🚀 go-pugleaf

Israel Raj T <israelrt@optushome.com.au> wrote in message news:<39reqtg29v53s2a6t3cv52bad9se56ftfi@4ax.com>...
> On Tue, 18 Sep 2001 09:51:56 -0400, Jim Agnew <agnew@hsc.vcu.edu>
> wrote:

> Chomsky estimates that of the around 200 nations in the world, around
> 7 ( Canada, UK, Australia, France, Germany, and a couple of others )
> are really pro-US. When the majority of the 19 NATO members dislike
> the US, there is something seriously wrong.

If Chomsky said that he's an idiot (and I used to respect some of the
things he wrote. Blimey).

How do you measure 'like' and 'dislike'. Did Chomsky make that clear?

When it comes to national opinion on another nation's foreign policy,
the only opinions that count are those of democracies. We may *assume*
or *think* that China, say, doesn't like US policy on Taiwan. But
since we don't *know* what the Chinese population thinks it's not
really worth specualting on. My guess is they don't care. What a few
geriatric failed revolutioinaries in the Beijing government think
tells us nothing except the state of real politics.

Still, there are plenty of democracies in the world  to guage popular
opinion toward the US. It will vary, obviously. Britain will always be
closest to the USA because of their shared history of friendship,
because they have both had similar roles in the world, because the
British know  when they have debts owed. Other democracies may or may
not feel similar bonds depending on their history and traditions and
so forth... Australia and Canada, Israel and S Africa will be close;
France, Germany and continental Europe slightly less so; India, Japan
next; S America;;; etc. etc.etc. The democracy least close to the US
is probably Russia - but even they will be wanting to help out this
time around.
> 
> Terroism is a hydra headed monster.
> Cut off one head and 9 more grow.
> Remember when the Munich Olympics massacre was a big deal ?

It still is.

> Remember the days when Abu Nidal was the big bad terrorist ?

He's under house arrest isn't he?

> Terrorists seem to become worse by orders of magnitude...

Not sure what your point is. Terrorists grow out of terrorsim as they
become older and wiser; as their movements fail and they understand
the opportunity for political gains through democratic means. We are
currently all waiting for parts of the Islamic world to grow out of
its infatuation with violence and fundamentalism.

But the acts of terror they commit retain their potency for as long as
their victims, their families or the witnesses live. And democracies
have a duty, without undue sentimentality, to make sure nobody
forgets.

Make no mistake, Osama bin Laden, if guilty, will go down as one of
the worst criminals in history.