Anti-American sentiment

[Jeffrey Crawley]

For what it’s worth . . .

There are over 290 million Americans in the world, some are mad, some are
bad, some are sweet, some are helpful, some are good, some are set on world
domination.

The whole world isn’t Anti American but a lot of us are unhappy with what
you are doing to the world we all share and many, many people have
increasing fears of where American political and economic policy are taking
us all.

With respect to Iraq, yes, Saddam is a potential threat, probably has the
capability to produce nuclear weapons and is in infringement both of human
rights and UN resolutions but is that a reason to kill probably thousands
of innocent men, women and children? And he had NOTHING to do with the Twin
Towers – Bin Laden hates Saddam just as much or even more than he hates the
US, Saddam has killed more Shi’ites than Bin Laden killed Americans

Israel HAS nuclear weapons, infringes human rights and has many UN
resolutions against them, are you going to bomb Israel?

Pakistan HAS nuclear weapons, infringes human rights and has many UN
resolutions against them, are you going to bomb Pakistan?

North Korea has the potential to build nuclear weapons, infringes human
rights and has many UN resolutions against them, are you going to bomb
North Korea?

Presumably not, but why not?  Is it because none of those three countries
have oil the rest of the world is asking itself? The answer usually comes
back a resounding YES especially as the key members of the US
administration are locked in tightly to the Seven Sisters.

Yes, Saddam is a bad person who has bombed and invaded another country (but
don’t forget Kuwait only exists because basically some faceless bureaucrat
in London drew a straight line on a map and said “this side shall be Iraq
and THIS side shall be Kuwait”) and caused the death of many of his
countrymen. The US KNOWS he has the capability to produce chemical and
biological weapons, they know because they SOLD the technology to Saddam
(ask Donald Rumsfeldt who was involved at the time in 1982) when they
thought he could be controlled as their weapon against Iran.

You should then consider the fact that the US has bombed 22 countries since
1945, it also HAS nuclear weapons, causes the infringement of human rights
and has UN resolutions against them, are you going to bomb yourselves?

Consider further the fact that the US produces 25% of ALL world pollution
but denies the third world the chance to lift itself out of poverty and
even fouls its own doorstep drilling for oil on Texas beaches and in the
Alaskan wilderness. Are you starting to see why not everybody loves you?

We are all very sorry that the US suffered 3000 casualties on September 11,
but you should know that for a huge part of the Spanish speaking world
September 11 (1972) is remembered as the date when America engineered the
overthrow of a legally elected government in Chile and replaced it with a
vile, fascist government lead by August Pinoche who killed many more
thousands of his own people than the number that died in New York’s terror
attack.

OK, that should have gotten enough blood boiling. So while your dander is
up what are you going to do about it?  Well, LISTEN for one thing!  I’m
sorry the German student was so upsetting but did you ask him to explain
why he was?

If you want to be popular in the world do something worthwhile and less
selfish. Don’t impose a McDonalds on every street corner, don’t undermine
peoples human rights because it is politically or economically expedient
for you.

Ask yourselves for a start why doesn’t America do something about the
appalling human rights abuses carried out daily by Israel? Are you afraid
that being anti Israel persecution of Palestinians would brand you as anti-
Jewish? They are NOT the same thing.  The US Government could do this at a
stroke and the whole of the Islamic world’s attitude would change overnight.

Ask yourselves why won’t the Americans ratify the Kyota Accord? Why do you
think?  To paraphrase Bill Clinton: “It’s the OIL, stupid”

Perhaps when Americans abroad start to look at the way the world sees them
they might take a moment to think more deeply about what their big business
companies are doing to that world, until then you would probably be best
advised to do what your fathers did during the Vietnam war – lie and say
you are Canadian!

As far as the Camino goes (remember that’s why were here folks), to use a
fine old Yiddish term, try to be a mensch not a national of ANY country,
accept and be accepted, embrace others and be embraced, admit your faults
and forgive the faults of others.  In the aftermath of (your) September
11th there was an outpouring along the Camino of support and comfort for
all Americans, perhaps now is the time for you to return the love and the
understanding?

Next week we’ll take a pop at the British!