Posted on 12/29/2001 9:27:49 AM PST by Demidog
I am not an America hater by any stretch of the imagination. Nor are the plethora of folks calling for a re-examination of our foreign policies. But that's what we're called.
I wish I knew why.
I really don't want to be against any American. I don't like being on the butt end of insults. So if there were a way to somehow explain what it is that bothers me about our foreign policy without the resultant cries of "traitor! treason! Islam firster!" I would.
One of the main problems apears to be that any "agreement" with bin Laden and his band of murdering thugs is seen to be support. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is probably true that bin Laden knows that water is tantamount to life in the desert. If I agree with this, I am no more supporting bin Laden than you are by agreeing.
When we decry any actions taken by Israel, we are "anti-semites." When Israel admitted that they had set a booby trap near an area where children played and 5 Palestinian boys died when it went off, you couldn't get near the topic without being ridiculed.
This is puzzling to me. There is nothing wrong per se with Israel and certainly not Jews, but for certain they are not perfect. For some, Israel is perfection and any criticism is tantamount to racism. Those who disagree are shouted down with such fervor it makes one pause.
American policies aren't perfect either. It is arguable for instance that John Wayne's death from cancer could be attributed to nuclear tests performed back in the 40's. Movie locations happened to be in the area where tests occurred. Many film industry professionals who worked on movies filmed in Nevada died from cancer including that great American we called "the Duke."
Many soldiers who were in the vicinity of those tests also died from cancer.
Why is it an indictment on all of America to bring such mistakes to light? In general, the American population has no say so in the slightest regarding these sorts of activities nor do they have much say in our foreign policy.
But as usual, it is the American population that has to accept the consequences of Policy mistakes made by the government. To say that those who object to this "hate America" is completely absurd.
The truth is quite the opposite.
I love America. And those who decry our foreign policy blunders and the theft of our hard earned money that is necessary in order to carry out these blunders also love America. We're simply tired of having to pay the price for those mistakes, while those who carry them out never have to suffer the consequences.
One of the most bizarre claims by those who are calling us "America haters" and "Islam firsters" is that terorrists are simply angry that we are so democratic as a nation and love freedom. These terrorists "hate freedom" and thus hate America and Americans. They're "jealous," in other words, of our prosperity.
This is about as brilliant an analysis as claiming that Timothy McVeigh was upset that he was no longer an employee of the federal government and thus took out his jealosy and rage on that same federal government.
It is the analysis of the simpleton.
The fact is, we only know what the terrorists claim. Not that it matters much. The opinions of mass murderers are not that important. Clearly however, this is not what any of the terrorists are saying. What they are saying is that they believe themselves to be oppressed by our foreign intervention.
When students took Iranian embassy employees hostage, their reason given for such extraordinary measures was American meddling in Iranian internal affairs.
The Shah of Iran was our personally hand-picked leader for their country. The CIA had, in the time period between the time we basically annexed Iran during WWII, purposefully destroyed opposition to the Shah by using tactics they had learned in South America.
None of those tactics were even remotely related to "freedom" or the principles upon which this nation was founded. They were the actions of a government that believed the Iranian people were chattle and were not worthy of chosing their own leadership.
So what happened? A number of Americans paid the price for our meddling. When we allowed the Shah to enter America to receive medical treatment, the last straw was put upon the back of that proverbial camel.
And that is not to mention the American lives that were sacrificed in a botched rescue attempt. For some, these lives are expendable. They are the price a nation pays for being a "super power." I agree with that assesment. But I don't think we need to be a superpower. I don't think we need to meddle in the affairs of other nations in order to protect our borders.
As is proven time and time again, such meddling has a high price.
And therein lies the rub. Dying in order to defend this nation from an attacking force is national defense and is noble. Sending young men and women across the globe to secure oil fields and preserve the "American way of life" is a sick project. I for one, am not willing to lose a single American for the cynical goal of sub-dollar-a-gallon fuel for my SUV.
If that is the measure of value for an American life then you can call me an America hater all day long and I will be proud to wear that badge.
I criticize our foreign policies because they result in the deaths of American soldiers and citizens at home and abroad. In no way do I criticize Americans. In the aftermath of the Trade Center attacks, it wasn't the government that responded with such ferocity and bravery. It was the average American.
The Beaurocrats were busy playing CYA and letting us know that none of this was their fault. In the meantime, Americans came up with over 60 million dollars in cash and even more in valuable resources in spite of the fact that they are taxed to the extreme in order to pay for the very policies that helped to incubate the attacks of 9/11.
America proved it's greatness in the response to the attacks. The government proved it's complete disregard for human liberty by passing laws which violate the spirit and letter of the Supreme law of the land. Even while the fires were still burning.
America is a great nation and is full of great people. Unfortunately its leaders have no respect for its people or its laws. Pointing this out is not showing hate for anything but the lawbreakers who do so.
That would be an "insane Foreign policy."
In what way did the "edit" the tapes?
And named names and snickered about the hijackers that were not aware of their impending "suicide". He implicated himself.
You still can't say what you are looking for in the papers that are protected. That makes it a "fishing expedition" and you should be glad that Bush won't allow such nonsense.
To: Demidog
The editing has been explained
as the removal of the areas of the tape
that could not be decifered.
There was an effort made to eliminate any cryptic style messages
to any additional terrorists that may be waiting for orders.
This was explained several times by the government.
Take it or leave it but you asked.
# 456 by RGSpincich
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RGSpincich, do you really believe that ben Laden
couldn't just pick up a telephone
and give his men their instructions?
He doesn't need a video tape to deliver messages.
"The editing has been explained
as the removal of the areas of the tape
that could not be decifered..."
The properties of the Moon have been explained
as just the ordinary actions of a cheese of that size.
"Explanation" doesn't mean "truth."
Sheer doublespeak. Can somebody explain to Phil Graham that an agreement drawn up by our well born masters and signed by our President, is government-regulated trade and is not free trade by any stretch of the imagination?
I would say however that there is a finer point to Graham's rhetorical "we are English" or at least he is trying to put on that air.
On the other hand, he does seem to be groveling to the English as if they were his masters rather than the American people who elected him.
Good question. I would like ot know that myself. Doesn't it at all give you pause to know they announced that they had?
Marx is dead, but his rhetoric lives on.
Doesn't it surprise you that they "admitted" it?
OBL's apologists are calling our Foreign policy insane.
To: Demidog
"Doesn't it surprise you that they "admitted" it?"
# 471 by Texasforever
************************
Why would admitting the editing be suprising?
We could easily find out that the video tapes had been edited.
If our government tried to deny it,
they would easily be proven to be liars.
Horse pockey! I've already mentioned the FBI criminal actions that have been covered up in allowing an innocent man to serve a lengthy (I believe 30 years) term.
And then we have Chinagate....nuclear secret theft and all....what did Richardson, Freeh, the pervert and others know.....what's the scoop with Notra Trulok getting the ax, etc.
There are doubtless many other areas where the previous admin was covered up; as I said, the FBI thing, that others know of...these are just off the top of my head......oh, yes.....and it seems as though the current Bush is the son of a former Bush president....and there was some flack about some misdeeds during his administration--geesh, there was something about state department files being rifled for info on candidates, there was something like an October surprise.....hell, there could even be lots of stuff about Dirty Dick....and we all know what a sleezebag LBJ was.....and Carter has admitted to sinning in thought......there could just be a ton of information that could show just how corrupt our government personages are....one coverup at a time!!
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