As long as there are people like you, and I’m sure there are many, America have hopes and the rest of the world can look forward to a more peaceful future.

We need capacity-building strategies, not the opposite (like destroying a nation’s deep-seated values & faiths), to bring nations closer together for peaceful resolutions. We also need to do one step further. As individuals, we can all play a part in getting to know more of other people’s culture, beliefs and values. That way we can be more tolerant of the differences between us, and offer our individual assistance where/when appropriate. For a start, we can setup direct communication channels where we can interact closely, both physically and intellectually. Eventually, we can grow into having real physical activities/contacts between two very different peoples/cultures.

I have an idea if you are game, wpatrickm. Everyone else can also do this.

Let us both try to bring our two communities together (in the neighbourhood blocks where we both live) through a blogsite. Call it the “Cross-Culture Community Development Program” Blog, “Twin-Neighbourhood” Blog, or any other suitable name to reflect this non-profit intention. We’ll both try to garner our own community’s support for this program. We can then have strong, civilised, constructive, intellectual exchanges between us two little communities. Members of the blog are on an “invitation only” basis – open to all residence of our two neighbourhood blocks. When its proved successful, it’ll hopefully grow from mere blogsite intellectual exchanges into more physical cross-culture activities.

The goal is to get to know each other’s culture, values and belief systems on a real person-to-person basis, so that we can share what we’ve learnt together with others in our own country, and eliminate as much the misconceptions, fear and misunderstandings between us. Who knows, someday there might even be some opportunities for little trade exchanges. Hopefully, other people will catch on to this idea, and they’ll grow from twin-neighbourhood concept into twin-towns, twin-cities, etc.

Let’s use technology to build capacity for working together, not destroying each other.

Well, it’s just a thought. Anyone game for this?

A person should never take pleasure in killing another person for whatever reason it might be. Killing is wrong but to take pleasure in killing is worst.

America is about Freedom and Peace not war. I disagree with being isolationist. It’s not going to solve the problem that we will have to face sooner or later. We are all human. I believe our countries should do what is best for the world so we are all at peace. Remove all the things that cause a war like Nuclear energy and weapons. The middle east needs to do more passive tactics on removing terrorists/extremists in their countries. Provide more education and raise the economy that their is a larger middle class and less proverty. Programs need to be setup so both the west and east can understand eachother better.

I believe the majority of people on both sides want peace. We just have misunderstandings. When I was in the middle east the locals would just ask “Why this or Why that? about America” It’s my observation they don’t know what were doing in the middle east. We need to communicate more with eachother rather than through movies and music.

“British commander says war in Afghanistan cannot be won
Sun Oct 5, 2008 11:43am
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s commander in Afghanistan has said the war against the Taliban cannot be won, the Sunday Times reported.

It quoted Brigadier Mark Carleton-Smith as saying in an interview that if the Taliban were willing to talk, then that might be “precisely the sort of progress” needed to end the insurgency.

“We’re not going to win this war….” he said.

You are a disgrace! If he is troubled you don’t coax him to kill himself. He volunteered to do what the Commander and Chief has ordered him to do, regardless of Democrat or Republican.

The WTC was struck on 9-11 and he had joined out of anger. This is his response to an attack on OUR country. If war has made him what he is then it is the extremists that have caused it by attacking first.

I truly feel sorry that this man has killed. I have not been in his shoes to quantify the situation. Only he knows what happened.

You should be ashamed to tell a service member to kill himself. I’m going to report this to the State Department and notify them of this plight for his suicide.

It’s a said day for you sir! I will not respond to anything you write. You are nothing!

God bless the US and OUR TROOPS!!!!

November 26, 2007 – Earlier this year, using the clout that only major broadcast networks seem capable of mustering, CBS News contacted the governments of all 50 states requesting their official records of death by suicide going back 12 years. They heard back from 45 of the 50. From the mountains of gathered information, they sifted out the suicides of those Americans who had served in the armed forces. What they discovered is that in 2005 alone — and remember, this is just in 45 states — there were at least 6,256 veteran suicides, 120 every week for a year and an average of 17 every day.”
My point is this, If you are so justified in your patriotism and fighting for good against evil, why are you guys killing yourselfs?
I could accept if victim of catholic priest moestation committed suicide, or some criminal or prostitutes, pornstars BUT YOU, FREEDOM FIGHTERS!
I think you later on discover that you were actually “killers” and “murderers”.

For instance, what did Iraq have to do with 911? NOTHING. CIA says NOTHING!