Wednesday, July 28, 2004
HOUSTON, WE'VE LOST CONTACT
It seems at least 43 percent of the American population, and most of the rest of the planet disagrees with Tony Alva about the state of American greatness. It's you who has his head in the sand, wake up, look around, talk to people. There's an overwhelming feeling abound, and it ain't good. We can't just walk into countries willy nilly anymore, it upsets people. We are now violating more human rights than we are protecting. It's time to change things.
It seems at least 43 percent of the American population, and most of the rest of the planet disagrees with Tony Alva about the state of American greatness. It's you who has his head in the sand, wake up, look around, talk to people. There's an overwhelming feeling abound, and it ain't good. We can't just walk into countries willy nilly anymore, it upsets people. We are now violating more human rights than we are protecting. It's time to change things.
Comments:
As Bill Clinton, my favorite President since I was able to assess them, said this week, "The US cannot possibly kill, jail or occupy all of its enemies, so we need to figure out how to use diplomacy to solve the terrorism issue".
Dude, my post was not aimed at addressing or countering the world's opinion of us, especially since you and the rest seem to insist on measuring our greatness in terms the last three years of history, a nanosecond, against 228 years of existence. My post was regarding the concept of nationalism and how I have learned a great deal more about it's roots. So much so that it changed my mind about taking as an extreme position on it as I had previously. You obviously just want to pick a fight.
My head is NOT in the sand. I'm just not as angry as you are, and I will not fall in line with the millions who want us to apologize for the U.S. being the greatest and wealthiest country on earth. We've got problems and I agree that this SINGLE issue (the invasion of Iraq) might have created a strain on diplomatic relations with the rest of the world, but is a far cry from any situation that would have me AND the other half (far more in any other year) of the American population, willing to dismiss all that is great and good about our country and it's culture.
Human rights... What the hell are you talking about? If it�s Iraq, we're no longer an occupying force. If they want us out they'd tell us to leave. What the Iraqi people are coming to realize now that we are officially guests of their country is that these terrorist are killing far more of their own than they are US troops, that they've been there for a long time (prior to the invasion), that they are bad for Iraqi freedom, and it will take U.S. troops to get them out in conjunction with Iraqi forces. What human rights are/did we violate in Afghanistan? The Taliban's? We don't talk about that much do we? You think the majority of the non-zealot population of that country is crying about U.S. human rights violations against them? The answer is a resounding NO! We did something good and you piss ant peaceniks who find fault in everything, can't admit that, as dumb as W. might be, that even the Afghan invasion was the right thing to do, and was successful. No, that would mean that you'd have to be magnanimous. MY HEAD IN THE SAND!!! I talk to plenty of people; I am wide-awake with eyes wide open. I happen to be in an industry that employees many middle easterners and count many as long time friends and colleagues. There is a piece of advice that was given to me by one of my former CEO's, "...get good at ignoring your first reaction and your ability to communicate with others will improve, and people will be more open to embracing your thoughts".
Human rights please� Name another country that has freed more people from tyranny than the U.S.? Name another country that spends more money in aid to other countries, many of which are now acting like thankless dickheads? Billions and billions of fucking American dollars a year. Name another country that is more committed to balanced wealth by living with huge trade deficits in the greater interest of other countries economies? Who the fuck is PAYING $40 a barrel for crude? I suppose that the U.S. should ignore the situation in the Sudan where Arabs are slaughtering black Sudanese as an ethnic cleansing exercise because it might violate their human rights? If I were president we�d be there already. 30,000 people killed because they�re black. America has done more, and continues to do more for the world�s people than any other country, or ever has in the history of mankind.
America's left will cry human rights violations around the world where people can't vote, they can't eat, disease runs rampant, governments siphon the people resources into their own bank accounts, and yet they will cast a vote for president on the �human rights� issue of being able to smoke a cigarette in a bar.
Go listen to your John Lennon records if you want. I'm done trying to explain it all. "Imagine there's no countries, no religions too..." Sounds pretty fucking boring to me, and you missed the point.
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My head is NOT in the sand. I'm just not as angry as you are, and I will not fall in line with the millions who want us to apologize for the U.S. being the greatest and wealthiest country on earth. We've got problems and I agree that this SINGLE issue (the invasion of Iraq) might have created a strain on diplomatic relations with the rest of the world, but is a far cry from any situation that would have me AND the other half (far more in any other year) of the American population, willing to dismiss all that is great and good about our country and it's culture.
Human rights... What the hell are you talking about? If it�s Iraq, we're no longer an occupying force. If they want us out they'd tell us to leave. What the Iraqi people are coming to realize now that we are officially guests of their country is that these terrorist are killing far more of their own than they are US troops, that they've been there for a long time (prior to the invasion), that they are bad for Iraqi freedom, and it will take U.S. troops to get them out in conjunction with Iraqi forces. What human rights are/did we violate in Afghanistan? The Taliban's? We don't talk about that much do we? You think the majority of the non-zealot population of that country is crying about U.S. human rights violations against them? The answer is a resounding NO! We did something good and you piss ant peaceniks who find fault in everything, can't admit that, as dumb as W. might be, that even the Afghan invasion was the right thing to do, and was successful. No, that would mean that you'd have to be magnanimous. MY HEAD IN THE SAND!!! I talk to plenty of people; I am wide-awake with eyes wide open. I happen to be in an industry that employees many middle easterners and count many as long time friends and colleagues. There is a piece of advice that was given to me by one of my former CEO's, "...get good at ignoring your first reaction and your ability to communicate with others will improve, and people will be more open to embracing your thoughts".
Human rights please� Name another country that has freed more people from tyranny than the U.S.? Name another country that spends more money in aid to other countries, many of which are now acting like thankless dickheads? Billions and billions of fucking American dollars a year. Name another country that is more committed to balanced wealth by living with huge trade deficits in the greater interest of other countries economies? Who the fuck is PAYING $40 a barrel for crude? I suppose that the U.S. should ignore the situation in the Sudan where Arabs are slaughtering black Sudanese as an ethnic cleansing exercise because it might violate their human rights? If I were president we�d be there already. 30,000 people killed because they�re black. America has done more, and continues to do more for the world�s people than any other country, or ever has in the history of mankind.
America's left will cry human rights violations around the world where people can't vote, they can't eat, disease runs rampant, governments siphon the people resources into their own bank accounts, and yet they will cast a vote for president on the �human rights� issue of being able to smoke a cigarette in a bar.
Go listen to your John Lennon records if you want. I'm done trying to explain it all. "Imagine there's no countries, no religions too..." Sounds pretty fucking boring to me, and you missed the point.
