Thread: Ten Years After 9/11, Looks Like Bin Laden Won

No.
But the wars are now more in the public since 9/11.

I don't conisder a lot of peopel opening their eyes and seeing the world as it is beyond our borders for a vast portion of humanity to be loss.
Yup Pollyanna, the world is a dark and horrible place and neighbors will burn each other to death for any dozens of pretenses to expand their access to a pitifully small portion of resources. What hope is there in a world where people can strike against those that arent' by any classical definition neighbors?

We have let paranoia over-rule prudence, pretense and posture has been presented as effective policy and we have allowed the character of our nation to be undermined by the morally incompetent and politically savvy. But a lot of people have opened their eyes as well.

Bin Laden and many of his followers are dead. A few of his state sponsors are gone. There is more freedom and democracy in the mideast since 911. The US is still here, and people live their lives pretty much the same. The debate today revolves around debt, not security.

We won.

Originally Posted by jviehe

Bin Laden and many of his followers are dead. A few of his state sponsors are gone. There is more freedom and democracy in the mideast since 911. The US is still here, and people live their lives pretty much the same. The debate today revolves around debt, not security.

We won.

Don't confuse killing a few terrorists with winning.

We have willing traded many of our freedoms for the illusion of safety.

We have invaded a country that had nothing to do with 9/11.

We have wasted trillions of dollars.

We have wasted the lives of thousands of Soldiers.

That's not winning.

Originally Posted by ArmyCowboy

Osama bin Laden was able to turn the US from a freedom-loving nation to one of scared, paranoid individuals willing to trade their freedoms for the illusion of safety.

He dragged us into two useless, decade-long wars and has also been successful in his threat to bankrupt us.

The really sad thing is that the American people, through their elected representatives, not only allowed this to happen, but though fear and paranoia, assisted in it coming to fruition.

I really do think that it really depends upon where you live in regards to the paranoia you mentioned. We don't feel shit here in Mississippi, but granted on the bankrupt deal. Yet there is no doubt we have all lost some freedom, in exchange for the illusion of safety.

And massive terrorist attacks are up? I think not. While I do not like many of our actions especially the restraints placed on the military action from the very beginning, to say we have acomplished nothing or that the terrorists are winning is incorrect. As far a being bankrupt as a result, the wars are less of a reason than increases in the welfare state. Don't get me wrong, we have spent far too much but it is simplistic to blame the war for the economic condition of the nation.

Originally Posted by Lost Time

And massive terrorist attacks are up? I think not. While I do not like many of our actions especially the restraints placed on the military action from the very beginning, to say we have acomplished nothing or that the terrorists are winning is incorrect. As far a being bankrupt as a result, the wars are less of a reason than increases in the welfare state. Don't get me wrong, we have spent far too much but it is simplistic to blame the war for the economic condition of the nation.

I don't recall myself or anyone else exclusively blaming the GWOT for our nations economic problems. However, it is a contributing factor.

And as for the terrorist attacks that Al Queda propagated, they were intended to illicite a response. They were not intended to simply be attacks for the sake of attacks. And the response we gave, invading Afghanistand and especially Iraq, was beyond bin Laden's wildest expectations.

We played right into his hands.

And as for the terrorist attacks that Al Queda propagated, they were intended to illicite a response. They were not intended to simply be attacks for the sake of attacks. And the response we gave, invading Afghanistand and especially Iraq, was beyond bin Laden's wildest expectations.

We played right into his hands.

Not accurate. Bin Laden expected little or no response from the US. He believed the US was a ""paper tiger"' and stated as much on many occasions prior to 9/11. The response was far beyond what many of these groups expected which is why their ability to attack the US has been reduced. My main problem with the war is the consistant inability of our top military and political leaders to recognize/understand who we are at war with.

Originally Posted by Lost Time

Not accurate. Bin Laden expected little or no response from the US. He believed the US was a ""paper tiger"' and stated as much on many occasions prior to 9/11. The response was far beyond what many of these groups expected which is why their ability to attack the US has been reduced. My main problem with the war is the consistant inability of our top military and political leaders to recognize/understand who we are at war with.

"We are continuing this policy in bleeding America to the point of bankruptcy. Allah willing, and nothing is too great for Allah," bin Laden said in the transcript.

He said the mujahedeen fighters did the same thing to the Soviet Union in Afghanistan in the 1980s, "using guerrilla warfare and the war of attrition to fight tyrannical superpowers."

"We, alongside the mujahedeen, bled Russia for 10 years until it went bankrupt and was forced to withdraw in defeat," bin Laden said.

Bin Laden: Goal is to bankrupt U.S. - CNN

Bin Laden's goal was to have the US attacks and then blled us dry, economically.

To deny this is to deny history.

Originally Posted by ArmyCowboy

Bin Laden: Goal is to bankrupt U.S. - CNN

Bin Laden's goal was to have the US attacks and then blled us dry, economically.

To deny this is to deny history.

It sure is odd how many people refuse to learn from history.

Originally Posted by JDJarvis

It sure is odd how many people refuse to learn from history.

Hubris

BUSH SUCKS!!!!! /shrug

Originally Posted by ArmyCowboy

Hubris

Hubris indeed, surely we know better now. The same exact scenario that crippled a power that could drive a trick to the war-zone couldn't possibly work on us when we have to bribe governments, sail ships for weeks on end, and fly troops thousands of miles.