>From: Chris Russo <extropy@russo.org>
>Well, yeah, I'm not really worried about what the terrorists
>themselves want. They went over the line and should just be
>killed. However, I'm worried about the half a billion other
>Middle Easterners who haven't done anything to us directly, but
>sympathize with the cause of the terrorists. Some of them might
>sympathize enough to take up the terrorists' banner after we wipe
>out the current crop. How many billions of dollars and thousands
>of lives will that cost us?
The world has changed and the rules have changed.
The anger of much of the middle east has turned to confusion as
they see the Afghans are now better off now than they were before
we arrived. The Taliban who always strictly controlled the media
are gone and the actual citizens are telling their own network, Al-
Jazzera, their horror stories.
The truth is winning the day.
We should stick to a straight and nobel path. Finish the job in
Afghanistan then get out. Help with the talks in Bonn, and make it
clear that further U.S. aid is tied to certain concepts, like
universal rights.
>As an American friend of mine whose parents came here from
>Palestine said to me recently, "Yes, Palestinians at one point
>were only interested in the destruction of Israel, but they lost
>that battle. After fifty years of eating shit, though, they'd just
>settle for having control over most of the original Palestine that
>they were apportioned."
>Instead, Israel refuses to give up more than a token amount of the
>land that they took. They're importing "Jewish" citizens by the
>thousands, and setting them up on Palestinian land. Looks like a
>recipe for eternal turf battles to me.
Your friends are in the minority.
The Palestinians lost their land when they joined the rest of the
Arab world in attacking Israel the day after it was declared.
They have continued to miss every opportunity to regain it ever
since. They have waged a war of terror which continues to this day
and is the single major stumbling block from reaching a settlement.
Both Jordan and Syria occupy former Palestinian land and isn't it
funny that you never hear boo about it?
Don't get me wrong, I'd like to see this set right, but the
Palestinians are every bit as much at fault, if not more so, than
the Israelis.
>Also, this is more than just about Israel. This is also about
>continued US support for puppet regimes like in Saudi Arabia and
>Kuwait.
>Sure, the US talks a good game about democracy and freedom, but
>Middle Easterners who would wish to have freedom and democracy in
>their own countries have to not only battle their own governments,
>but also the dollars and military of the United States.
So what right to we have to go around kicking in governments?
Liberals always want to have things both ways.
>The Cold War is over. This support of the "lesser of evils" no
>longer makes the sense that it did a couple of decades ago.
Which is better, a corrupt government or a fundamentalist one?
>I'd rather see us withdraw from the Middle East completely than
>continue to be embarrassed about our policies there.
There are places in the middle east where we are welcome, Kuwait
for example.
>> What the terrorists are going to get is dead.
>I certainly hope so.
Bet your last dollar on it.
Regards,
Brian
Member:
Extropy Institute, www.extropy.org
National Rifle Association, www.nra.org, 1.800.672.3888
SBC/Ameritech Data Center Chicago, IL, Local 134 I.B.E.W
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