CONTACT US   SUBSCRIBE   PREMIUM   ADVERTISING

74F Hi 88F
Lo 70F

Recent Blog Posts

Reader comment on:
... And Prepare To Use Your Guns

Submitted by matt, Mar 29, 2007 21:45

Okay, so the Iranians have

1. "Kidnapped" British sailors

2. May be physcially abusing and humiliating them

3. Are likely to stage a "show" trial

Things that America (and Great Britian too) does to hundreds, perhaps thousands of innocent Middle Easterners who are "suspected" of terrorism.

1. "Kidnap" them

2. We physcially abuse and humiliate them. Oh, but apparantly that's okay, because we need to extract information from them to prevent future terrorist attacks. Hey, America even now has acceptable forms of torture. Oh, but we don't call it torture, and it is okay because it is prescribed in law. That makes us so much better than the Iranians.

3. Have "show" trials in which habeous corpus rights do not apply and the accused are often condemned by evidence that is nothing more than hearsay and speculation.

Before everyone gets all self-rightous, we need to remember that what our government does is no better than what the Iranian government is doing right now.

Some may argue that the difference is that they are terrorists and the people they have kidnapped are noble soldiers. Well, first of all, many people we "detain" are not terrorists. Secondly, terrorism is a mirror image term. Who decides who is a terrorist? We call Islamic fundamentalists terrorists because they use unconventional tactics and sometimes kill innocent people, but do you honestly think they consider themselves terrorists? And , through their eyes, who are the terrorists? You guessed it, American and British soldiers. You have to be extremely niave to and ignorant to believe that our soldiers never kill innocent people. Sometimes they even do it intentionally out of anger.

So, wheres the international outrage when America scoops up innocent people from around the Middle East and sends them to Guantanamo Bay for an indefinite amount of time? Its there, but people in the Western world just are not listening, no do most of them care.

Most people have an attitude like "Hey. we're America. We do what we want"


Note: Comments are screened, and in some cases edited, before posting. We reserve the right to reject anything we find objectionable.

Other reader comments on this article

Comment By Date

Okay, so the Iranians have

1. "Kidnapped" British sailors

2. May be physcially abusing and humiliating them

3. Are likely to stage a...

matt 

Mar 29, 2007 21:45

What would Lord Nelson say: "England expects that every man will do his duty ..."

Duty, honor, we once knew what... [MORE]

Jason Pappas 

Mar 29, 2007 12:42

As an Australian living in London I've watched this circus for the last few years with sad amusement: A president... [MORE]

Karajaal 

Mar 29, 2007 12:36

I'm inclined to agree entirely. As an Englishman, I too am stunned that our brave troops are sent to operate... [MORE]

Andrew Morgan 

Mar 29, 2007 04:41

Well, you certainly have THIS American's support, and just about every other American I have talked with as well. It... [MORE]

Chris Kennedy 

Mar 29, 2007 09:52

why is the british government sending our armed forces to quite rightly help with the war on terror with one... [MORE]

Colin slade 

Mar 29, 2007 04:39

Daniel Johnson needs to realize that he is fighting armchair warfare of a past era. Gunboat diplomacy was a bully... [MORE]

jim 

Mar 29, 2007 04:30

Jim, please get a clue. Appeasement is not the first word in the "A" section of the dictionary, nor the... [MORE]

John 

Mar 29, 2007 08:02

It is sickening to here this phrase: "UN mandate". US and Briton defied UN and world openion and attack IRAQ.... [MORE]

Rehmat Kundi 

Mar 29, 2007 03:56

Why are we (as an international community) pacifying the school-yard bullies of the world? There is no excuse for the... [MORE]

D Smith 

Mar 29, 2007 03:41

The business of war is a serious human tragedy. People die following decisions taken by leaders, thousand and thousands of... [MORE]

JJ 

Mar 29, 2007 03:41

what was the hms cornwall doing to protect there people doesnt radar pick up from distance approaching unidentified boats a... [MORE]

gray tom 

Mar 29, 2007 03:28

First off, Would the British have opened fire, the 4 Iranian boats equipped with Machine Guns and Rocket Launchers would... [MORE]

HELLBENT 

Mar 29, 2007 03:25

Your article assumes a simple but questionable preface - that the American way is the right way. The British do... [MORE]

clive davis 

Mar 29, 2007 03:18

Over 90% of the world at large think the USA is wrong to be involved in Iraq, over 90% of... [MORE]

John Sinclair 

Mar 29, 2007 03:07

You want us to behave more like Israelis, where shall we start ?
Lets try running roughshod over neighbouring countries human... [MORE]

Andrew 

Mar 29, 2007 02:58

Another intelligent suggestion by Daniel Johnson published in the NY Sun.

Perhaps Iran should also give the US/Britian an ultimatum to... [MORE]

Amin 

Mar 29, 2007 02:42

"President Bush does not want a showdown with Iran until he is ready for one" Excuse me, of course he does!... [MORE]

Jim Eaton 

Mar 29, 2007 02:37

Mr Johnson has definitely struck paydirt on his grasp of the situation. I honestly doubt we will see any... [MORE]

John Cogswell 

Mar 29, 2007 02:25

Total rubish and propaganda to support war with Iran. The waters where the Brits were captured are very close to... [MORE]

Misha Goldsmith 

Mar 29, 2007 02:24

Let us not forget that incoming president-elect ronnie reagan conducted secret talks

with the hostage-takers and others and struck a deal... [MORE]

tucanofulano 

Mar 29, 2007 02:23

I suggest gung-ho people like you should not be in the news making or opinion business. Because of stupidities and... [MORE]

Malik 

Mar 29, 2007 02:23

I was just wondering all of you Islamist apologists, where is you indignation when Muslims force their religious values on... [MORE]

PRO USA 

Mar 29, 2007 12:54

The failure to automatically answer this IMPORTANT question is ALWAYS present in popular news media, so I ask: "on the... [MORE]

illya 

Mar 29, 2007 02:19

At the same time, a BBC journalist is a hostage in Gaza. It is all jihad.

[MORE]

Richard 

Mar 29, 2007 10:20

where is the International Red Cross to condem the Iranians over lack of access to these POW??where is Amnesty International... [MORE]

xzavier brown 

Mar 29, 2007 01:51

Comment on ... And Prepare To Use Your Guns

    Before submitting your comment, please provide a valid email address to complete the verification process.

    Fall Education
    A New York Sun Advertorial Section

    NEW YORK ›

    A Surge of Support for the Sun Voiced by Leaders in the City

    19 Columbia Freshmen Jump to the Ivy League From the Armed Forces

    2 Arrested for Running Prostitution Ring

    Community Organizers 'Appalled' by Their Portrayal

    City Teacher Charged With Section 8 Fraud

    More School Construction Is Urged for Manhattan

    NATIONAL ›

    Detroit Mayor To Step Down: 'I Lied Under Oath'

    Jobless Rate Jumps to 5-year High

    Palin Speech Draws More Than 40 Million Viewers

    Abortion Rights Group Sees 'Discrepancy' in Palin Stance

    Abramoff Sentenced to Four Years in Corruption Scandal

    Bruno Draws Tough Obama-Spitzer Parallels

    ARTS+ ›

    This Old House: Godfrey Cheshire's Family History

    Alan Ball Is Looking for Trouble

    Latinbeart 2008: The Heart of Latin America Is Strong

    'Mister Foe': The Boy Who Cried Mother

    'Everybody Wants To Be Italian': Love Is Never Saying ... Anything

    'August Evening': A Repressed Family in the Land of the Free