> I'm sure the French were quite grateful for being liberated by (among > other countries) the US. However, you seem to believe that because the > US took part in the liberation of France over fifty years ago, the > French should forever accept and support everything the US does. > That's ridiculous.
I let this go the first time I saw it, but (being inspired by a statement of Colin Powell's) I decided it was worth answering, as it's one of those slanders you tend to make a lot, Jeroen.
There's nothing slanderous about my statement. If anyone is being slanderous, it is you with the incessant Euro-bashing in general and France-bashing in particular you have been doing here for the last several weeks.
BTW, several hours ago Jon Gabriel posted an article by Molly Ivins about the French. Read it, remember your France-bashing, and weep...
Now, _we_ have been attacked. Not you.
True -- but then, us Europeans have been living with terrorism since the 1960's, so don't think we don't know what it's like. Americans have been looking over their shoulder for about a year and a half -- we have been looking over our shoulder for the last four *decades*.
Trust me, we know what it's like. And if you would bother to remember how people in Europe (and throughout the rest of the world) responded right after the Sept. 11 attacks, you would see that we actually do care about what happened to you.
We have decided to defend ourselves. You disagree with our way of doing it? Fine. That's your right. It is precisely because we asked for nothing that we do not demand obedience. But we do expect - and we deserve - that agree or disagree, you not claim that we do what we do out of greed or malice - as you have claimed repeatedly.
I claim that because that is what I see.
Are you going to war to liberate the people of Iraq? No. It is a positive side effect, but that's it. The US decided not to go on and liberate the people of Iraq in the second Gulf War. Bush Sr. didn't think it was important enough to wage war for it. Neither did Clinton. And we didn't hear Bush Jr. about it till some time after the Sept. 11 attacks.
Are you going to war because Iraq has WMD's? No. The weapons inspectors have not discovered an awful lot of evidence for WMD's. The US itself doesn't have credible evidence for it. Hell, they claimed they had it but didn't bother to pass it on to the inspection teams, thus blowing a great opportunity to prove to the world that Iraq had WMD's. This makes it look like the "evidence" doesn't really exist (or, at best, is highly questionable).
Are you going to war because Saddam Hussein is evil? No. He has been in power for decades, but the only time the US acted against Iraq was when he invaded Kuwait. Hell, the US even *supported* him and provided him with weapons and the material to produce chemical (or was it biological?) weapons.
Are you going to war because Iraq supported Al-Qeada? IIRC, that still hasn't been proven either.
So, it's not for the people of Iraq, it's not for the alleged possession of WMD's, it's not for Saddam Hussein personally, and it's not because of Iraq supporting terrorism. Hmm. Lessee, anything else there that the US might be interested in? Well, whaddaya know, there is.
1. Power.
Taking over Iraq will give the US the oppportunity to build a huge power base in the Middle East. Quite useful, given that the region is not exactly a shining example of pro-Americanism (Israel being the exception).
2. Oil.
Iraq is floating on a substantial part of the world's oil reserve. The contracts that will be awarded to American oil companies for exploitation of the oil fields are worth *billions* of dollars. President Bush and several of his cronies have very strong ties to the oil industry.
Sorry Gautam, but I'm not naive enough to believe that all this is just coincidence.
If we acted in such a way, Jeroen, then you, right now, would be living in part of the American empire.
To an extent, I already am. In random order:
1. American fast-food restaurants are all over the place here.
2. Most of what we see on television is Made In America.
3. There are American troops on Dutch soil.
4. The various Dutch governments over time have been quite friendly towards the US.
5. English, particularly American English, is making its way into our lives a little bit more every day; even a lot of commercials aimed at the Dutch market are now in (American) English!
How _dare_ you? You live in a country that _exists_ as a free and independent state because of American courage and American sacrifice. Not once, not twice, but _three_ times.
And two centuries from now, you'll still be rubbing our noses in it...
The US participated in the liberation of Europe. We are grateful for it. Now get over it.
Now you tell us that we are attacking Iraq for its oil?
It appears to be one of the main reasons.
You say that our President has something in common with Hitler?
He definitely appears to be heading in that direction. If he keeps going the way he is going, and will do what I suspect he will do, I give it a more than 99% chance that history will eventually mention him in one sentence with people like Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini and Saddam Hussein.
Jeroen "Make love, not war" van Baardwijk
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