* [EMAIL PROTECTED] [Fri, 21/09/2001 at 16:18 -0400]
> In a message dated 9/21/01 10:11:45 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
>> Just an individual POV on Bush (however shared among my middle class
>> middle smart French friends). He's frightening me talking about
>> "Crusade" (not a very good choice of word in the context) using a lot of
>> religious terms like Evil and Good, using the word 'God' in every
>> speech. Very disturbing.
> Aye, considering what the Crusades did to the Muslim world in the 11th -13th
> centuries one would think that's not exactly the most politically correct
> word to use.
>
> However, we Americans are pretty angry and that's not going to change soon.
<snip>
> While he may not be the most eloquent President we've ever had, (his father
> was the same way) at the moment, he's definitely speaking for a majority of
> Americans right now. Bush is from Texas.
Well, I think you and I and every earth citizen have perfectly the right to be
angry and shocked by this abominable and disgusting lost of innocent lives.
But I expect our leaders to be be cool blooded, wise and thoughtful. We (I
mean the good will men and women) all have a project, a global, Earth-wide
project : the erradication of terrorism. We need all the peoples to be
commited to the project. By not thinking before talking (if the very words
were planned it's worse), by making such boo-boos, he's lowering the odds
of a global commitment.
> Quoting scripture is one of the
> ways, historically, that Texan politicians get elected and stay elected. The
> others are a) being pro-big business concerns, and b) being tough on crime.
>
> In addition, a large majority of our country is made up of religious
> Christians who like to know that their elected leaders are also
When Mr Bush is talking on that topic, he's not only talking to his
electors or Christians or even Theists, he's talking to an armful of
microphones directed to all over the world. The point of my initial post,
that I wanted to share with this cosmopolitan open-minded mailing list is
that, even me, occidental, sharing the same history, beeing raised more or
less in the same judeo-christian base, may not have exactly the same
perpective, feelings with the pronounced words. What about non-occidentals ?
I think it's dangerous to send messages to terrorists (cuz all addresses
are messages) with a religious tone, and quoting scriptures because it's
exactly what they do too. Remember : crusade=jihad god=allah
--
Jean-Marc
