From: CurtAdams@aol.com
Date: Tue Aug 13 2002 - 10:47:53 MDT
In a message dated 8/13/02 6:56:41, asa@nada.kth.se writes:
>There is a huge missed opportunity here: right after 911 the US
>government could have acted as a paragon of democracy, the open
>societiy and human rights. It would have earned it further respect
>and while not silencing the harshest critics it would have made
>many moderates feel that the US acted justly
The US gov't has actually been well-behaved. What's weird is all
this Orwellian rhetoric accompanying so-far mild actions. The
only really objectionable thing I can think of is the secret detentions.
It's not like that was any gain. I mean, duh, like Al-Quaida can't
figure out which people are missing? We all pretty much assume
there are some Gestappo wannabees in the Bush administration but
so far the system is keeping them in check.
They haven't invaded Iraq yet, either. That wouldn't necessarily
be a bad thing - removing Saddam would be a good thing; the value
of an invasion depends on the costs (political, moral, economic,
and human life). But *threating* to invade is an old and time-
honored tactic which might do a lot of good and carries no costs
to the world, other than perceptions.
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