British view of America

[ghostie79]

I found this on another board and wanted to share it with you all...

-------------

Editorial - A Must Read

No matter what your views on President Bush's statement of upcoming war,
this, from an English journalist, is very interesting. For those of you not
familiar with the UK's Daily Mirror, this is a notoriously left-wing daily
that is normally not supportive of the Colonials across the Atlantic.

Tony Parsons Daily Mirror September 11, 2002

ONE year ago, the world witnessed a unique kind of broadcasting --
the mass murder of thousands, live on television. As a lesson in the pitiless
cruelty of the human race, September 11 was up there, with Pol Pot's
mountain of skulls in Cambodia, or the skeletal bodies stacked like
garbage in the Nazi concentration camps. An unspeakable act so cruel, so
calculated and so utterly merciless that surely the world could agree on one thing -
nobody deserves this fate. Surely there could be consensus: the victims
were truly innocent, the perpetrators truly evil.

But to the world's eternal shame, 9/11 is increasingly seen as America's
comeuppance. Incredibly, anti-Americanism has increased over the last
year.
There has always been a simmering resentment to the USA in this
country - too loud, too rich, too full of themselves and so much happier than
Europeans - but it has become an epidemic. And it seems incredible to me.
More than that, it turns my stomach.

America is this country's greatest friend and our staunchest ally. We are
bonded to the US by culture, language and blood. A little over half a
century ago, around half a million Americans died for our freedoms, as
well as their own. Have we forgotten so soon? And exactly a year ago,
thousands of ordinary men, women and children - not just Americans,
but from dozens of countries - were butchered by a small group of religious fanatics.
Are we so quick to betray them?

What touched the heart about those who died in the twin towers and on the
planes was that we recognized them. Young fathers and mothers, somebody's
son and somebody's daughter, husbands and wives, and children, some unborn.

And these people brought it on themselves? And their nation is to blame
for their meticulously planned slaughter?

These days you don't have to be some dust-encrusted nut job in Kabul or
Karachi or Finsbury Park to see America as the Great Satan. The
anti-American alliance is made up of self-loathing liberals who blame the
Americans for every ill in the Third World, and conservatives suffering
from power-envy, bitter that the world's only superpower can do what it likes
without having to ask permission.

The truth is that America has behaved with enormous restraint since
September 11.

Remember, remember.

Remember the gut-wrenching tapes of weeping men phoning their wives to
say, "I love you," before they were burned alive.

Remember those people leaping to their deaths from the top of burning
skyscrapers.

Remember the hundreds of firemen buried alive.

Remember the smiling face of that beautiful little girl who was on one of
the planes with her mum.

Remember, remember - and realize that America has never retaliated for
9/11 in anything like the way it could have.

So a few al-Qaeda tourists got locked without a trial in Camp X-ray?

Pass the Kleenex...

So some Afghan wedding receptions were shot up after they merrily fired
their semi-automatics in a sky full of American planes? A shame, but
maybe next time they should stick to confetti.

AMERICA could have turned a large chunk of the world into a parking lot.
That it didn't is a sign of strength. American voices are already being
raised against attacking Iraq - that's what a democracy is for. How many
in the Islamic world will have a minute's silence for the slaughtered
innocents of 9/11? How many Islamic leaders will have the guts to say that the mass
murder of 9/11 was an abomination?

When the news of 9/11 broke on the West Bank, those freedom-loving
Palestinians were dancing in the street. America watched all of that -
and didn't push the button. We should thank the stars that America is the
most powerful nation in the world. I still find it incredible that 9/11 did
not provoke all-out war. Not a "war on terrorism." A real war.

The fundamentalist dudes are talking about "opening the gates of ****," if
America attacks Iraq. Well, America could have opened the gates of ****
like you wouldn't believe.

The US is the most militarily powerful nation that ever strode the face of
the earth. The campaign in Afghanistan may have been less than perfect
and the planned war on Iraq may be misconceived.

But don't blame America for not bringing peace and light to these wretched
countries. How many democracies are there in the Middle East, or in the
Muslim world? You can count them on the fingers of one hand -assuming you
haven't had any chopped off for minor shoplifting.

I love America, yet America is hated. I guess that makes me Bush's poodle.
But I would rather be a dog in New York City than a Prince in Riyadh.
Above all, America is hated because it is what every country wants to be - rich,
free, strong, open, optimistic. Not ground down by the past, or religion,
or some caste system. America is the best friend this country ever had
and we should start remembering that.

Or do you really think the USA is the root of all evil? Tell it to the
loved ones of the men and women who leaped to their death from the burning
towers. Tell it to the nursing mothers whose husbands died on one of the
hijacked planes, or were ripped apart in a collapsing skyscraper. And
tell it to the hundreds of young widows whose husbands worked for the New York
Fire Department.

To our shame, George Bush gets a worse press than Saddam Hussein. Once we
were told that Saddam gassed the Kurds, tortured his own people and set up
rape-camps in Kuwait. Now we are told he likes Quality Street.

Save me the orange center, oh mighty one!

Remember, remember, September 11.

One of the greatest atrocities in human history was committed against
America.

No, do more than remember. Never forget.


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[dianemarie]

Thank you for bringing this to the board. The title of this article is: SHAME ON YOU AMERICAN-HATING LIBERALS

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[jeskibuff]

Thanks for posting it!


