Thank you Vortex for not attacking me personally as the two above just did, and asking a sincere if not off the subject, question. I know, I removed it... it is just not worth it. It will not be listened to... so it is a waste of my focus. In answer to your question... things which come to mind...
My best friend was shot in the stomach and his girlfriend was kidnapped raped and left dead, because of being the wrong skin color.
My college friend was beaten with pipe, and had to leave college and go into debt to get his face reconstructed - again being a hated nationality and wrong skin color.
I have gone through two conflicts as a military officer and in combat. I know the sound of 7.62×39mm rounds passing near one's head, or the distinctive whoop of an artillery shell as it comes inbound.
I have had men die in my arms.
I have had my child severely injured by the DTaP vaccine and end up with permanent disability from brain damage after 6 weeks of screaming in pain.
I have had my other child severely injured with Cerebral Palsy from birth trauma and end up permanently disabled from CP.
I do strategy for nations facing horrid poverty, famine and disease.
Was held captive with a shotgun under my chin, by a junta in Africa.
Was held in custody by Middle Eastern armed forces and had to be freed by US intervention
Had to make ready to flee by boat, as a socialist force descended upon my hotel to try and kill me and my USAID cohorts for doing strategy for a nation. Several people died in the ensuing conflict.
Was attacked by a knife wielding socialist in Spain - fortunately my arms were stronger than his.
I can go on and on Vort... :)
But these things do not qualify me to possess an opinion.
Thanks for a reply, TES. Even if we stand in clear opposition to each other, I still can appreciate something in you - your sharp intellect, and your power of will that allowed you to survive through all of it. Respect to an opponent, even to an enemy in a battle, is exceedingly rare but a valuable quality - one that I'm always trying not to lose in the moments of indignation (that you and Eric are pretty much capable to provoke).
Yet, this respect does not lessen my dedication to the positions strongly different from, and in conflict with, your ones.
For example, your experience-based opinion... as I said, there are people who has endured similar, or comparable, ordeals, and yet came to colclusions very different from yours.
Especially the people who were standing on the opposite side of the battlefront: they have lived their life through war and pain as you did, TES. Yet, in a struggle, they had chosen a side directly opposite to yours.
It seems, they didn't saw "the strategy" that you and your USAID co-workers were developing as something greatly beneficial. Evidently they saw it as something not beneficial at all - so far away from being beneficial that, in their view, it was justifiable to fight against it with a weapon in hand.
And some things that I learned about the very questionable "benevolence" of the US-centered global empire and its organisations like USAID let me think that they might have a reason beyond mere ideological dedication. They, or their close ones, might have perceived the imperial "benevolence" first-hand, and experience were quite disappointing. To put it mildly.
You saw the situation from the position of the Empire, TES. They saw it from the position of the ones with whose blood, sweat and tears the Empire is maintaining itself.
Or they came from a more elevated social positions, but, being compassionate to the ones who were paying this heavy price, and furious against the people who forced them to pay it, decided to stand on their side, sacrificing the confort and security their elevated position for the struggle for the liberation of the ones who were much lower than them on the social ladder.
Didn't all those people have their reasons, valid ones, rather than being "evil deluded fanatics" (that's how you probably perceive them, TES... feel free correct me if you think I'm wrong in this assumption).
To summarise: your position, TES, in the one of the veteran Roman legionnaire who scoffs at "dirty barbarians" who were stupid enough to resist Rome's imperial right and authority, and the light of civilisation that the Rome so generously brought to them, and caused so much suffering to him and his fellow legionnaires during the invasions in that he participated (as well as on the Romans who feel compassionate to these "savages"). And, well, this legionnaire does have a reason based in experience: he definitely did suffer a lot of hardship and pain during the imperial conquests in which he fought.
Yet, if you ask the conquered and enslaved "barbarians" who was forcibly subjugated by the Rome, you'll hear a very different story. A story in which the legionnaire and his Roman fellows would be astronomically far from being the "good guys" they believe themselves to be (probably, quite sincerely so). A story of hardship and pain that were caused by them, and were at the very least comparable to - and usually, much worse - than the one that they themselves suffered.
And each one must decide whose story he accepts as the part of his own one, and on which side - the side of the Empire dedicated to "civilising" "barbarians" by force (and to enriching, empowering and glorifying the few people who lead the Empire, of course... but aren't these noble civilization-bringers deserve some humble rewards for their efforts?) or the side of the "barbarians" who felt the effects of these "civilising" eforts by themselves - one stands.
I have chosen my side. You have chosen yours. And they stand in opposition to each other.