A Day to Bare Our Souls - and Find Ourselves

WE WON'T GET FOOLED AGAIN?

Let's see how many platitudes I can think of to start off here:

THOSE WHO DO NOT LEARN FROM HISTORY ARE DOOMED TO REPEAT IT

FOOL ME ONCE, SHAME ON YOU - FOOL ME TWICE, SHAME ON ME (what I am going to talk about is a heck of lot more than twice)

THE BEST PREDICTOR OF FUTURE BEHAVIOR IS PAST BEHAVIOR

Seems everyone 'hears' these things but they are not listening. It's willful denial. How many people have to die, cities be blown up, children be blown up, people be tortured and beheaded before we get it? Before we get that we can not negotiate with terrorists, murderers and thugs!

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, let me show you a partial list that domestic violence advocates give to victims who say "but he said he wants to talk, he's sorry and promises to change." (I have used the male, but I am aware an abuser may well be female):

The abuser's statements of apology and remorse in many cases are just another way to maintain control. The way the abuser can change is if he/she takes FULL and SOLE responsibility for the abuse, stops the abuse, and seeks a LONG-TERM treatment program.

How do I know if he is changing? Trust your gut feelings regardless of other signs. Here are some things to look for:

Has he completely stopped saying and doing things that frighten you?

Can you express anger toward him without being punished for it?

Does it feel safe to bring up topics that you know upset him?

Can he listen to your opinion and respect it, even when he disagrees?

Can he argue without being abusive or domineering?

Does he respect boundaries that you or the court has set in regards to contact with you?

Has he stopped expecting you to do things for him?

Can you spend time with your friends/family without being afraid of retaliation?

Can you do other things that are important to you, such as go to school or get a job?

Are you comfortable with the way he interacts with the children?

Do you feel safe leaving them alone with him?

Does he listen to you?

What are some signs he is not changing?

Does he blame you or others for his behavior?

Does he use his treatment against you in any way?

Does he tell you that YOU'RE the abusive one?

Does he tell you that you owe him another chance?

Does he say that he can't change without your support?

Does he try to get you to feel sorry for him?

Is he making his abuse sound like a lot less than it really is when he talks about it or minimize his behavior or whitewash past abuses?

Does he expect something in return from you?

Does he pressure you to drop your no contact order?

CLICK HERE FOR ORIGINAL OF THE ABOVE LIST

DO ANY OF THESE SOUND LIKE THE ISLAMOFASCISTS THAT WALK THIS PLANET WITH US? Almost ALL of them you say? Are we "walking on eggshells" with Islamofascism the way abuse victims walk on eggshells with their tormentors?

If you answered yes to any of the above, what makes us or anyone think they are going to negotiate in good faith? Need I remind you of Oslo? Or how many truces and cease fires the PA violated with Israel?

Their words? Because they can SAY anything but their actions show a different "faith." That is: KILL KILL KILL.

LET'S SNAP OUT OF IT!
BEGGING TO GET SUCKERED AGAIN
THE TALIBAN WILL ONLY PROMISE PEACE

By MICHAEL FUMENTO

Is it time to negotiate with the Taliban? Pakistani strongman Pervez Musharraf cut a deal with the Afghan extremists last fall, allowing them to flourish safely in his nation's Waziristan province. Then-Sen. Majority Leader Bill Frist said in October that we must "assimilate" them into the Afghan government. Now, in apparent reaction to civilian deaths caused by the Taliban strategy of hiding among regular Afghanis, Afghanistan's upper house of legislature has voted for an immediate cease-fire and talks followed by withdrawal of NATO forces.

But the futility of talks is obvious from Taliban beliefs and history.

"Moderate Taliban" is an oxymoron, like referring to a lighter shade of black. The Taliban are defined by extremism. Afghan Foreign Minister Rangin Dadfar Spanta, responding to a German call for talks with the "moderate Taliban," said, "I do not think there is a moderate and 'non-moderate' Taliban. This distinction was invented by somebody who knows nothing about Afghanistan."

Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef, the former Taliban ambassador to Pakistan now under house arrest in Kabul, agrees: "There is no separation between Taliban as moderate, hardliner or others," he said.

Then how about simply negotiating with the Taliban, period?

Consider that the Taliban is a small subset of one ethnic group (the Pashtun) that is a minority in the country. Yes, it conquered 90 percent of the nation - but not via military acumen. Most Taliban training, then and now, is religious.

It succeeded through two means: bribes (hence its desire to hang onto Osama bin Laden and his huge purse after 9/11, even under threat of U.S. attack) and negotiation.

Negotiation is part and parcel to a warlord society, wherein battles are expensive but talk is cheap. The Taliban negotiate with dual purposes:

- either to bring over a new warlord whom they keep loyal through payments or

- to get his followers to lay down their arms and then slaughter them.

CLICK HERE FOR ORIGINAL ARTICLE


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