Do you believe that terrorists attacked the US on 9/11 because they "Hate our freedoms?"?

Question

I want to hear peoples' opinions and comments on a widely held belief of the current administration and almost all Republican candidates for 2008. They say that our foreign policy has little/nothing to do with th attacks. On the opposing side many Democratic candidates and Ron Paul, a Republican oppose the Iraq war and much of the involvement in the middle east. Ron Paul goes further saying that terrorists largely hate us because "we are over there" and are occupying much of the Muslim world, setting up bases and spreading our influence where it does not belong.

I feel that bombing many countries for decades in various wars and killing hundreds upon hundreds of thousands of civilians (mothers, fathers, children) is what creates hate in these nations. What if China attacked us? It would clearly cause hate and retaliation! We would not stand by while another country started an unjust war against OUR country, why should we expect them to? Terrorists react, they do not start conflicts.

Answer 1

The "they hate us for our freedoms" crowd conveniently ignore the fact that terrorists don't seem to hate Sweden, The Netherlands, or many other places with plenty of freedom. It is not our "freedom" they hate us for. It's what we do with it.

"They hate us for our indiscriminate use of overwhelming power, political, and economic dominance and our support of repressive regimes" doesn't quite have the same ring to it, I guess.

Terrorism is an extreme response to an unjust act (or acts). I agree with The Cricket (to a point). There has been a latent animosity between Muslims and Christians since the time of Abraham which led to many wars during Biblical times due to Imperialism and oppression. This fire has been stoked again in recent times, most likely for the same reasons.

Answer 2

Nobody on this board seems to remember that Saddam gassed hundreds of thousands of Kurds to death. Or that the Taliban was killing anyone that didn't adhere to their wacked out beliefs. Sure, if we weren't over there, trying to help the citizens of those countries the terrorist would not have brought the fight to our front door but they were there already. They were bombing and kidnapping and mutilating already.

More have decided to fight to throw their hat in with the terrorists since the war has began. That is true. The terrorists recruit the same way the Nazi's did. The difference is the Nazi's blamed all their problems on Jews, the terrorists blame everything on the U.S.

We are not blowing up bombs in crowded markets killing women, children and the elderly. We are not killing Iraqi police recruits or military. They arent just attacking US troups. They are killing far more innocents on purpose than we have accidentally.

Osama Bin Laden released a tape not too long ago in which he said, if we want to stop this war all we have to do is convert to Islam.

He wants the entire US to convert. Those are his terms. He doesnt want us to leave the middle east. What does Ron Paul say about that, I wonder?

Answer 3

Both sides are wrong.

Terrorists are not attacking us because of our "freedoms" and it's not because of our foreign policy, either.

In order to find what is REALLY causing the conflict, you'd have to go back more than four thousand years, to a story that's considered a myth by some people. Oh yeah, that story in the Bible about Isaac and Ishmael.

Muslims believe that Ishmael was the true heir. Jews believe it was Isaac. THAT is where the whole thing started.

Ever since then, it's been one battle after the other. This is why the Middle East region is such a mess. Don't believe me? Study the Qur'an, and then study the Bible. You'll see.

Make no mistake, it's a holy war. It's another Crusade. And it's older than the nation of the United States is. Even if we stop supporting Israel, and pull out of the Middle East completely, the war will continue.

Answer 4

Your question is too long to read but, the reason they attacked us is because we are the infidels and it is their plan to lop of the heads of all infidels.

It's not just the US that has had attacks.

Many other countries have been attacked.

Read their Qur'an/Koran.

You will then see how they believe.

You have the internet.

Look up the new French Presidents speech that he made before congress lat week.

He was thanking America for liberating their country from the rule of Hitler.

I'm surprised that you haven't read you history.

“ If you can read this thank a teacher and since it’s in English, thank a soldier !! ”

I'm going to post what a dentist from Australia wrote.

It's long but it tells you like it is.

To Kill an American
You probably missed this in the rush of news, but there was actually a report that someone in Pakistan had published in a newspaper, an offer of a reward to anyone who killed an American, any American.

So an Australian dentist wrote an editorial the following day to let everyone know what an American is. So they would know when they found one. (Good one, mate!!!!)


"An American is English, or French, or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian or Greek. An American may also be Canadian, Mexican, African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Australian, Iranian, Asian, or Arab, or Pakistani or Afghan.


An American may also be a Comanche, Cherokee, Osage, Blackfoot, Navaho, Apache, Seminole or one of the many other tribes known as Native Americans.

An American is Christian, or he could be Jewish, or Buddhist, or Muslim. In fact, there are more Muslims in America than in AfghanistanThe only difference is that in America they are free to worship as each of them chooses.


An American is also free to believe in no religion. For that he will answer only to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming to speak for the government and for God.
1.
An American lives in the most prosperous land in the history of the world.

The root of that prosperity can be found in the Declaration of Independence , which recognizes the God given right of each person to the pursuit of happiness.


An American is generous. Americans have helped out just about every other nation in the world in their time of need, never asking a thing in return.


When Afghanistan was over-run by the Soviet army 20 years ago, Americans came with arms and supplies to enable the people to win back their country!


As of the morning of September 11, Americans had given more than any other nation to the poor in Afghanistan Americans welcome the best of everything...the best products, the best books, the best music, the best food, the best services. But they also welcome the least.


The national symbol of America , The Statue of Liberty , welcomes your tired and your poor, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores, the homeless, tempest tossed. These in fact are the people who built America


Some of them were working in the Twin Towers the morning of September 11, 2001 earning a better life for their families. It's been told that the World Trade Center victims were from at least 30 different countries, cultures, and first languages, including those that aided and abetted the terrorists.

