60 minutes last night

[Aaron Brachowitz]

Very disturbing. Several stories paint a grim picture of the future:

1) We let just about anybody come into this country, and pay no attention to whether they leave when their visas expire, or whether they're actually doing what they stated they would be doing (i.e. attending school).

2) The cult of the suicide-bomber is becoming quite entrenched and fashionable in parts of the Arab world. There is a large supply of potential future bombers, and you need not be mentally ill in any way to pursue that calling.

3) Even fairly ordinary Arabs in so-called moderate Arab states view the attack through a viciously distorted lens. Americans deserved the attack. It was not committed by Arabs. It was all coordinated by the Israeli Mossad to generate hatred against Arabs.

But on the bright side...wait, there is no bright side.

It's amazing how much those Arabs hate Israel. It seemed like they were lining up to suicide bomb against them.

I wouldn't worry about it as an American though. GWB is out courting and strengthening relationships with the Arab & Muslim world. Soon they will see us as even handed in their battle with Israel, like they see China, Japan, France and Germany.

[Spectrum]

As long as the US provides more than $10 billion in military aid to Isreal every year, I don't think we will be seen as even handed. Also, the worst kept secret is that the Isrealis have the bomb. How come the USA doesn't impose sanctions against Isreal like it does with India and Pakistan?

Answer: We are not even handed with the dealings of Isreal. We are very partial to their welfare. If Syria or Egypt conquered the Israeli army, do you think they would have stopped at confiscating some desert land inbetween the two contries? Isreal is a force for civilazation in the middle east.

[Traci]

I watched most of 60 Minutes last night and 2 things jumped out at me:

1) The glory attributed to the "martyr" - he is assured a place in the afterlife with many rewards the most glorious of which is 70 virgin wives.

2) They showed pictures of the hijackers - they were all young men who looked about 18-22 years of age.

Honestly - I am not trying to make light of this in ANY way - and I'm also not trying to make a dumb joke: But is there some connection here?

Is there a primal testosterone link???

They interviewed a couple of young would-be suicide bombers and neither expressed any reluctance to die for the reward that awaited him.

[Guerilla poster]

Young men are always the most dangerous group in any society for many reasons.

It is the older evil men and women that brandish this weapon for their own good.

[The Mister]

On 2001-09-24 13:52, Traci wrote:
Is there a primal testosterone link???

<font size=2>I might not use the same phrasing, but IMO of course there is, just as there is with any physical conflict, whether we're talking about Monday Night Football, the latest schoolground bullying, challenging thee to a duel, or all-out war.

Why else do you think we have cheerleaders? For the same reason boxing managers don't let their fighters get laid the night before a fight.

On 2001-09-24 13:52, Traci wrote:
I watched most of 60 Minutes last night and 2 things jumped out at me:

1) The glory attributed to the "martyr" - he is assured a place in the afterlife with many rewards the most glorious of which is 70 virgin wives.

2) They showed pictures of the hijackers - they were all young men who looked about 18-22 years of age.

Honestly - I am not trying to make light of this in ANY way - and I'm also not trying to make a dumb joke: But is there some connection here?

Is there a primal testosterone link???

They interviewed a couple of young would-be suicide bombers and neither expressed any reluctance to die for the reward that awaited him.

We were debating the whole virgin issue until you rudely (not unlike you) deleted it.

[Traci]

Perhaps you should have used better judgement in how you debated it.

[Extreme Extremist]

Honestly - I am not trying to make light of this in ANY way - and I'm also not trying to make a dumb joke: But is there some connection here?

Is there a primal testosterone link???

Maybe we could send them some single young women with a loose attitude towards sex. As someone who has suffered immensely from my level of testosterone, I know that I am always calmer when I am getting some.

[The Mister]

anon wrote:
We were debating the whole virgin issue until you rudely (not unlike you) deleted it.

Then

Traci wrote:
Perhaps you should have used better judgement in how you debated it.

<font size=2>But anon is a master debater. Wait, did I misspell that?