their beliefs.