Things that make you go hmmm

[80sU2isBest]

Originally posted by ANI:
What if we chose to
take $1 billion and build the biggest, most beautiful mosque in the
world, right in the heart of Kabul. And what if we gave it as a gift,
no
quid pro quo, as a place for people to feed their spirits? What would
the reaction be? .

Bin Laden would say "thanks for the nice mosque, and oh, by the way, here's another terrorist attack for you."

[A|catura]

Hmmmmm......... well....

Do you really (rationally) think that if we gave the Taliban 20 billion dollars, they would use it to feed the 25 million starving people in that region? Better yet, if we sent them 20 billion dollars worth of food, the Taliban would refuse to give it to the population and let the food rot for all they care.

You have to understand that some of these governments, such as the Taliban, intentionally keep their citizens poor and starving for fear of a revolt.

Yes, I know it's a shock, but unlike most of the bleading-heart liberals want you to believe, The Taliban is extremely corrupt.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

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europeanroundtable.com

[kobayashi]

Originally posted by A|catura:
Hmmmmm......... well....

Do you really (rationally) think that if we gave the Taliban 20 billion dollars, they would use it to feed the 25 million starving people in that region?
......
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

it is not to be taken literally. it's a proposal, an unattainable dream. it's an idea for an entirely different kind of world, one where instead of orchestrating last weeks terrorist attacks for the last couple of years, the taliban(or whoever did this) the group would, i dunno, give the money to the women's groups there and fight for their equality, or something to that effect. just as the u.s. officials could read it so could the taliban, and the n. koreans, and hussein, and my mean english prof from 1st year. tho the others should probably get first dibs.
it's meant to be taken out of our current context.


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'you two will get old.'
Baz Luhrman, 'Everybody's Free(To Wear Sun Screen)'

[ANI]

I received this from a dear friend today and it sums up some thoughts in my own mind that have been rolling around, thought I would share...

My daughter Aine and I were walking in the woods today playing a
game.She was pretending that there were monsters in the forest and that
they were coming to eat us. We had to be vigilant. We had to defend
ourselves. I asked her "What is the plan? What are we going to do if we
see one of the monsters?"

She replied, "Feed them."

"Feed them?" I said.

"Yes," she said. "If we feed them they won't want to eat us."
I think she has the answer there. Imagine if George Bush took that $40
billion that Congress gave him and used it to feed people. Heck, take
$20 billion to fix up US security and clean up New York and use the
other half to feed people. And not just feed them with food. What if we
decided that people's spirits needing feeding too? What if we chose to
take $1 billion and build the biggest, most beautiful mosque in the
world, right in the heart of Kabul. And what if we gave it as a gift,
no
quid pro quo, as a place for people to feed their spirits? What would
the reaction be? What do we want the reaction to be?

We have choices. Seems we could bomb innocent people to death and
celebrate, mirroring the images of this week, and thereby satisfy our
thirst for vengeance. But what would that get us? A world that so
admired the West that it wanted to emulate it in every way and
celebrates its way of life? Or would a large part of the 5 billion
people that don't live in the west see things differently? Would more
people feel as if vengeance was the only possible response, and figure
out more simple and effective ways to terrorize?

We can have that kind of world if we choose it. Or we can take Aine's
advice and feed people. And what would that get us? There is no better
way to rob the world of it's anger and bitterness, jealousy and hate,
than to feed people unconditionally...feed their bodies, minds and
spirits. Build places of learning, places of spirit, places for healing
and nourishment, places of community.

Take that $40 billion dollars and spend it in every neighbourhood in
the
world. Put the world to work growing food, healing people, restoring
land and water, building communities, creating the thin fibres of
connection between peoples, families, communities, cities, nations....
"If we feed them they won't want to eat us." Can you think of a better
form of security?

.................................................................................................................................................................................... ...

For those people who do want to contact our "leaders": Let them know
that personal messages are taken very seriously by politicians. Vicky
Robin (Your Money or Your Life) is suggesting handwritten letters faxed
to the appropriate people.

1) Prime Minister Chretien
Fax 613 941 6900
or
You can go to his website www.pm.gc.ca click on "mailroom" and then
click on "feedback form" and write your own message online. Do be sure
to fill in the personal information, even though it says its optional.
It does make a difference to the credibility of your message if you are
willing to be identified.

2) President Bush Fax 202 456 2461 email president@whitehouse.gov

3) Vice President Cheney
same fax number email vice.president@whitehouse.gov

4) For your local MP, first try doing a search (Canada Web) just
putting
in their name. I found Val Meredith, Stephen Owen and Libby Davies this
way since they all have web sites, and they all have links to how to
contact them.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com ffice ffice" />

5) Write, fax, call news media: tell them you are concerned because so
many people seem to be speaking about reason, measured action, peace
and
caution, and headlines and summaries scream: AMERICA AT WAR,
ATTACK,REVENGE.