In Reply to: In defense of American empire posted by Carol on June 23, 2004 at 09:02:14:
I'm sorry, but it wasn't just our "young people" fighting for our way of life and only because of oil. Is this the first time the U.S. has gone to war to fight or defend their freedom? I guess the picture of my father holding the head of a Japanese soldier in his hands, smiling as well, was a myth? He didn't happily go to war and risk his life for his way of life? And what oil did they or the Germans have for us.
I beg to differ. In fact, our previous generations fought longer and harder than we do now, with the media and world opinion dictating us, and probably why we ended up in the position we did, as a powerful nation. We diminish that capability everyday when we criticize someone for being patriotic (read loving their country), when we fear reprisals from world opinion, or gasp, terrorists who bomb our buildings and behead our citizens with joy and praise Allah at the same time. After saying that, maybe I'll read on to what else you have to say.
And one last thing, I wonder if you know that it is costing us taxpayes a pretty penny to keep the Iraqis in oil and their system functioning since they have yet been able to produce oil on their own. And I wonder if you know that the Germans, the Russians and the French were benefitting from the oil for food program that the U.N. started. They also don't want Iraq to be free of it's debt to them also for the cheap arms they sold them - this is their real gripe. Or, are you saying the Europeans are a pure society that doesn't function on money?
I get tired of the U.S. being portrayed as the only bully in the world and the only nation profiting from other poor or undeveloped countries. In fact, we usually end up doing more for them in the long run. Take Japan for example! But I digress... I better read the rest of what you had to say before I go on.