Reply #2: Beautifully written and presented

[cidliz2004]

I totally agree with what you said and what your friend said as well.
We do need to "LISTEN" to the other side and to realize that we are not the "good guys" in every single situation. The ME should not be made into a parking lot as so many have said. We, Americans, have "played" in that part of the world for too many years and caused too much bloodshed "though indirect". We enabled Sadam, and Osamma, then condemned them for doing what we a little more than a decade ago congratulated them for. It all depends on how it affects us, does it benefit us or not? When we benefit we turn a blind eye to mass murders and assassination. When it doesn't benefit us, we get up on the old soap box and amass support for some repressive action at best and violent action at the worst. While we turned a blind eye to the mass graves and murder in Iraq not more than a decade ago, we now use for an excuse to kill and maime thousands of innocent civilians to "bring freedom and democracy". It makes me sick.

Your "friend" is in the small group of people that "genuinely" understands the actual ways of our Government and the ME.

Too bad our "media" didn't air "conversations" like these for the American Public to watch and learn from. Not many may watch, but it would be nice to at least make the attempt to give them the chance to hear an honest discussion.