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To: inquest
I must admit that my "nuke" comment was more an expression of frustration than a serious foreign policy suggestion. However, I think you are being overly generous in spirit to the "civilian" population of these countries and whether they share their leaders' views. There has been plenty of coverage over the years of how the rank and file are taught, through religion and otherwise, to hate America with a passion.
76 posted on 09/09/2002 11:11:38 AM PDT by Behind Liberal Lines
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To: Behind Liberal Lines
I must admit that my "nuke" comment was more an expression of frustration than a serious foreign policy suggestion.

Well, then maybe I overreacted a little. But I know there are regular Freepers who do consider it a serious foreign policy option, so it was nothing personal against you.

However, I think you are being overly generous in spirit to the "civilian" population of these countries and whether they share their leaders' views. There has been plenty of coverage over the years of how the rank and file are taught, through religion and otherwise, to hate America with a passion.

First of all, I'm not inclined to blame these people for the lies their governments tell them. And secondly, it's nearly impossible to gauge the extent to which the people believe the propaganda. Opinion polls are useless, because they're put out by the same people who provide the propaganda in the first place. Demonstrations, which the governments organize, or in any case, could not take place without the express approval of govermnent, are similarly misleading. I trust you remember seeing footage of Cuba two years ago, where all those people were "demonstrating" for Elian to be returned to his Fatherland? I don't think too many people in this country - and certainly not very many here on FR - seriously entertained the notion that those people were turning out of their own free will. I don't think it's any different in Middle East dictatorships.

On the other hand, you take a country like Jordan, which I think is among the least oppressive of all the Arab states, and you see very few signs of anti-American hatred to speak of.

82 posted on 09/09/2002 11:55:53 AM PDT by inquest
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