Why did i make some anti-troop supporters cry a thousand tears?

Question

I showed them this...

"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."

- John Stuart Mill

Its amazing how some people just love to assume things. Here is a hint for those that have reading comprehension problems... Anti-troop does not equal anti-war.

Answer 1

Stop pretending you're Erudite, clone. I know he likes to ask weird questions, but you don't have to pretend to be him to make him hated. Grow up.

I may not like his questions, but I know not to take them seriously.

Answer 2

If you're going to show someone a quote, show them the entire quote. The people against the war are simply saying that Iraq is not and never has been a good cause.

“But war, in a good cause, is not the greatest evil which a nation can suffer. War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things: the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks nothing worth a war, is worse. When a people are used as mere human instruments for firing cannon or thrusting bayonets, in the service and for the selfish purposes of a master, such war degrades a people. A war to protect other human beings against tyrannical injustice – a war to give victory to their own ideas of right and good, and which is their own war, carried on for an honest purpose by their free choice – is often the means of their regeneration. A man who has nothing which he is willing to fight for, nothing which he cares more about than he does about his personal safety, is a miserable creature who has no chance of being free, unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself. As long as justice and injustice have not terminated their ever-renewing fight for ascendancy in the affairs of mankind, human beings must be willing, when need is, to do battle for the one against the other.”

Answer 3

J S Mill was right - there must be things greater than ourselves that at some point we have to fight to keep them, but we need to be very very careful that what we fight for is a good fight, not something imposed on us for someone elses benefit. In the current situation, the Taliban regime in Afghanistan was involved in the attack on the US, Saddam on the other hand, while being one of the worst leaders on the planet was not. The reasons for going into Afghanistan were defensible, the reasons for going into Iraq have changed as each one is found to be false. That so many young men and women have given so much for this is a tragedy. It is not the fault of the people on the ground - ask instead who send them and why and did they give them what they needed for the job they were being asked to do - so shed a thousand times a thousand tears and say a thousand times a thousand prayers for each one of them.

Answer 4

Good speech but I feel we are beyond the rhetoric that has been ingrained into your head son. The world is small now
in an information sense it hasn't changes in size ha. Anyway man we have a Good country but not that good our economy sucks jobs do not pay anywhere close enough at the minimum level to get ahead. I think that poverty is a cycle that is created by a system of classes that has been established in America. We got attacked on 9/11 because of reasons we will never know you can assume oil funding was cut off who knows yet another cover up by the us government. You are proud and willing to fight for your country OK the us doesn't even supply the military the basic needs and at the same time the pay sucks
they shortcut on supplies and generally the brass I guess views soldiers as items or bodies x amount=this much productivity. Really man i like people with pride but you have been brainwashed im sorry but is the USA really getting attacked are you really fighting for your country or oil/who knows what?

Answer 5

The lesser men have always sat and criticized the efforts of better men, then enjoyed the fruits of their labor.
As Americans, we have been given a gift by the sacrifices and hardships of our forefathers that should not be ours alone. Freedom is a natural right to all people and we have a hard won duty to share this gift to all people.
It is our duty to carry the torch of freedom (the one that Lady Liberty holds in her hand) to all points on the globe, whether you like the politics or the justification.
All men and women were born to be a free people, free to choose among them those to govern them.
It's not for us to say, "They have never had freedom, so they don't want it, or, they don't know any other way, so they should continue to be subjugated."
We did not know freedom before 1776 either.

Answer 6

Typical con show part of a quote that looks on face value to be valid, instead of the whole quote that devalues their position.

The only thing that makes me cry are all the Innocent people that have to die so you (most likely a coward) can feel safe.

Answer 7

Great quote! The "no war at all costs" crowd won't get it until they are face to face with real oppression. This generation has not seen anything like that. (Lucky for them, but that may change... Be careful what you ask for!)

Answer 8

Seems now you want to stand on both sides of the Fence!!!
Even more unbelievable as you are a self-confessed anti-war / anti US lover.

Answer 9

It's a good quote. I agree entirely. There must be a line where civilized people will make a stand and fight to protect their civilization and their way of life. But when a person chooses to attack someone who did not attack them or lacks the practical means to attack them, I do not consider them civilized. There is a difference between protecting your civilization and your way of life and being an aggressor.

We attacked Afghanistan after implicating them in an attack on us. I think it was probably just and deserved.

We attacked Iraq on the suspicion that they might have the capability to one day attack us and we considered their leader a nasty person. Sort of like your neighbor shooting you in the face because he heard someone say you might like to one day own a gun.

Your quote is nice but it does not apply to our current conflict.

Answer 10

The protected are sometimes blissfully ignorant of the very existence of their lucky stars. So, they never thank their lucky stars! Proper humans, always remember to count their blessings, and truly understand "Thanksgiving!" - in every breath...