More For Andy a part at a time

Andy it is a weird kind of fun to have this conversation with you. When my feelings and thoughts are respected I enjoy sharing them...even though we clearly disagree on many things it is a wonderful eye opener for me..Also I must bow to you and admit you truly are much more consistently and widely informed than I on a great deal of this..There have been many great spans of time over the past years (even prior to 9/11) when I did not follow or listen to the radio or TV or research it ad nauseam on the internet. I found it too negative and frankly felt I was poisoning myself needlessly. I found the quality of my life greatly improved when I was not listening or watching news and instead was listening to Mozart and stuff like Tony Robbins and Napoleon Hill. I knew that big news would make it through my block and indeed much of the big news like 9/11, the crash of the space shuttle, and those sniper guys back in the East came to me via phone calls and emails from friends who knew I didn't listen to the radio or watch TV. My parents (complete TiVO and TV addicts) finally insisted on putting an antenna on my roof in 2003 as they couldn't cope without the blaring when they visited and my mom was staying with me after Nethan was born.
I think we both know our arguments/explanations are not meant to sway the other but are out of desire for clarity and curiousity. I am glad we both appreciate the discourse and I would never ever denigrade myself by name-calling or the like...Unfortunately I have found with many of my other Dem friends that although they don't lower themselves to calling me names there is no tolerance or respect for my different and yet in my opinion valid views. I can somehow extend to them that their Dem thinking is valid but don't agree. It pains me when I don't feel the same respect is extended to me...I hope that makes sense and why I am enjoying this...I think being understood and respected is far more important than being agreed with or being right...

Crystal!

Thanks so much for taking the time to elucidate your thoughts on these matters. As I said, I'm genuinely curious about your viewpoint and, while I can't say your arguments swayed me at all, I definitely feel like I have a much deeper understanding of your hopes and fears going into the election, as well as those of many Americans. Well said.

If it's OK, I'd like to give my own two cents, again in the most respectful way that I can....

First off, philosophically I have to say I disagree with your premise that the "war on terror" (which always sounds a bit jingo-istic to me and doesn't really have any meaning) is tied to Iraq. There is absolutely no evidence connecting Iraq to the events of September 11th. And yet what was the line the Bush administration was giving us? Time and time again, Dick Cheney, the The President, Condoleeza Rice, Scott McClelland: they all made a connection between 9/11 and Saddam Hussein that did not exist.

I went back and re-read what I wrote because I wasn't sure I meant or wrote that the war on terror is tied to Iraq...I can see now how that by writing I said it was part it sounds like I think it is tied but to me there is a subtle distinction which I am not sure I can eludcidate as well as you do. I never needed a connection or evidence that Saddam was connected with 9/11!!! Although those you mentioned above tried to make a connection I never bought it either!!! Sure it and WMD were the way to try to sell it to America and has come back to bite them but in my opinion Saddam/Iraq was a murderous terrorist state that needed to be gone. I don't consider Saddam a legitimate leader...I consider him a terrorist. Perhaps more so than Osama. I don't think that terrorism is synonymous with Osama and Al-qaeda...I hope I am not throwing oranges in with apples and muddling things and I hope if I am you will respectfully let me know.."War on terror" is indeed an abused term. I think, if you can forgive the use of the term another time, the "war on terror" is about a great offense and about spreading democracy. This spread of democracy is ok with me. I don't like that it is in our best interest but I do think it is in our best interest. When Iraq becomes a democracy, in my mind it will mean we the USA will have helped turn an awful nasty area of the world with only Israel as our ally surrounded by enemies into an area with two enemies (Syria and Iran) surrounded by allies (Israel, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia). Indeed I hope the whole world takes notice.
Ok-I will post more in another post but for now I gotta run to go earn some bacon to bring it home to fry it up in afor the munchkins so I can hopefully watch the debate in peace. Please oh please let the issue of illegal immigration be considered a topic for domestic issues tonight...

Comments

[Andy]

As always, Crystal, you rock! Thanks for the answer back. I look forward to reading the rest of what you have to say on the matter.