From: Pete McAlpine (pemca@home.msen.com)
Date: Tue Jan 01 2002 - 10:33:58 MST
>Do you really expect twenty odd years of utter bastardry >to be just
>forgotten, just because NOW you've decided to act with >SOME decency?
Your rant leaves out the key point that the Soviet Union
started the cycle of violence by support a COMMUNIST
puppet revolution in Afghanistan....little forgetful?
Pete
----- Original Message -----
From: "Neil Blanch" <neilb@nswcc.org.au>
To: "Extropian mailing list (E-mail)" <extropians-digest@extropy.org>
Sent: Sunday, December 30, 2001 10:57 PM
Subject: re: Aid for Afghanistan
> In v6#361 Brian wrote: "It's time the U.S. started paying more attention
to
> it's national interests.
>
> As a U.S. taxpayer I would object to my funds being given to a foreign
> company for this purpose, local workers exempted. If companies in other
> countries want the business/charity work, let them convince their
> governments to shell out the Bucks/Marks. Peso's whatever.
>
> Part of the U.S.'s problem in the world is simple PR. During the holidays
I
> was watching TV as a man in Afghanistan was criticizing the U.S. with a
bag
> of wheat clearly labelled "USA" slung over his shoulder. Had I been
standing
> there I would have "pulled a Giuliani", dragged it away from him with an
> explanation as to why,
> and told him to try eating dirt.
>
> In marketspeak the US needs to push it's brand, and quit catering to the
> prejudices of the rest of the world."
>
> Brian - to be frank your comments disturb me in their arrogance. The USA
is
> dropping bombs on these people for god's sake! The USA is at least partly
> responsible for the rise of the Taliban to power. The USA helped create,
> train & directly funded, elements in Afghanistan that are at least partly
> responsible for the terrible years of war & bloodshed that the country has
> endured. How many Afghanis have died as a direct result of American
> policies? Should the people of Afghanistan say "Well the US fucked us over
> for the last twenty years, they helped psychotic religious nuts become our
> government by giving them guns & missiles, they've bombed the crap out of
us
> day & night for the last few months, they killed twenty people in my
village
> by mistake last week, but now they just gave me a bag of wheat so now USA
is
> A-OK". Do you really expect twenty odd years of utter bastardry to be just
> forgotten, just because NOW you've decided to act with SOME decency?
>
> There are people in this world who hate America & America has given them
> plenty of good reasons to have that hate. If you truly want the US to be
> safe then the US must act responsibly. It must stop its political &
military
> support of terrorists (sorry, they're "freedom fighters" - at least they
are
> until they start bombing YOU) against legitimate elected governments. It
> must stop its support of governments & dictators that torture & kill & rob
> their own citizens. It must stop putting the well-being of its business &
> military interests above the basic human rights of other people,
regardless
> of their citizenship.
>
> It will not be more security that will prevent more terrorist attacks. It
> will not be the death of every Al Quada member that prevents more
terrorist
> attacks. It will not be facial recognition software & the automatic
> detention of every Muslim that will prevent more terrorist attacks. It
will
> not be American military might that will prevent more terrorist attacks.
>
> America must become responsible & decent. The empty rhetoric of "liberty &
> justice for all", the lie of "the protector of freedom" & the "champion of
> justice" must become true. America could become what the dream of America
> has always been, America can lead the world, and not just militarily or
> commercially but ethically as well, if only the government & the people of
> America have the strength and courage.
>
> There can be no justification for the events of 9/11 just as there can be
no
> justification for the many atrocities & crimes of convenience that have
been
> committed in America's name. The cycle of hatred has to stop somewhere or
we
> will see the events of 9/11 happening again. And again. And again.
>
> America can be more than just America the great, it could truly become
> America the good, America the just, America the free, if only the nation &
> it's people have the courage & the humility to change for the better, to
> give as well as receive, to heal instead of harm, to become a true leader
of
> humanity.
>
> The rebuilding of Afghanistan is only the first challenge, but it is an
> important one. It is a chance for the US to show that there is more to
it's
> motives than simple revenge. It is a chance for the US to show that it can
> rise up against anger & grief & hatred. There was no shortage of bravery
> among the fire-fighters & police who risked all on 9/11 - can America the
> same selfless courage as a nation?
>
> Neil Blanch 12/31/01
>
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