From: dwayne (ddraig@pobox.com)
Date: Sun Oct 21 2001 - 02:34:07 MDT
Hiya
I'm offline and so only wandering in and poking my head occasionally.
Joe didn't write this, he quoted someone else. No idea who. But I left
his name in so you guys could figure it out.
Or maybe I should have deleted it. Oh well.
Anyway:
Joe Dees wrote:
>
> > The US has formally notified
> > the U.N. that her targets may go beyond Afghanistan and raised this
> > issue in the Security Council this morning - which implies that it may
> > well happen soon - which is exactly the case I understood previously.
> > Refer http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,36006,00.html accessed
> > 2001-10-08
.....
zznip
.....
> > As previously observed, the US is perceived by a vast majority of
> > Muslims as being something reprehensible. The reason for this is
> > primarily because of our ongoing support for Israel, despite her
> > ongoing illegal occupation of the West Bank and brutal oppression of
> > civilians. Secondly due to our involvement in 3rd world countries,
> > usually to put down "democratic" movements in the hope of promoting
> > "stability" or against "socialist" movements in the "war against
> > communism." What this has meant is that the US is generally perceived
> > to have been taking the part of dictators and kings, against the
> > unenfranchised and those discriminated against. This applies even in
> > Kuwait (where we are seen as having thrown out a dictator whom we
> > created, in order to preserve a more pliant king). Thirdly, we are
> > seen to abandon our allies as soon as we achieve our immediate goals,
> > leaving them to absorb the brunt of any retribution.
> >
> > So we are indubitably seen as the worlds greatest oppressors and
> > hypocrites. The truth of this is largely irrelevant. It is the
> > perception which matters.
For what it's worth, this is pretty much the perception in Australia.
Like, tah muchly for being on our side (well, thanks for allowing us to
base your listening posts on our soil and graciously extending your
nuclear umbrella beyond the perimeter fence) and soaking up our dodgy
tourism promotional materials, but that's how the US is perceived here.
It's okay, we still wuv you, but you're not exactly a well-behaved
country, and I doubt there were many people here confused as to why
someone would want to harm the US.
As in the quote, whether this is true or not is a different issue
entirely, but it is certainly the popular perception, despite our supine
media.
Dwayne
just my bit of international perspective.
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