Here I am

Know Your Surroundings!

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Tumwater WA ?

1970 2 1/2 ton internation 4x4

Chad, you are really too easy. I knew you'd jump to another subject if given the chance. Its how you operate, along with personal attack rather than facts and logic.



BTW, I never said you were less educated. You simply lack the proof needed to claim some of the things you assert as truth.



Valuable knowledge about Diesels or Dodge trucks? I've posted on both, particularly the steering problems. One of them was rebutting someone who insisted we had 24v starters... ... I guess you missed it. But thats not the subject of this thread.



Personal insult is not a reasons argument, its simply the best you seem to come up with when confronted with anything other than your narrow view of reality. Plenty have agreed with me on this subject, are they also insulting to you?



You are correct, it is opinon for the most part. But time and again, the things I mention have been proven by history. But all you seem to be able to do is attack me personally for the facts I use. I don't think you are "way out there", I think you are way IN there... . you don't seem to grasp the fact that simply applying force is not a solution, nor is acting in a paranoid manner.



Wow, so there are more of you than there are of me, I'm so scared now..... more predictable rubbish from you. When will you address the facts instead of attempting to insult me?



NPS, you deleted them all, then you added another. Certainly leads one to wonder exactly what you achieved?



I did not say that the U. S. and Nazi Germany were "similar". I said we were in similar SITUATIONS, and that we had DIFFERENT governments. However, the way you and a bunch of others are acting is the SAME as the population of 1930's Germany. But then why read what I write, its easier to make assuptions about me.



Berger, you clearly did not read what I wrote. I have never endorsed Nazi tactics. I simply noted that our country is now in a similar set of circumstances as was Germany in the 1930's, and we should be careful to make the right choices so we do not suffer the same consequences.



The advice to be more aware of ones surroundings certainly applies to keep safe in an urban environment when muggers, robbers and rapists are the criminal. This situation is entirely different. Looking for odd events is one thing, but in this nation, that could happen almost every minute. Forming better knowledge and friendships with neighbors is more likely to stop terrorists than simply following the same ideas your wife or girlfriend should be using when leaving the mall.



But hey, make all the assuptions ya want. Anyone who has met me in person knows I am not the things most of this group makes me out to be..... probably more conservative than most of these guys in reality.
 
Wow. This is NOT John Berger, but his wife, Kathy. I have never read a TDR post before and I have a few comments on this subject of "knowing who your neighbors are. " MAX 340 - my question to you - you state that we are in a similar situation as Germany was in the 1930's but I do not recall Germany being struck by terrorists. I do not recall any city in Germany being attacked the way that New York City was. Can you refresh my memory on that? I consider myself a fair historian and do not quite remember any time in history when such devastation occured in a single day in a peace-time country. The United States was not at war with any one on Sept. 11, 2001, were we?
 
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This is John Berger's wife again - as I was gathering my thoughts, I was "bumped" off your discussion thread. I'll try to keep with the rules as I learn them!

I think it is a very wise idea to know your neighbors. Not because they are doing anything wrong, but because they can become friends when you need a friend, and we all need friends now and then. Also, being vigilant is a GOOD thing! We have a daughter who is 20 years old and away at college - how important is the lesson of "being vigilant" to her? Knowing your surroundings and what to watch out for is very important to everyone, not just to our daughter, because we do not live in a safe world. We are not paranoid, just realistic. If we choose to live in a box and not notice the world around us then we deserve what happens to us. Most of us (Max340 excluded) realize this and are trying to do the best we can in the world we live in. So, be vigilant and watch your surroundings! And get to know and like your neighbors because they can be your best friends!



PS - Merryman - your 1950 Dodge 1/2 ton sounds WONDERFUL!! But, I have to know, WHAT COLOR IS IT?!?!



God Bless America and keep the faith!

Kathy Berger
 
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Originally posted by John Berger

MAX 340 - my question to you - you state that we are in a simular situation as i Germany in the 1930's but I do not recall Germany being struck by terrorist. I do not recall any city in Germany being attacked the way that New York City was. Can you refresh my memory on that? I consider myself a fair historian and do not quite remember any time in history when such devastation occured in a single day in a peace-time country. The United States was not at war with any one on Sept. 11, 2001, were we?



Ok, since you state that you did not read any other posts, I'll try to summarize the similarities of the present situation to that of Germany in the 1930's.



Both countries were/are suffering a huge down turn in the economy.



Both countries suffered an unprecedented attack; Germany a world war followed by total occupation and humiliation, The U. S. had its first attack on the mainland since the War of 1812.



