Arto, I am an American, full and free (and that refers to sailing directions, not politics). I think you have been misinformed as to the crimes of the USA, but as an American I defend your right to state them.
Your contributions to the list have been too valuable for us to lose. Remember that I could also make things political (I am an old man, who remembers the war between Finland and the USSR just before WWII). I'l not get into my opinions, and have resisted answering some of your points. But that is irrelevant, come back to the lute list. Look at how much I've put up with from Roman on the other elderly types of music <g>. If you stop writing on lute topics then future beginners like myself will lose a good source. You are young yet, and that doesn't make your opinions any less valid. But there is a historical content to all of this. Two wrongs don't make a right, but history shows us that not everything can be perfect. My lady grew up in occupied France, I grew up with English relatives during the Blitz - and it was probably your grandfather that fought the Russians (Soviets) in 1938. Since then we have had the North Korean invasion of South Korea (I was a year too young), the Cold War, and then the disaster of Vietnam (which wouldn't have happened had the French not tried to regain their pre-war colony). I'll not go into further detail, but it would seem to me you are sitting in a safe place, with the luxury of moral judgement. And I'll not say your judgement is wrong, unlike some on the list. Come back with the lute, do remember that that is the purpose of the list. Let us only argue about what is Renaissance versus Medieval (or Baroque). Torture is immoral - but there are levels of torture. At the moment I'm going through a torture by Mother Nature that is more extreme than anything in Al Ghraib. I can't sleep more than fifteen minutes, every position I take is painful, and yet I have to live. No government, just the aging process and a bit of lack of blood flow to my leg. But I will live, as will all the prisoners in Al Ghraib - unlike their predecessors. Enough, come back to the list. And if you have things you have to say about current events then send a "teaser" for anyone to speak with you off list. Best, Jon