....and, on the 'other side' of the coin, we have...

While Secretary of State Colin Powell is busy making his compelling case for war in Iraq to the paint on the wall at the United Nations, anti-American "peaceniks" around the world have been busy taking to the streets of America, Europe and even Iraq itself. The "peace movement" has been treating the world to displays of varying degrees of ignorance. One has to wonder if these people would know a real threat if Saddam shot a scud through their living room. But there are ignoramuses, and then there are downright traitors.

Last week, clapped-out Boomers around the world emerged from their acid-induced haze--or mom's basement, depending on the case--to hit the streets in an attempt to re-create the peace protests of the mythical '60's. This group represents the grassroots peace movement. They choose as their leaders great, inspirational thinkers like actors Sean Penn, Martin Sheen and Janeane Garofalo. Sheen has recently cut a TV commercial to rally his flock of sheep. The ad offers up deeply philosophical words of wisdom: "Don't invade Iraq. Inspections work; war won't." Forget about the fact that the UN weapons inspectors themselves have acknowledged that they've been obstructed by the Iraqi regime in carrying out their mandate. The peace protesters must figure that if they repeat their mantra enough, people will simply begin to believe it. Break out the purple Kool Aid!

The Sheen commercial advocates participation in a "virtual march on Washington," scheduled for Wednesday. Sheen isn't encouraging his flock to come up with creative solutions to war, or to intelligently argue or refute Colin Powell's eloquently-stated arguments for military action in Iraq. Instead, Sheen is hoping to prevent war by getting his followers to thoroughly harass Washington legislators via any means of modern communications possible. The campaign's website ([Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now]) states that, "on February 26th, every Senate office will receive a call every minute from a constituent, as they receive a simultaneous flood of faxes and email. Hundreds of thousands of people from across the country will send the collective message." Who wants to bet that by the end of the day, some senators will want to train Saddam's weapons of mass destruction on Martin Sheen--America's very own weapon of mass disruption? This level of protest is annoying and mindless, but harmless. This is America, after all, and people have the right to publicly express dissent-no matter how misdirected, uninformed or annoying that dissent may be.

But then there's another level of protester ignorance--one that shouldn't be considered anything short of criminal. By definition, treason involves a person who, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort. Saddam Hussein has a long history of using civilian shields as bargaining chips to subvert any potential military onslaught. During the 1991 Gulf War, Hussein was accused of detaining Iraqi and Kuwaiti civilians at key military and industrial sites in Iraq.

The website [Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now] is recruiting US citizens to go over to Iraq and stand alongside the Iraqi people in the face of war--essentially giving them aid and comfort. The website states that "an organization called the "Iraq Peace Team" is ready to take volunteers to Iraq. It would probably cost no more than a comparable two-week vacation in Hawaii or the Caribbean, yet you would be participating in making history and saving lives." Great! Pack up the kids, the gas masks and the Cipro, honey--we're going to Iraq!

What part of the definition of treason does not apply to these people acting as "human shields"? They are providing a security blanket--"aid and comfort"--to Saddam Hussein's regime. Human shield protester, Grace Trevitt, says that she and her comrades plan to identify potential bombing targets--such as power stations and bridges--and act as human shields to protect them. If war breaks out in the region, they would automatically be foisting a moral dilemma on US and allied military by surrounding targets. These soldiers would be forced to choose between carrying out their duties, as passed down to them via the chain of command, or turning some of their fellow countrymen into involuntary organ donors.

Not too long ago, a young American by the name of John Walker Lindh was convicted of conspiring to kill US citizens by fighting alongside the Taliban while his fellow Americans were fighting terrorism on the other side of the battle lines in Afghanistan. He, too, claimed to be on a "mission of peace, not violence". While treason charges were a possibility for "Jihad Johnny," officials were ultimately unable to find evidence that he was purposely acting against America. His family and friends said he believed he was fighting against other Taliban enemies, and not the United States.

In the case of the human shields, however, there is no excuse-except maybe if stupidity can pass for a valid defense nowadays.

Rachel Marsden is a Director of the Free Congress Foundation.


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[dlabrie708]

Great posts!!! I am forwarding them on now...

Lori

[valleygirl]

I think Sheen may be unpleasantly surprised when his next film comes out not as well accepted as those before.

[jeskibuff]

Originally posted by valleygirl
I think Sheen may be unpleasantly surprised when his next film comes out not as well accepted as those before

I wouldn't bet on that, Valleygirl. Every week on "The West Wing", he is portrayed as "America's Hero". The show gets to thrust its liberal agenda forward, rarely portraying the opposition conservatives as anything but idiots or men with evil intentions. The show has a loyal following and is therefore a great vehicle to deliver that liberal agenda to millions of people. In comparison, how many people listen to the weekly Presidential radio broadcasts?

For the most part, I don't think a lot of people are aware of Sheen's liberal activism and many of those that do won't make a conscious decision to not see a movie that he's in.


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[luvmetender]

Thank you, ghostie... that was an excellent read.

Jeskibuff, as usual, you are only out to slam the democrats.

[valleygirl]

Jeski, here are some links to Charlie Daniels view on things. lol

Charlie on Sean Penn [Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now]

an open letter to Hollywood [Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now]

check out the pulldown box to read more of his articles.


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