In reading the letter that patconnole posted (which is a good read, regardless of your disposition you should read it) I was reminded of something that has been bothering me for some time now. I happened to be overseas in an islamic country (Indonesia) when the terrorists attacked on 9/11. (I only make the note that it is islamic because these days everybody seems to think that they are all terrorists, what happened to freedom of religion?) The reaction that the people there had was one of sincere compassion for our position. Indeed, most of the world felt the need to provide some empathy for the USA. Now world view has changed, and it was not of its own volition. World view has changed because the good 'ol USA has bullied and pushed themselves around the globe. The war in Iraq, aside from the immediate implications has much longer reaching consequences than the control over the oil fields in Iraq. This "Preemptive" strike against the "axis of evil" has changed the tune of the way we are seen. We are alienating ourselves. There is only one consequence to continued actions such as these. Look at history and you will see the future. Bush has translated the US into the romans, and the rest of the world into the huns. (we'll let the french stand as visigoths they are.) Are the implications now clear?
The twin towers will not be rebuilt by whipping the country into a fervor over a war that has been conjured. This is not a peace keeping mission, it is not a humanitarian mission and this is not a diplomatic mission, this is a power play. In a post cold war world, the only surviving superpower is unilaterally showing its might by flexing its muscles and ignoring the rest of the world. We are about to enter into an age where anti-americanism is the standard rather than the exception. These days if you tell somebody overseas you are american, then they think that you are going to try something on them. Its better to be canadian with our accent...
For those of you Americans reading this that think I am a tree hugging hippie and a traitorous bastard, think about this: I am one of your countrymen and I have a right to free speech. Most importantly though you ought ot consider that I want to love my country, I would like very much to be proud of it, but bought elections and conjured wars are something that reeks too much to be proud of. Someday I hope to be proud of my country once again.
The twin towers will not be rebuilt by whipping the country into a fervor over a war that has been conjured. This is not a peace keeping mission, it is not a humanitarian mission and this is not a diplomatic mission, this is a power play. In a post cold war world, the only surviving superpower is unilaterally showing its might by flexing its muscles and ignoring the rest of the world. We are about to enter into an age where anti-americanism is the standard rather than the exception. These days if you tell somebody overseas you are american, then they think that you are going to try something on them. Its better to be canadian with our accent...
For those of you Americans reading this that think I am a tree hugging hippie and a traitorous bastard, think about this: I am one of your countrymen and I have a right to free speech. Most importantly though you ought ot consider that I want to love my country, I would like very much to be proud of it, but bought elections and conjured wars are something that reeks too much to be proud of. Someday I hope to be proud of my country once again.