From: steve (steve365@btinternet.com)
Date: Thu Sep 20 2001 - 14:29:15 MDT
----- Original Message -----
From: "J. R. Molloy" <jr@shasta.com>
To: <extropians@extropy.org>
Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2001 7:03 PM
Subject: Re: fw: the week from British eyes
> From: "steve" <steve365@btinternet.com>
> > The forwarded message is typical of the opinions of a certain section of
> > British society, which is, however, in a distinct minority according to
most
> > surveys and my own (limited) experience over the last week. I think it
> > reflects both an anti-Americanism that is fashionable among the trendy
> > lefties and also a kind of soft-headed sentimentality that again is
endemic
> > among such people. The general response is very supportive of the U.S.,
> > apprehensive of what might come (for good reasons!), but increasingly
> > reassured by the way the U.S. administration is playing it and
determined to
> > see things through. The same is true in most parts of Europe IMO. Don't
pay
> > too much attention to sappy intellectuals - they get a lot of coverage
but
> > that's about it. This kind of "the Americans brought it on themselves"
stuff
> > is also provoking a very hostile reaction.
>
> Thanks for the reassurance, Steve. Non-theist Americans may still conclude
> that US support of Israel does play a part in why some people hate the US.
I agree. However I would point out that U.S. support for Israel is not top
of the complaints list for many Islamists, particularly the ones around
Osama Bin Laden. They're more bothered about the continuing war on Iraq and
Western support for the House of Saud. Ironic, given that the Saudis are the
big supporters of obscurantist Islam but it's a case of people taking the
talk seriously and asking the royal clan to practise it as well. This is
also part of a recurring pattern in Middle East history where ruling clans
are attacked by wannabee replacements on the grounds that they are 'not good
muslims' - the Ottomans put a stop to this for almost 500 years but as soon
as their empire was cut up after WWI it reappeared. Steve Davies
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