So you can try to kill an American if you must. Hitler did. So did General Tojo, and Stalin, and Mao Tse-Tung, and other blood-thirsty tyrants in the world. But, in doing so you would just be killing yourself. Because Americans are not a particular people from a particular place. They are the embodiment of the human spirit of freedom. Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, is an American.

Answer 5

The 19 cavemen, who where enabled by a totally inapt Government to cause such a stir on 9/11, did it, because they could. Because everybody was asleep on the wheel. Because nobody listened to warnings of the Europeans, which had planes hijacked since 1969. Frankfurt airport had 3000 special police around the clock patrolling and the strict check ins we have today since 1970. The USA needed 9/11 to wake up and prevent an even bigger disaster.
But instead of heads rolling in Government, we got the USA military charging out like a Bull against two tiny desert nations.

Answer 6

I'll admit that like a lot of other people, I initially supported the War in Iraq, but I didn't think we'd screw up so bad.

In retrospect, we should have continued our focus in Afghanistan. We were actually doing what we were suppose to "winning the hearts and minds" of the people. Yes, we use military force to oppose the Taliban and Al Queda, but we also built homes and schools, gave out food, and other supplies to help the people of Afghanistan. If we continued slowly, we would have made a stable and secure Afghanistan, and then used that as an example to the Islamic world that the US can be an ally of Islam and not just the reach oil owners in the Middle East.

Also, while we definitely shouldn't go to war with Iran or anyone else unless we absolutely urgently need to, we don't need a full scale invasion force. We should reasonable be able to deter an attack on the US with Special Operations, Marine and Army advance (recon and airborne) units, and Air Force and Naval strikes. Of course, this assumes that you don't need to have a complete unconditional victory and topple the government, but just take out specific military targets.

Being over there right now is one of the reasons "they hate us". They don't necessarily hate our freedoms, but our negative influence over their lives. I know it'll be hard, but our best shot is to see Iraq through and see that it becomes stable or it could erupt a few decades later. Using the military would be included, but should definitely not be the primary tool. Ensuring stability comes first, start somewhere small, then expand on it. The day that there are people calmly having breakfast at a coffee shop in Iraq is a day we should declare victory.

Answer 7

Bin Laden has told us that our foreign policy - particularly our interventions in the Middle East - is the reason for attacking us.
When Bin Laden first surfaced back in the 80s he was driving the Soviets out of Afghanistan. Since then he has been critical of Saudi Arabia for allowing US troops into the Persian Gulf.
The "hate our freedom" sound bite is there to prevent angry voters from ever actually looking at US policy and actually evaluating whether we do more good than harm. Look at the response to anyone who questions this moronic statement, from Kerry to Paul they are vilified as anti American and pro terrorist. Obviously the less debate going on over US foreign policy the more free US corporations are to gobble up the World's resources with disregard at best and contempt at worst for the suffering they cause.

Answer 8

There at the instant are not any terrorists searching for water rights. you may desire to comprehend the regulation of thirds. in the events maximum suitable as much as the Revolution that regular u.s., not each colonist replaced right into a patriot. approximately one third have been loyalists who wanted to proceed to be British matters. approximately one third have been Patriots who wanted Liberty and something have been busy going approximately their on an time-honored basis lives. In terrorists societies it rather is much greater intense. you have countless people who're too busy scratching out a meager life to care, some who yearn to take excitement in the liberty u.s. has and an demanding center, belligerent, fundamentalist management that does certainly "hate our freedom". it rather is they that spawn the assaults and use faith because of the fact the justification for it. They hate our freedom because of the fact they hate the assumption of freedom. They hate our liberty, our unfastened expression, our openness, our popularity of sexuality and girls folk as equals. All of those issues we carry so expensive are hateful to those that would conceal women folk head to toe and stone them to loss of life for speaking with a guy they don't seem to be bearing directly to. It has not something, in besides to do with materials. After the Palestinians have been granted the Gaza strip what replaced into the 1st element they did? They tore down each and all of the effective greenhouse farms that the Isralies had buit. They so hated the Isralies they might quite flow hungry than consume culmination and vegtibles grown in Jewish outfitted greenhouses. and you think of it has to do with materials? *

Answer 9

I think that is rather a gross generalization.
I suspect the reason, and one can only guess, that the rad types that want to kill, do so because they justify their actions due to our rather agressive policy to getting into the lives of any and all around us.
The world is a smaller place these days. Not much of a problem to go to the other side of the world.
Have you noticed how the US is ALWAYS pushing non Democratic folks into the the Democratic thang? I mean, I like Dem. but I also, in my gut kinda respect the other guys right and need to do as he/she wants ...as long as they don't want to take me down or out.
No way to deal with people that live int he mode ...either I live on and we do it my way, or you die. My way or the die way.
I think some of these people, see us issuing that approach to them. They want to do their own thing ...no matter how funky,
I say let em' be who they are, as long as they don't hurt us.
It's more complicated than that but that's kinda my take.
USA is too agressive, demanding that others become Democratic. That PO people and our troubles come from that. Think Ron Paul feels that way too.

Answer 10

Not at all. It is clear why they attacked us. Ron Paul is 100% ccorrect about why we were attacked. All you need to do is read Bin Ladens first Fatwah, 911 Comission Report, and the CIA's views on the issue.

Telling people that an attack happened because "they don't like you" fuels the fires easily for the uninformed. It is the type of thing that gets people to blindly rally behind whoever is claiming will be the protector...