Both countries are looking at the possibility of removing rights to improve internal security.



Both countries were/are led by strong leaders who promise deliverance from the evil in the nation.



Both countries were/are planning attacks on other countries for the betterment of the homeland. In Germany, it was called "Leibensraum", or "living space".



As to Germany being attacked like NYC, recall that gas attacks were the method du jour of WWI, and that the country was left in ruins after WWI, and on top of that, they were expected to repay war expenses incurred by their enemies. Certainly when put in perspective, 9/11/01 NYC pales in comparison to post WWI Germany.



As you stated, such devestation to a peace time country is hard to find in history, but it does exist throughout history. You should also note that I did not mention that as one of the similarities. Nor did I specify terrorism as one of the similarities.



Now, I also noted that our government is different than that of Germany. However, the comments of a vast number of people lead me to question if they have observed what curtailing our rights, acting on what boils down to racism in cases of reporting odd activity. Seriously, how many do you think would report an average white boy buying diesel fuel then picking up a load of fertilizer as unusual? They should have done it at least once, as we found out.



As you say, being vigilant is a good thing. However, being vigilant is what should be done under normal circumstances to protect oneself from common criminals. As Mr. Sheets so eloquently noted, these guys are different, and use much more complicated methods with intent to kill. Problem is, once you see these behaviors, it is too late to stop them. It has been noted time and again that the attackers of 9/11/01 were living among us, quietly and without being seen. Being vigilant will not pick out a neighbor who is a "dormant" terrorist, since they purposely do not do anything odd or unusual.



As such, I suggested that more than simply being vigilant, as one should normally be, one should get to know the neighbors on each adjacent property. Making oneself a "nosy neighbor" to a point can do wonders for knowing exactly who the guy next door is. Being "vigilant" through the kitchen window does nothing to find out the affairs of the guy next door if he is living quietly and normally.



According to some, we should be checking each and every doorknob looking for oily substances and carrying gas masks. I submit that once either of these are found, it is rather too late to take action. Also, please note that I counted myself as among the guilty in not knowing exactly who lives next door on all the adjacent properties.



My point was, and remains, paranoia is not the way to go about things. Take a preventive measure; don't look for trouble or the odd event. Do something BEFORE trouble occurs and make it harder for them to live among us.



My apologies for repeating myself, but it seems that some do not read what I have said. Mrs. Berger, I hope this clears up some of your questions.
 
Max, this will be my last post on the subject. I did read what you posted. If you believe that Germany was attacked and therefore justified in it's actions, this conversation is headed nowhere. The similarities you note are superficial in nature, and I want to focus on one in particular: that is the nature and reasoning behind Germany being attacked.

Germany wasn't attacked, unless you consider the Treaty of Versailles as being the first shot of a hot war. That treaty imposed far and away to large an economic and political burdon upon Germany, i. e. "To the victor goes the spoil. " The world went too far, however. Germany was the primary aggressor nation in the second World War. How you come to the conclusion that they were attacked is hard to understand. Nazi Germany used overwhelming force to conquer most of Europe and to keep those countries under her rule. Germany did not deliberately and ruthlessly attack innocent civilians on a peaceful fall morning. A morning in which these people were going about providing for their families and pursuing their careers and dreams; all the while having no idea that it would be their last morning on earth. Your reasoning is flawed and instead of answering the points that I made, you told me I must not have read your posts thoroughly and insinuate that those who don't see it your way are changing the subject or calling names or don't understand what it was you said. That's typical of what I like to call the liberal modus operandi of debate tactics. You may not be a liberal, but you post like one. You are a rabble rouser and most likely a natural born smart a$$. Normally I don't have problems with either of those traits as I have resembled both at various and sundry times, but I think in this particular situation you crossed the line on what was meant to be a well intended post. I will continue to be vigilant and wary and rest assured that I will be there to defend you in spirit should that knock on the door ever come your way. Remember this: It won't be me or someone like me turning you in. It will be someone that thinks alot like you.



If you want to talk about paranoid, some friends of mine whose thinking resembles your rhetoric decided to do their part as good Americans. What did they do, you ask? They decided to go through the local phone book, searching for names of Middle Eastern and/or Arabic descent. They found one and reported it to the GBI(Georgia Bureau of Investigation). Why? Because the listing had a name that was Middle Eastern and/or Arabic in origin. If Crazy Horse would have advocated that, I think he most likely would have been sounded out for being paranoid. Whether you think you did or not, you insinuated that that was the mentality that we all were displaying by our posts on this topic. For me, at least that is what is so galling about your posts on this thread. As for my friends doing what they did,... well, let's just chalk that up to ignorance. Stupidity is probably a better word, but like I said, they are my friends. I'm appalled at this type of behavior and I would assume that many other members of the TDR are as well.
 
