2chevys

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Subject: An Article from England





No matter what your views on President Bush's statement of upcoming war,

this, from an English journalist, is very interesting. Just a word of
background, for those of you who aren't 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.
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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, wives, and children, some unborn.

And these people brought it on themselves? 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 hell," if America attacks Iraq. Well, America could have opened the gates of hell 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.

lpelham

Wow, that was cool - thanks for sharing!

Libby

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Southern Pirates

DBackFan

Yes that was very very good. I got teary eyed.

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freebiegrl22

That was truly incredible. Heck, I would like to write the author myself and tell him so. What a wonderful article. It gave me goose bumps

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Jolie Rouge

wow

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Laissez les bon temps rouler! Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.** a 4 day work week & sex slaves ~ I say Tyt for PRESIDENT! Not to be taken internally, literally or seriously ....Suki ebaynni IS THAT BETTER ?

CAMSmama

That was beautiful

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janelle

Well do your part and pass this on to everyone you know. How many 9/11s will America need to experience before other countries stand behind us in ridding the world of evil. If they think we are the evil then we won't be around to help them when it becomes their turn for their 9/11s.

Legion600

Once we were told that Saddam gassed the Kurds, tortured his own people...


Unfortunately all of that also happened when Saddam Hussein was our buddy in the 1980s. And we didn't care because we were the ones that supplied him with the weapons of mass destruction.


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


No. Not even close. The Nazi's killed 12 million in death camps. Stalin killed an estimated 30 million of his own people. The Khmer Rougue in Cambodia killed several million. That's millions not thousands. And they were killed by their own government.
Was the 9/11 attack horrific? YES. But to call it one of the greatest atrocities in human history is hyperbole and war mongering. As for the British supporting us it may not last. Tony Blair is losing popularity with both the people and his own party.

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History ... is, indeed, little more than the register of the crimes, follies, and misfortunes of mankind. But what experience and history teach is this—that peoples and governments have never learned anything from history, or acted on principles deduced from it. Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
History shows that there are no invincible armies. Josef Stalin
History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce. Karl Marx

mesue

There was recently a poll done where it was revealed that the results were high that we were hated by the Germans, English, and the French in that order, if anyone recalls exact stats please post them. It was discussed here because someone cracked me up with the statement, well the French hates everyone. I was surprised to see we were hated by the English. It was good to read that we are getting some support from one of their newspapers.

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Ignorance is bliss but the question is can we afford it?

2chevys

It isn't one of the greatest atrocities ever, but it sure is top ranking for the last 25 years.

We aren't suppose to be the worlds police and aid every country that has a dictator in power. That is why we didn't stop Saddam in the 1980's. You'll notice there are still these kinds of crimes commited in Africa and nobody is doing anything about them. That should be the job of the UN not the US. It was only when Saddam got nuclear weapons that we took action.

And the rest of the world sits back enjoying their freedoms and not willing to commit to protecting them........

freebiegrl22

2chevys, I am with you all the way.

__________________
The Lizard Queen sees and knows all. Do not tempt her wrath!