But the problem remains, for both leaders and people on the street, is *WHO*
do you retaliate against? This is a problem unique in history that we've
never encountered before. We can capture bin Laden (who certainly isn't dumb
enough to be taken alive), bomb a few bases in Afghanistan, and even harass
decent Arab-Americans, but that isn't going to give people 100% confidence
that the problem has been eradicated, and it's now safe to get on an
airline.
The problem REQUIRES international cooperation. We don't have the resources
to conduct house-to-house searches in every country of the world -
unilaterally.
Nat
> 2001-09-16
>
> That is the voice of reason speaking. That isn't the voice of
> the people on
> the street. The average person on the street won't see this article or if
> they do, they will let its message go in one ear and out the other.
>
> Try to get the average ignorant on the street to metricate and
> see where you
> get. If Bush spoke to the people of this country on the need to be more
> multilateralist and not unilateralist, he will become very unpopular very
> quickly.
>
> In Mesa, Arizona, where my brother lives, a man wearing a turban on the
> street was murdered. This is the low-life mentality that has to be dealt
> with, and they out-number the Dick Polmans of the world.
>
> John
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Nat Hager III" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "U.S. Metric Association"
> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Sent: Sunday, 2001-09-16 13:06
> Subject: RE: [USMA:15273] Where to next?
>
>
> > Believe it or not, it may have the opposite effect. Despite
> all the flag
> > waving - and I have one at the front door too - one of the secondary
> > casualties of all this may be unilateralism, the "My Way or the Highway"
> > mentality.
> >
> > I'm seeing numerous reports that our leaders realize the unilateralist
> > approach isn't going to solve the problem. Retaliation is OK, but the
> > immediate plotters are dead and after retaliation what has been gained
> other
> > than bombing a 1000 BC country back to a 3000 BC country?
> >
> > We need to work with other countries in finding a comprehensive solution
> to
> > the problem. A Phildelphia Inquirer column on the subject is at:
> >
> >
> http://inq.philly.com/content/inquirer/2001/09/14/specials/attack/
> POLMAN14.h
> > tm
> >
> > Obviously the more multilateralist this country becomes, the
> more open it
> > will be to metric.
> >
> > Nat
> >
> > PS Paul Krugman is good in today's NY Times on the death of Cheapness -
> > paying airport security personel $6/hour when they could make
> more working
> > at McDonald's.
> >
> > >>>
> > 2001-09-16
> >
> > I can't help feeling that the attack on the WTC will have a severe
> negative
> > effect on any attempt to metricate. From the news and media reports,
> people
> > are really rallying around the flag to an almost fervent
> religious level.
> > Despite the fact that people from many countries were killed in the
> attack,
> > this fact is being ignored as people concentrate on "America first". I
> feel
> > that any attempt by any citizen and/or organization at this time and in
> the
> > near future to push for further metrication would result in a serious
> > reaction. Metrication will/is most likely be associated with
> > anti-Americanism. The WTC incident will give rise to any reason to be
> > xenophobic and raise criticism of persons or organizations that support
> any
> > foreign ideas or concept. This incident will be an effective means for
> > America to assert itself in the world and push American customs and
> > practices further into the world, and condemn as enemies any nation or
> > person that does not support and worship things American. FFU is one of
> the
> > American gods that demands worship.
> >
> > Over the past few days I have been inundated with all forms of
> propaganda,
> > much of it being quickly deleted. However the one that I have received
> > numerous copies of, was the article by Gordon Sinclair that appears
> below.
> > I interspersed some comments and sent it back to the persons
> who sent it.
> A
> > cousin of mine who is a journalistic photographer told me the article is
> 30
> > years old. You can see that the propaganda looks at Europe as a region
> that
> > takes from America but never gives back.
> >
> > I'm sure more facts can be added to show how untimely and out-dated the
> > original article really is. I also feel Europeans and others need to
> stand
> > tall too. They need to rally and make it clear to America and Americans
> > that they are sick and tired of the lies and false propaganda
> directed at
> > them. That they too live in democracies and can also be called
> "greatest
> > nation".
> >
> > When I get something with "Pray for America" and/or "God bless America"
> on
> > it I have been replying to the effect that I hope they are praying for
> and
> > blessing the other countries affected. Not one response back.
> >
> > John
> >
> >
> > Sent: Thursday, 2001-09-13 08:08
> > Subject: FW: TRIBUTE TO THE UNITED STATES
> >
> >
> > This was a great article! I do agree with all he has to write!
> >
> > Subject: TRIBUTE TO THE UNITED STATES
> >
> > This, from a Canadian newspaper, is worth sharing.
> >
> > America: The Good Neighbor.
> >
> > Widespread but only partial news coverage was given recently to a
> remarkable
> > editorial broadcast from Toronto by Gordon Sinclair, a Canadian
> television
> > Commentator. What follows is the full text of his trenchant remarks as
> > printed in the Congressional Record:
> >
> > "This Canadian thinks it is time to speak up for the Americans
> as the most
> > generous and possibly the least appreciated people on all the earth.
> > Germany, Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain and Italy were
> lifted out
> of
> > the debris of war by the Americans who poured in billions of
> dollars and
> > forgave other billions in debts. None of these countries is today paying
> > even the interest on its remaining debts to the United States.
> When France
> > was in danger of collapsing in 1956, it was the Americans who propped it
> up,
> > and their reward was to be insulted and swindled on the streets
> of Paris.
