Barbour letter gets praise

Dear A.M. Costa Rica:

Hoorah for Dean Barbour for having the guts to tell it like it is.  Good, thought provoking stuff.  I'd love to hear more.   On the flip side some brilliant New York City real estate developer decided to put his footprint on La Fortuna because "looking at the volcanic mountain" was just not enough.  Is he kidding, a natural wonder of that magnitude is "just not enough," but miniature golf is?   WOW!!!!!

Religious fanaticism exists
in every corner of planet

Dear A.M. Costa Rica:

Dean Barbour's provocative views on the causes of 9/11 and the War on Terror are the ultimate in political incorrectness according to current mainstream American media standards. That reason alone would explain why "there is still no meaningful national conversation" on the subject.

I don't disagree with Mr. Barbour's fundamental contention that there are many flaws in America's foreign policy and that these flaws create the anti-American sentiment which is widespread in Middle East countries. However, any meaningful conversation would have to include the giant skeleton in the closet: the role of religion, which fans hatred and suspicion against non-believers in the name of "God/Allah,Jehova etc."

Unfortunately, religious fanaticism exists in every corner of the planet, including the U.S.A., and unfortunately this subject is even more taboo than that of foreign policy. Until we come face to face with the historic fact that religion is the root of much of the evil and social unrest that pollutes this planet, there will be Americans at war even with other Americans. I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for a meaningful national conversation on this subject.

All of that having being said, NOBODY deserves the type of "payback" perpetrated on 9/11

Correlation does not prove
that there is causation

Dear A.M. Costa Rica:
 
Let's put on long pants so we can grow our legs (or so Mr. Barbour would have us believe).
 
There are several common errors in the commentary by Dean Barbour of Manuel Antonio, but this one paragraph of his sums up common pitfalls and misunderstandings about cause and effect and connecting the “dots” and events of history.

“Ten years on from 9/11, there is still no meaningful national conversation, let alone a debate, about why 3,000 people died that terrible day, although the reason couldn't be more obvious if it were carved into the marble alongside the names of the fallen at the Ground Zero Memorial: The United States finally got paid back for half a century of clandestine meddling and overt mayhem in the Middle East.”

That is the equivalent of saying “People who wear long pants have long legs; therefore, wearing long pants has caused people’s legs to grow.” Just because there is a correlation between two events doesn’t mean there is necessarily a cause and effect relating two events.

He says there has been no conversation or debate about the why. Just because he chooses to disagree or close his ears to the cacophony of opinions, doesn’t mean it isn’t taking place. “Islamic extremism” or just “extremists” often bubbles to the surface as one plausible explanation as to the why. Not to say that explains it all, but extremists of whatever flavor use terrorism as a tactic to kill for their own selfish gains and don’t need a legitimate reason to commit violence. And, is there ever a legitimate reason to murder innocents? Islamic extremism is just the current fad of our times but there have been and will be others.

His error on the why is that he throws out some incomplete facts such as the United States was involved in bad wars and general meddling in the Middle East.  That is the equivalent of the long pants. Then he jumps to the conclusion and would like us to believe that otherwise peaceful people were provoked into the attack on 9/11 by our own actions. That is the equivalent of the legs grew because of the long pants. In fact, the legs grew regardless of the length of the pants, and the U.S. was attacked regardless of former wars and meddling. Two correlated events in history, but not cause and effect.

His reasoning as he recounts the wars in Afghanistan against the Russians conveniently overlooks the fact that we were directly assisting Osama Bin Laden in his struggle. Osama should have been forever grateful. And, in fact, he was to his dying day; grateful for the “Great Satan” that is; He used “evil” superpowers as his stepping stone to greatness and world recognition. Perhaps as some argue he just despised our culture and believed he was doing his religious duty by trying to wipe us from the face of the earth. Maybe that’s why he viewed pornography; research I guess to gather more evidence against us.

So using Mr. Barbour’s twisted logic that we’ve meddled in the Middle East because we are against Muslims then, I guess we must be schizophrenic which explains why we went to war on the side of Bosnian Muslims.

We must humble ourselves
and stop wars and greed

Dear A.M. Costa Rica:

Finally someone responded like I have always felt about concerning the role of the U.S.A. in the world.  Thank you, Mr. Dean Barbour, for speaking up.  There are many like us out here. I, too, have my doubts on the real causes of the Twin Towers tragedy.  Besides the Twin Towers incident was the corporations cost of doing bad business around the world.

I will believe in a God when he sends the U.S. to hell.  God would NOT be blessing the U.S.A.  If he does, then he is no God of mine.  The U.S.A. started out on the wrong track and has always been on the wrong track.  Creating havoc wherever  and whatever they got their hands into. Remember the Pilgrims and the consortium of European followers that came here? They are guilty of one of the largest genocides in human history.  The massacre of the natives in North, Central and South America. 

No one wants to talk about that.  Especially in the history books.  The loss of life was uncountable.  The pillaging, unmentionable.  The thieving, without guilt.  Whether it was the gold, or more modern, the oil.

Let's face our truths, as it really is, the history of the U.S.A.  The U.S.A. was founded on murder, raping, and down right stolen it from the natives and México. For example,  We talk about having title when we transfer lots here in Costa Rica.  Did Napoleon have the title to the Louisiana purchase.  Does sticking a stick in the ground with some cloth with colors on it deemed rightful position?  NO. It wasn't his to sell.  It was  illegally acquired.  It should be NULL and Void, as well all of the land from the majestic purple mountains, to the fruited plains, and from the sea to the shining seas we stole, murdered, and pillaged for.

We must stop the wars and the corporate greed behind the wars.  We must stop the assignations of other rulers who don't see eye to eye with our corruption.  And we need to humble ourselves.  Ask for forgiveness for our past. 

Now my big question, If and when we stand up against the wrong direction our country has taken. OR  If we try to take back our country.  Will we  be labeled as Freedom Fighters or Terrorist.