1. I completely agree with you. When this country was founded if a republican president won the runner up became his VP. This forced both parties to work together. And the only way to fix it is to go back to days of old. 2. That happens to be a very small portion of our population. The only reason it looks major is because the internet makes everything bigger then it really is. 3. Why wouldn't people cheer? OBL was responsible for the death's of three thousand Americans. 4. Not sure what you are trying to say here. But we don't need firearms. Its was a right given to us by our founding fathers. It has been apart of America since our founding and there is no legit reason to take away our firearms. As Americans we have always tried to help people throughout the world. We have seen multipul times a government disarm it's people and then watch it's government become a dictatorship. As for all the shootings that happen in America it's mostly illegal firearms. And gang wars. In cities like Chicago it has proven to the American people that "gun control" only hurts average everyday citizens.

I think most of the joy was more due to, "We don't have to worry about this asshole anymore"; the reaction probably would have been much the same had he been captured instead but I see where you are coming from.

As an American, I can say that this post really bothers me. You say "you" as if your somehow adressing all Americans as a single being. One of the things that makes America great is it's diversity- a product of that can be numerous disagreements between Americans that can be very hindering at times. However, there is no single viewpoint of America. While this can be problematic, it also prevents America going in a direction that only benefits people with the same motives and desires (not democracy). Second, while extreme nationalism can be mixed with ignorance, as someone who lives in the US (unlike you, who must get his deep insight on America's flaws from the media or such), I can assure you that Americans spend a lot of time trying to improve many of the flawed systems currently in place. Many of the biggest patriots are those who are the most critical of their governments- including myself. In fact, any Americans you support your opinions are proving them wrong. I can simply take the time to appreciate- especially on days like July 4th- how lucky I feel to be living in such a diverse country. On the matter of violence as a means to an end, I think this is an issue that is more complicated than it could appear to the outside observer. I'll be honest, and I hope that this doesn't get me labeled as some bloodthirsty barabrian, but I was happy when I heard about Osama bin Laden's death. While this pay apall those who believe that revenge and violence is never the correct course of action, I can see and respect your opinion as well. However, I believe that for many actions, especially if this was the act of orchestrating the deaths of thousands of men, women, and children, must have consequences. If this consequence had to be the paying of the ultimate price, especially since he was [i]planning more attacks[/i], than I believe it was justified. I can totally respect the belief that violence is never the answer- I just disagree in this case. Fourthly, saying that Americans have a "general disdain for universal healthcare" is simply not true. Just because Americans who held different views than other Americans had to argue and fight to provide it does not mean that there is a disdain for it. The fact that there was a passionate belief that it should exist says the opposite. Once again, saying that there is a "distrust of minorities" is speaking of a certain, and small group of Americans that do not represent the majority. Many of the proudest Americans are minorities themselves, and in case you missed it, our president, who is African American, was [i]voted into office by a majority[/i] of Americans. Also, I respect those who put their lives on the line to uphold American values, whether or not I believe that they should be fighting in the first place. This respect is hardly a flaw for a country. Anyways, this is how I feel about my country. I can respect other opinions- in fact I welcome them. But you could still have the decency to consider America as I country full of many viewpoints, some that agree with yours- some that don't. That is one of the reasons that I would not want to live anywhere else in the world.

I would feel uncomfortable living in America (well some parts).

So you think it's far from the greatest? hahahahahaha ok dumbass

>Illegally assassinating someone without trial Yeah, that's the issue. America is so self centered and one track minded, you don't consider why that is a horribly flawed way of thinking and that on a large scale, execution without trial results in a LOT of problems. You wanna know what execution without trial has lead to? Thousands of civilian casualties in US drone strikes.

[quote]1. I'm not expressing my sympathies (or lack there of) for OBL. I was expressing how I felt sad about the reality that the war is not over and we still have forces in Afghanistan.[/quote] Okay, I'm sorry for misunderstanding your argument. [quote]2. I believe it was Chretien who had said "We'll be sitting this one out, boys." In reference to the gulf war. Staying out of the violence wasn't impossible.[/quote] Chretien wasn't Prime Minister during the First Gulf War, Mulroney was. And Canadian forces were involved in combat operations during the war. I believe 4,000 or so service members from the Canadian Armed Forces were involved in operations. In any event, the two wars aren't comparable. Kuwait was not a member of the NATO alliance. If you have a problem with Canadian forces in Afghanistan, then blame your own country's foreign policy, not the United States' willingness to protect itself. [quote]4.It is an oversimplification of insurgency. Did you expect an entire elaboration of all the factors of insurgent forces, motivations, recruiting methods and plausible causes as to how someone radicalizes themselves or others? In short, trying to rid the region of insurgents means casualties and conflict. Both civilian casualties and conflict will anger people in the region and they'll join the Taliban or other terrorist forces. What the hell do you expect when we leave? They're going to be furious. This war has made it more dangerous for us than ever. We've endangered ourselves through the blowback of the situation.[/quote] It's still an oversimplification of the issue, in my opinion. Our presence was widely celebrated when we first liberated Afghanistan from the Taliban. It was the subsequent failures to: maintain security; create infrastructure; engage the population politically, to recognize the complex ethnic and religious tensions unique to the Pashtunistan region; and foster a national economy that has bred further instability today. Many Afghans work with the Taliban for many reasons. Some people are angry because their family members have been killed by NATO forces. Others join because they are given security for their families and a steady paycheck. Then, you have the lot that side with the Taliban because they expect the Afghan government to fall once the United States' forces leave the country. Finally, you have Pashtuns that despise the Afghan government because it's composed of Northern ethnicities. The Afghan National Army is only 3% Pasthun. They're practically a foreign army themselves in Southern provinces. That's why we've made the initiative to create a local police force, since they are better equipped culturally to deal with the local population. Likewise, many Afghans work for the Afghan military for many reasons. Some people are angry at the Taliban and other rebel groups, which are responsible for upwards to 90% of combat casualties. Others join because they were oppressed under the Taliban. Then, you have the lot that believe in a stable government. The majority of Afghans who pick up arms to fight join the Afghan National Army, which is composed of roughly 230,000 men and women. Of course, morale is low, and desertion is high. Most members believe that without U.S. aid, the Afghan government will collapse. It's one of the many reasons translators try so hard to leave the country, and seek residency in Western countries. [quote]5. The general attitude in the US was that someone needed to pay.[/quote] No shit. People are going to be pissed when two iconic towers are destroyed and 3,000 people are killed. [quote]You don't seriously believe there wasn't corporate incentive in this?[/quote] There's incentive, but I don't think this incentive was a large motivator in going to Afghanistan. [quote]Why else would Exxon, other oil companies and Chaney's pharmaceutical company lobby for war?[/quote] They're pissed that 3,000 Americans were killed? In any event, Exxon doesn't have any major operations in Afghanistan. In fact, the major oil plan for Afghanistan--the Central Asian Pipeline--was proposed by non-Western nations, and was scrapped for security reasons. Then, you also have the reality that Afghanistan has just begun exporting oil this year, which seems strange if we really went there to steal all the oil...

Yet have been building Schools and Mosgues in Afgan since the Invasion,Millions Dollers of Aid have been given to Afgan. infrastructure is getting repaired by the PRT. Though the Taliban is still going to exist as long as Pakistan is still around but it's still way better then when it was under Taliban rule.

So did Brit's, Australians, Italians, Germans, and the French died in this war. Many other countries fought beside each other.

I'm an evil, evil man, Dutchy.