> I
> > was there. I saw it.
> >
> > All of the above was done to prevent the communists from
> completely taking
> > over Western Europe. Plus, the financing of the recovery of Western
> Europe
> > through the Marshall plan was meant more to stimulate the
> American economy
> > at the end of the war then to rebuild Europe. There was a threat at the
> > wars end of a continuation of the depression as factories geared up for
> war
> > production would be forced to close. The need for building materials to
> > rebuild Western Europe generated jobs in the US that put your
> fathers and
> > grandfathers in the employment line instead of the bread line. America
> > would not be what it was today if aid for Europe was not provided.
> >
> > When earthquakes hit distant cities, it is the United States
> that hurries
> in
> > to help. This spring, 59 American communities were flattened by
> tornadoes.
> > Nobody helped. The Marshall Plan and the Truman Policy pumped
> billions of
> > dollars into discouraged countries. Now newspapers in those
> countries are
> > writing about the decadent, warmongering Americans.
> >
> > Which countries? Renegade Middle Eastern I suppose, but nowhere in
> Europe.
> >
> > I'd like to see just one of those countries that is gloating over the
> > erosion of the United States dollar build its own airplane.
> Does any other
> > country in the world have a plane to equal the Boeing Jumbo Jet, the
> > Lockheed Tri-Star, or the Douglas DC10?
> > Duh! The dollar is at an all time high against almost all currencies.
> Even
> > though the Euro has gained some ground in recent months, the dollar is
> still
> > strong. In fact, many are complaining it is hurting US exports.
> >
> > As for planes, has anyone ever heard of Airbus? Airbus has been very
> > aggressive over the past few years and has more booked orders
> then Boeing.
> >
> > If so, why don't they fly them? Why do all the International
> lines except
> > Russia fly American planes?
> >
> >
> > See above! Almost every carrier worldwide now buys mostly from
> Airbus. Go
> > to http://www2.airbus.com/ to read more about this company.
> >
> > A statement from Airbus: Airbus wishes to express its deepest
> sympathy to
> > United and American Airlines, and to offer its sincere
> condolences to all
> > those who lost loved ones in the appalling events recently
> suffered by the
> > United States. This tragedy has aggrieved the aerospace industry as a
> whole
> > and left the entire world in a state of shock and sorrow. Our
> thoughts are
> > with all our U.S. colleagues, customers, operators and suppliers in this
> > difficult time.
> >
> >
> >
> > Why does no other land on earth even consider putting a man or woman on
> the
> > moon? You talk about Japanese technocracy, and you get radios. You talk
> > about German technocracy, and you get automobiles. You talk
> about American
> > technocracy, and you find men on the moon - not once, but
> several times -
> > and safely home again.
> >
> > Why has America stopped going to the moon? And who really put US on the
> > moon? A GERMAN! Dr. Werner von Braun. He ran NASA from the
> time he was
> > brought to this country and his death. When he died, NASA went
> down hill
> > since. Without von Braun and the thousands of German scientists and
> > Engineers who came with him, there would never have been a moon landing.
> >
> > You talk about scandals, and the Americans put theirs right in the store
> > window for everybody to look at. Even their draft-dodgers are
> not pursued
> > and hounded. They are here on our streets, and most of them, unless they
> are
> > breaking Canadian laws, are getting American dollars from ma and pa at
> home
> > to spend here.
> >
> > When the railways of France, Germany and India were breaking
> down through
> > age, it was the Americans who rebuilt them. When the
> Pennsylvania Railroad
> > and the New York Central went broke, nobody loaned them an old caboose.
> Both
> > are still broke.
> >
> > I can name you 5000 times when the Americans raced to the help of other
> > people in trouble. Can you name me even one time when someone else raced
> to
> > the Americans in trouble? I don't think there was outside help
> even during
> > the San Francisco earthquake.
> >
> > During the economic crisis of the late 1980's, Japanese and German
> citizens
> > collected money and clothes and other things to give to needy American
> > families as a gesture of thanks for the help they received in
> the post war
> > years. But, the arrogant American press was "insulted", that
> the American
> > people had to receive charity from countries considered our
> inferiors. It
> > made America look bad.
> >
> > The truth is Americans don't want other people's help. They
> would rather
> > complain that they help the world and the world gives nothing back.
> >
> > Our neighbors have faced it alone, and I'm one Canadian who is damned
> tired
> > of hearing them get kicked around. They will come out of this thing with
> > their flag high. And when they do, they are entitled to thumb
> their nose
> at
> > the lands that are gloating over their present troubles. I hope
> Canada is
> > not one of those."
> > Stand proud, America! Wear it proudly!!
> >
> > This is one of the best editorials I have read regarding the United
> States.
> > It is nice that one man realizes it. I only wish that the rest of the
> world
> > would realize it. We are always blamed for everything, and
> never even get
> a
> > thank you for the things we do. I would hope that each of you
> would send
> > this to as many people as you can and emphasize that they should send it
> to
> > as many of their friends until this letter is sent to every
> person on the
> > web. I am just a single American that has read this, TRIBUTE TO
> THE UNITED
> > STATES.
> >
> >
> > An editorial like this belongs in the archives. None of it reflects the
> > reality of the US in the 1990's or the new millenium. Anyone
> with a third
> > grade education should be able to see this. If you are going to pass
> around
> > this type of propaganda, make sure it is timely and up to date!
> >
> > Thank You!
> >
>
>
>
