It would be interesting if nanovate chimed back in and expanded a bit on his question "are we all terrorists?". I certainly do not feel like one. Does not having a EE let me off the hook?

 

The deus ex machina aspect of the technical education without the balance of a liberal arts context can lead to sterile patterns of thought where it is impossible to recognize the humanity of others. The primacy of the individual in Western thought leads to a respect for the humanity of all. In a culture that relegates the importance of the individual to a secondary status: to the state or the priesthood, it is easy to see how a lack of regard for their own members leads to the same devaluation of the humanity of others.

I have a long list of cultures that I believe are inferior simply based on the way they treat their own people.

Papabravo, it will be better if you point out the specific "cultures" which you think relegate the importance of individual to a secondary status.

 

One of the proudest moments of my career in Electronics, Aerospace & Defense occurred during the first Gulf War.

Saddam Hussein's army had already captured Kuwuait, and our forces were closing in. Saddam had publicly declared that "he would set the Gulf on fire", and was indeed already having the Persian Gulf flooded with oil.

On the evening of 27 January 1991, a GBU-15 was dropped from a USAF F-111 "Aardvaark" to shut off the manifold at the Al Amadi oil pumping facility that was being used by the Iraqis to pollute the Gulf, some 13 miles from the manifold. It was a direct hit, and succeeded in shutting off the flow of oil.

I'd been working on the AN-AXQ14/GBU-15 for 10 years by then, among many other things. It was gratifying to know that what was originally designed as a weapon of war had been, for the first time in my recollection, been used in a surgical strike to save the environment.

And this is the USAF F-111 that dropped that particular instrument:

 

The deus ex machina aspect of the technical education without the balance of a liberal arts context can lead to sterile patterns of thought where it is impossible to recognize the humanity of others. The primacy of the individual in Western thought leads to a respect for the humanity of all. In a culture that relegates the importance of the individual to a secondary status: to the state or the priesthood, it is easy to see how a lack of regard for their own members leads to the same devaluation of the humanity of others.

I have a long list of cultures that I believe are inferior simply based on the way they treat their own people.

Papabravo, it will be better if you point out the specific "cultures" which you think relegate the importance of individual to a secondary status.

Papabravo and uzair; this is probably a can of worms and off-topic for this thread. In the interests of the discussion on EEs as terrorists, as posted in the OP, I suggest we don't take this particular line discussion further. PM me if you wish to discuss this matter.

Thanks.

Dave

 

Hi again,When we are talking and helping each other out on this forum, do we stop and think about who we are communicating with, from what contry they are from or residing in, from what ethnic origin are they from, what colour thier skin is or what thier religious beleifs are..... NO...Does it matter.... NO...We are all here and doing what we enjoy... Let's make the most of it, we may not be here tomorow....Daniel.

 

John,

I applaud your fortitude in making it to page 50. I gave up a bit quicker than that concluding that the thesis was unmitigated rubbish. One thing is clear, and that is we can no longer rely on the inability of our adversaries learn and adapt.

I still think that asymmetrical warfare is a dangerous game that has potential negative consequences for the entire planet and only a marginal probability of achieving any meaningful goals on the part of the instigators. If their goal is to provoke a cataclysmic response then I fear they may get exactly what they've wished for, and we will all be worse off for it.

 

Papabravo and uzair; this is probably a can of worms and off-topic for this thread. In the interests of the discussion on EEs as terrorists, as posted in the OP, I suggest we don't take this particular line discussion further. PM me if you wish to discuss this matter.

Thanks.

Dave

No problem with me dave.

 

Well my electronics teacher said whatever god made is good, so those that make terrorists good just because they were made by god? or did he mean "his"(Christian) god not "middle eastern" god(I used M.E as they are usually referred to as the terrorists).
So does he mean his religion is superior to others?

 

No offense, arthur92710, but this is going into territory that is not going anywhere positive. I am going to lock this before we creep past an exchange of views into something else.