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Originally posted by John Berger

Why? Because the listing had a name that was Middle Eastern and/or Arabic in origin. If Crazy Horse would have advocated that, I think he most likely would have been sounded out for being paranoid. Whether you think you did or not, you insinuated that that was the mentality that we all were displaying by our posts on this topic.



John,

Unfortunately, a lot of the posts here & on other sites are displaying that kind of mentality. The terrorist attack on Sept 11th has brought out the best in people and the worst in people.





Originally posted by John Berger

I'm appalled at this type of behavior and I would assume that many other members of the TDR are as well.



I think that your above statement summarizes what Max340 has been trying to point out.



Brian
 
Well John, if its your last post, thats too bad. Looks to me like you and a bunch of others are using the ignorance is bliss method, wherein if you ignore facts, they will go away.



You say you read what I posted, then you say that I claimed Germany was justified in her actions. One of the two cannot be true. Either you never read thoroughly, or you somehow are twising my words. I never said Germany was justified. In fact, quite the opposite. Germany WAS attacked during WWI, there is no doubt in that. The comparison was not superficial, as all events are very real and have very lasting effects on the countries in question. As George Bush noted, we are being tested to see if we will follow our ideals as written in the Constitution and Declaration of Independance, or if we will fail and follow such nations as Germany's Third Reich into the abyss of inhumanity.



My point was that 1930's Germany and the U. S. face the same set of circumstances. If we follow in our efforts to make this country safe by doing what Germany did, we AND they will have done the wrong thing. The comparison was to show that when faced with this set of circumstances, Germany practiced prejudice, discrimination, and terrorism on people within its borders. They then removed personal freedoms and increased paranoia in the masses in order to ferret out all "unwanteds".



The suggestions of a few members are calling for changes in the freedom of speech (someone mentioned jailing demonstrators and Jane Fonda for going against the popular sentiment), reporting anyone who has a different skin color for certain activities, etc. We as a nation are becoming increasingly careful about security, but we as a nation must be sure to not get so tight in security that we cut the very freedoms on which this nation was founded. Members of this forum have called for death to be visited on all those of Islamic faith, or a whole country. This simply is not an acceptable method of doing business in the 21st century.



Germany most certainly WAS attacked, and then via the Treaty of Versailles was kept in ruins for more than a decade. Anyone who misses the two as being combined actions that put Germany in an almost perpetual state of disaster forgets half the problem. Whether they started it or not is not the issue. The point is that Germany as a nation was suffering under economic duress and foreign imposition of devestation, much like we are today. The method of attack is not the issue, it is the political and economic climate as a result of the attack.



If you choose not to debate, then you should not have posted. Instead, you have proven what I already knew, you did NOT read what I said. You are describing German methods of attack as compared to the terrorist attack on NYC. I never compared the two, nor is the comparison pertinant to my point, and as such, I never made such a comparison. Why did you?



But in lieu of debate, you continue with personal attack. If you cannot work with what was said, or the facts presented, why rebut the statements? One cannot possibly prove something about one subject by using another completely different subject's facts. Yet this is exactly what you are doing.



Your friends thinking comes nowhere close to mine if that is what they did. It is clear to me that by classing me with them, you did not read what I said as thoroughly as you claim.



Hey Chad, congrats, you have now thoroughly proven what you are made of. It takes little thought to curse at someone and ignore facts. But do as you feel able.



Jack, Chad didn't adopt it, he was the scientific study that proved it.



NVR FNSH, Thanks for pointing out what I tried to say, but using less words. Maybe it'll be understood the way you put it.
 
Well I haven't been here for a couple of days and I see 340 is still playing ball out in left field by himself. For those of you who understand the meaning of this post and the importance of it in the future - Know Your Surroundings!
 
Good evening, ladies, gentlemen, and you, too, Max. This is Crazy Horse's wife, Rose, on the line. CH does not advocate turning in anyone who hiccups. What he is saying, and quite well, I might add, is that we need to look out for ourselves and one another. If I see someone lurking around our neighborhood, acting in a suspicious fashion, I think it would be a good idea to keep my eyes open and, if I feel it's warranted, to call the police and apprise them of the situation. Do you remember the ill-fated program of the 60's and 70's, "Turn In a Pusher" aka TIP? It failed because if someone got ticked at someone else they called them in. That is why the program failed. What CH is saying is to keep your eyes open. Not to be paranoid but to stay safe. Just like you guys remind your wives to keep their car doors locked, etc. Are we clear on this now? Thank you for listening and Good Night. Pray for Peace.
 
