|
In Reply to: Re: Hold on! posted by Mike W. on April 10, 2003 at 11:09:01:
Thank your clearing all this up. Let's wait a few years and see if Iraq does not develop as the indian reservations have in the US (error of the past which still needs correction). Meanwhile, just because everybody else does it, it is not OK for us to do it (expansionism, that is), is it? Why do you bring them up as if yo felt responsible for their deeds? It's too poor of an excuse. On the other hand, bringing up "past mistakes" is only a problem when one doesn't care about seeing if their present move is or not a mistake. I guess you have pretty much said this much.
Why I am so concerned? Because I am also american and very much concerned for the future of this country. Do you think you are the only one, or that the type of people who promote wars, like you do, are the only patriotic ones? Well, you are mistaken. It is the kind people who cover their ears and themselves with the flag and the constitution who are unable to see how so many of their rights are being taken away from under their noses in the name of freedom and the fear to an invisible enemy. Meanwhile the merchants of war keep getting the gold while real americans, the average joe and mary, can't even get health insurance, a decent education or the social security that was promised to them. I hope, like many more millions of americans, that the goverment has a plan and that the same promises it has been making the people or Iraq will be fulfilled here, in our own country. So far, by looking at the trends in the budget and seeing how little it has for education, health control and social security, it doesn't seem so.
I applaud your desire of helping people all over the world but I doubt you would let your children suffer too much in the process. I hope this government has a backup plan otherwise, as with any parent, it would be worse than an infidel. Let's see how many times you will go to the Veterans' administration offices to see how little recognition those vets receive when coming back.
All in all, the famous average american is simply not that well informed because their opinions are modelled by the american media and some other reasons: that political participation is as low as only 10% of the total population, that the political class is more interested in perpetuating the current system than in looking at ways to improve it and that the marriage between government and money powers routinely forgets the people below.
