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http://www.gooff.com/news/read.asp?ID=1772 ''Rebel without a clue'' By Paul Harris YellowTimes.org Columnist (Canada) (YellowTimes.org) � There is a curious dichotomy in this world. Large numbers of people from many countries want to relocate to the United States because it is the promised land; most of those same people despise or fear the United States. I assume this is the same phenomenon that makes it hard for us to turn away from the carnage of a vehicle accident or some other tragedy despite how repulsed we are by what we see before us. Or that allows us to keep on watching CNN as though we actually believe them. Since I started writing for YellowTimes.org, I have frequently touched on issues that involve the United States; sometimes that has been blatant criticism; sometimes it has been complimentary but with a touch of criticism; on rare occasion, I've actually offered unreserved praise. As you might expect, I get a lot of e-mail when I am critical of America, especially from people in the United States. But I have also been astounded by the number of those correspondents who have asked about immigrating to Canada. (For any Americans who might share this interest, let me suggest that you check out http://bantha.cjb.net/ switch/index.htm and meet one of your former citizens.) I am not a nationalist in the "rah-rah wave the flag" sense because at a personal level I abhor the notion that there are any borders at all on our planet. Arbitrary lines drawn in the dirt by whomever was the toughest guy on the block at some remote time in history has caused more distress, death, hatred, and misery than any other human action; religious issues might give it a good run for its money but I think I can make a strong case that borders are the most significant cause of our centuries of bloodshed. Despite that, I am proud of Canada as a geographic and political entity. I think we have achieved something pretty decent here and while it is not without monumental faults and some mind-bogglingly stupid foibles, there aren't too many folks around the world who don't look at us with envy, without the hatred that distorts their envy of the United States. Many people in Canada complain about our lack of overt patriotism and they hold up the flag-waving- breast-beating-we-are-the-best- people-in-the-universe bravado of the folks beyond our southern border as the way to be. Please, spare us all from another one of those. That blind perversion has allowed a whole range of otherwise intelligent people to believe in some outrageous crap and to behave with a brutality not seen almost anywhere else. I see that patriotic verve and fever as the most dangerous force on earth; it is especially dangerous because it engulfs the most powerful nation on earth. Many of you may remember a saccharine song from a few decades ago called "Only in America" which sang the praises of the "land of opportunity." And it is true that opportunity abounds in the United States. But for people of conscience, it comes with a hell of a price. The United States has the best of just about everything within its own borders. It has wealth beyond belief, resources most of the world can only dream about, an incredible number of very intelligent and very talented people, one of the best systems of government (well, on paper they do, although the practice sure leaves a lot to be desired). They are creative, inventive, compelled to succeed and to strive for excellence. Their influence in the world is immense and therein lies the danger for the rest of the world; this is a country with a very questionable morality. The United States is a nation whose basic mode of living is to take what it wants, wherever it wants it. That doesn't mean they don't pay for what they take (usually) but often the vendor didn't want to sell and was bullied into it. On a domestic level, they practice the fine art of "bugger your neighbor" almost to the point of perfection and they have yet to figure out that some very minor social benefits would go a long way toward making the majority of their citizens a good deal happier than evidence suggests they are. On an international scale, they are powerful but without much conscience. Over the years, the United States has attacked more countries than you can shake a stick at, rarely with any substantive reason; they have interfered persistently in other nations' affairs; and yet they have provided enormous aid and assistance to countries in trouble, but rarely without exacting an uncomfortable price from the recipient. In fact, the United States is the most dangerous rogue nation history has ever shown us. In that regard, they currently have the perfect commander-in-chief. When I first thought of this article, I was really thinking of George Bush himself, but as I organized the idea in my mind, I realized he is really a metaphor for what is wrong with the United States. (I recently listened to an interview with a physician who stated that on the available evidence, it must be concluded that Bush is juvenile, puerile, of low intelligence, with an unrealistic need to control and dominate, and almost no moral center. Mind you, this was a pediatrician; but that is clearly the appropriate specialty for this little fella.) So the world watches with trepidation as Bush throws his weight around over the issue of Iraq, and intelligent people can't help but be convinced that he is either a pathological liar or the most incredibly stupid person ever to lead the United States. (Admittedly, he does take advice from a lot of evil people, but he chose them.) And he isn't succeeding in fooling anyone; a survey carried out in the European Union earlier this month by the Instituto Portugues para Sondagem shows that nobody is buying Bush's rhetoric. The majority believes that war with Iraq is not necessary, although they also believe it is now unavoidable because of Bush's stupid posturing over the past year. Fully 91 percent believe that the U.S. will go to war and that they have no intention of getting United Nations approval or agreement. These same people believe that the "War on Terror" has been an unqualified failure and they also believe that North Korea is far more of a threat than Iraq. But the most telling number is that 71 percent of the Europeans surveyed believe the United States is the greatest threat to world peace. No kidding. These numbers don't really say much that most of us haven't known for decades. Repeatedly, the actions or inactions of the United States have threatened the peace and security of this planet and repeatedly they have blamed the other guy. This is not to say that other nations have not misbehaved or that they have not been pretty nasty in their own right. But the first reaction of the United States is almost always to take military action, regardless of the issue and regardless of who might get hurt and regardless of the long-term fallout. They just like to blow up stuff. Iraq is the current target of America's psychopathology and it seems all but certain that Iraq is about to pay the price for, well, just for being there. Sure, their leader seems like he's not a very nice guy but Iraq is all but toothless due to having been hemmed in for the past decade. It should be obvious the real danger for the world lies not in Baghdad, but in Washington. Bush, and his catamite Blair, are the current extremists on the world stage. It isn't the "bad guys" like Ghadaffi and Hussein and Kim who are really the problem; it's actually the "good guys" that we all need to fear. They behave as though "democracy" means one obsessed individual using power, just because he has it, to attack other countries for the basest of reasons. What those reasons might be is speculative and they range from oil, to revenge, to just being a creep. But they are clearly what the American people support. Where is the outrage that arose over other pointless and unjustifiable military forays in the past? Where are the protestors in the streets? Where are the peace rallies? Mostly, they are in other countries where there is precious little hope of dissuading this maniac and his nation to behave. The silence and the absence of any cohesive protest from within the United States itself speak volumes about the people of the United States. I'm afraid what it is saying is that this "leader," whether they really chose him or not, is just fine with them. So long as the people of the United States think George Bush doesn't need to be forcibly removed from office and spanked, the world is in peril and, in retaliation, the United States will be as well. [Paul Harris is self-employed as a consultant providing Canadian businesses with the tools and expertise to successfully reintegrate their sick or injured employees into the workplace. He has traveled extensively in what we arrogant North Americans refer to as "the Third World," and he believes that life is very much like a sewer: what you get out of it depends on what you put into it. Paul lives in Canada.] Paul Harris encourages your comments: [EMAIL PROTECTED] YellowTimes.org is an international news and opinion publication. YellowTimes.org encourages its material to be reproduced, reprinted, or broadcast provided that any such reproduction identifies the original source, http://www.YellowTimes.org. Internet web links to http://www.YellowTimes.org are appreciated. CLICK BELOW FOR ADDITIONAL ARTICLES Written by Paul Harris--Posted 1/20/2003 Click Here For More... Forwarded for your information. The text and intent of the article have to stand on their own merits. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without charge or profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this type of information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe simply because it has been handed down for many genera- tions. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumoured by many. 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