The entire situation in the former Yugoslavia is just tremendous.
Villages destroyed daily, while the UN hems and haws and twiddles their
thumbs about this entire peace agreement. Slobodan Milosevic (sp) could
probably be compared, in some ways with the late Nigerian military dictator
Abachi. Yes I hope that the "bargain" could prevent any further violence,
but this country and these peoples have been killing each other for
centuries if not longer. I used to not understand (actually I still don't)
how people could just destroy villages and participate in "ethnic
cleansing" but then I begin to learn that some cultures raise their
children to simply hate this other group and perhaps are told that their
lives would be better if it wasn't for the actions or whatever of this
other group. I believe this happens all over the world, including here
where racism and hate and ethnocentrism is taught to children in perhaps
subtle or overt ways and these children become adults who believe it's "ok"
to beat and drag a black man to his death to achieve acceptance by his
peers and its "ok" to cut the throat of an Algerian child and throw him in
a well, and it's "ok" to wipe away generations and villages of Albanians
because the Serbs do not want them there. I do not mean in any way to
oversimplify or overgeneralize or anything. I just don't know if any
agreement can fix (long term) any country like this. There is just too much
history, hate and fear.
And in regards to places like Somalia where hundreds of people were/are
dying of starvation every day I used to think when I was a child that money
was made on another planet and the USA would only get a certain amount to
spend every year. I couldn't understand any other reason that children
would continue to starve in Africa and other places in the world when we
had the resources to save them. I also didn't understand why people died
from cancer and other diseases because research had only proceeded so far
because of lack of funding. The U.S. has such vast resources and wealth,
but I guess no matter how realistic, educated and socially conscious I try
to become in my life, there are just some things in this world and this
nation I will never be able to understand.
As always, just my opinion
kimberly
----------
> From: Jessica Leann Urban <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: STUDIES IN WOMEN AND ENVIRONMENT <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Subject: Re: America & global environment / human rights
> Date: Wednesday, March 10, 1999 12:45 PM
>
>
> RE "the guy" trying to "bargain" with Milosevic...wouldn't you rather see
> the US attempt to resolve the situation with non-violent diplomatic means
> than with bombs and more bloodshed??
>
> Jessica
>
> On Wed, 10 Mar 1999, Heather McKenzie wrote:
>
> >
> > > [why] is America the driving force in the destruction of the planet
> > > and the subjugation of its people? Is there something in America's
> > > history that encouraged the male/Christian world
> > domination/destruction
> > > ethic?
> >
> >
> > I was wondering exactly the same thing this morning as I was listening
> > to a National Public Radio (NPR) report on how we (the US) has a guy
> > over in the former Yugoslavia trying to bargain for peace with
> > Milosovic (sp?) and Clinton who is going off to Ireland to settle the
> > little spat the natives are having (that was my sarcasm - the raised
> > eyebrow doesn't come thru the email very well), and we're of course
> > busy bombing Iraq. What makes us the police of the world? What made
> > us think we get to control the world? How is it that in just 200
> > years, the culture of this smallish land mass has developed and oozed
> > out to take over the rest of the world? It's kind of like a plague.
> > Or an X-file.
> >
> > Heather
> > ==
> > "Yes.
> > I said it's fine before
> > But I don't think so no more
> > I've changed my mind. I take it back.
> > Erase and rewind."
> > -The Cardigans
> >
> > _________________________________________________________
> > DO YOU YAHOO!?
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> >
> >
