>>Well, maybe then you should be more straight out with your feelings or exactly where you stand from the beginning so I would not have to second guess the many comments you have directed towards me (Kakki). Not quite sure where you have been coming from in all this but that's cool.<< My posts have usually been in response to other matters opened by other listers and my intention generally is to submit material to provide more information on the matter under discussion. Sometimes I agree with the sentiment and say why, or I disagree with someone and say why. I wish to further and widen the argument or throw more light on it, not particularly to say where I stand on a particular issue in every case. It's not really about me, it's about the issue.
For what it's worth, here's a clarification of where I'm coming from. I am against tyranny wherever it is and against whoever is responsible for it. Regardless of whether it is my country, your country, their country or whoever's. I am against the appalling treatment of Irish people historically in the USA and in the UK, including in the Six Counties / Northern Ireland. This does not mean I hate US or UK citizens. I am against the racist behaviour of the Spanish police and some members of the public but I love living here. I could leave but I don't. I refuse to blame the entire population of a country for the acts and policies of its government. There is a large Moslem community here in Catalunya and in many parts of it female circumcision is practiced. I am against this barbaric practice but it doesn't make me hate Moslems in general. I was against the policies of Thatcher and John Major in the 80s and 90s in the UK and left there partly for that reason. I return to visit my many friends and family but don't hate the people there. How could I? Kubrick, I think, stated that the big nations have always acted like gangsters and the little nations like prostitutes. I am against both forms of behaviour but that's the way of the world. Britain in the 80s managed to act like both at the same time; no mean feat. If I agree with anti-american comment this doesn't mean that I am anti-american in general. I believe I am not. If it appears that I adopt an anti-american stand on more occasions than a pro-american stand then that would suggest to me that the matters under discussion found me on one side rather than the other. If the matters had been different I might have made more pro- than anti- statements. If the dollar were not so high and the peseta so low I would spend more time in the US. I found it an admirable place and have never had a cross word with anyone while visiting. I have friends in San Francisco, Athens (yes, Victor, 'your' Athens), Chicago and New York. Some of my family live in Rome, NY state. I would like to visit my friends in Ontario too, but I will have to wait for better times, financially speaking. I hate the fact that the IRA, the UVF, the UFF and all the other paramilitary forces in Ireland are killing civilians and each other. I love to go to Ireland though, and had I not been born in Wales I would prefer to have been born in Ireland. I find the Irish people that I have met the finest, most agreeable people in the world, bar none. I detest the kind of barbaric violence visited on thousands of people in the recent attacks on the USA. I sympathise with all those affected, although I could not say that I understand what you're going through. How could I? I want to provoke debate, not antagonise listers. I want to provide light, not heat. I want to condemn the wrongs, regardless of who commits them. I want to congratulate fine deeds, regardless of who performs them. I want to hear other people's opinions and if I have to drag this out of people by 'provocative' postings, then I will do so, always without viciousness or insults. There are many things (and many people) I disagree with on this list but I hold my tongue more than I release it. This does NOT refer to kakki, mack, don rowe or anyone else who has been critical of my posts. I am thinking of different people altogether, I swear. Most of all I wish to make it clear that we should all, including myself, be careful about judging the particular as if it were general. If I make a stupid remark it does not mean I am stupid, just that one remark was stupid. If I make a brilliant, incisive comment, I may equally have moments of gross stupidity. If I support one act or opinion of an individual or organisation or government it does not mean I support that person or organisation or government in all other aspects. If I condemn one act or opinion of an individual or organisation or government it does not mean I condemn that person or organisation or government in all other aspects. That's probably about as much sermonising that anyone needs, so I'll stop here. mike. Maybe it's a little late now to comment on a remark of mack's which mentioned me, but I'll risk it. He said (something like) that he disagreed with practically everything I wrote but would never want to stop me writing. He was kind enough to say that he felt that he was a better person because of what he learned. I feel the same. I learn a lot from you guys and I really appreciate what you do and say, even when I don't agree with you all, or when my posts cause people to react. I enjoy your company and wouldn't know what to do without it.