Originally posted by Crazy Horse

If I see someone lurking around our neighborhood, acting in a suspicious fashion, I think it would be a good idea to keep my eyes open and, if I feel it's warranted, to call the police and apprise them of the situation.



What CH is saying is to keep your eyes open. Not to be paranoid but to stay safe. Just like you guys remind your wives to keep their car doors locked, etc.





And this is different from what we should have been doing before the attacks in what way??



That was one of my points.



BTW, I am glad you didn't include me in that "ladies and gentlemen" category. The way some of you "ladies and gentlemen" behave, I'd rather not be lumped in with your group.



Have fun calling names.
 
Chad- The "Ballgame" is never over for people like 340. I think he would rather be a part of "the problem" than that part of "the solution". There are always people that would pi*# and moan and do nothing about a problem rather than rolling their sleeves, getting involved, and fixing a problem; or try to head one off in the future. It's alot easier to close one's eyes and hope it goes away,this isn't going to be that way. THAT CAN"T BE DONE AFTER THIS ASSAULT ON AMERICA !
 
Originally posted by Crazy Horse

Chad- The "Ballgame" is never over for people like 340. I think he would rather be a part of "the problem" than that part of "the solution". There are always people that would pi*# and moan and do nothing about a problem rather than rolling their sleeves, getting involved, and fixing a problem; or try to head one off in the future. It's alot easier to close one's eyes and hope it goes away,this isn't going to be that way. THAT CAN"T BE DONE AFTER THIS ASSAULT ON AMERICA !



MAX, I think the ignorance is ubiquitous around here. Simply amazing.



You guys are not understanding him at all. He is not advocating that we do nothing, but rather we do it smartly. It's not too hard to understand.
 
jthorpe, I would agree with you 100% if I knew what ubiquitous means;) but I get the idea, I am amazed also. The title of this thread should be changed to Lets flame Max!!!
 
Well Crazy Horse, what have you been doing to help out in this time of national need? Or are you simply doing as you accuse others of doing?



Are you out keeping an eye on the town you live in, or just your own surroundings?



Are you helping out friends who are involved in the medical profession that have been, and may be again, called to do anything from stand by to actively head to NYC to help out?



Are you looking after things and helping out friends who are among those who are or may be called up from reserves?



Are you helping kids understand whats going on and why?



Seems to me an awful lot of griping goes on in here, but the only actions you wish to happen involve someone other than yourself.



Jack, thats exactly right.



What bothers me is, I write a post that suggests we as a nation need to not only support those families affected by the attacks, but that we need to move forward with that action and help out all people we know in simple ways that will not cost much. But instead of replies, I read requests for tax breaks, suggestions that someone who acts honorably in one way is far superior to someone who acts honorably in another way, and the general attitude that is the basis for this event to begin with: Arrogance.



It seems from the general attitude shown in here, the average working guy isn't important, nor is supporting a family. It also seems as though too much attention is placed on all out attacks on the enemy (even though he/they are not easy to locate) but no attention is offered to helping out those who suffer not only from this tragedy, but from ANY tragedy. What will you be thinking about this Christmas? Will you have any concern for the families of those killed or still missing due to these attacks? Will you have any concern for those overseas? Will you make any effort to help someone, anyone, who will have trouble making ends meet this Christmas? Will you buy a gift for a kid who isn't so lucky, simply because you CAN?



Or will you be busy worrying about just how little the military is doing, simply because they never set forth a full scale attack on Afganistan? Busy doing anything but thinking about the results of the attack? Busy worrying about your 2001 taxes?



Have a Merry Christmas
 
illflem- 340 doesn't need anymore help "flaming" because of his self ignition.



340- for your information and once again you are off the subject of the thread, I have contributed to my State Troopers and to the Red Cross. And though I always have been vigilant in the past I am even more so today everywhere I go. As for the military, I know they will resolve the issue at the best possible time for execution. And I hope to God the news media is the last one to find out about it. As far as my taxes, I have no worries there because I haven't worked in over a year. As for Christmas your comments do not justify any reply from me. It further demonstrates you are "Dribbling" as Don Rogers pointed out earlier in this thread. So go ahead and take some quotes out of this and ramble on about something that has nothing to do with the thread and dribble some more. Now I'm done with you also.
 
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