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Glad we agreed.

Mr. Bush does a lot to make bin Laden's interpretation of U.S. policy seem more reasonable. The problem is a lot of Americans don't want to hear that: they interpret that view as sympathizing with bin Laden.

The simplest way to refute that is to say, it's not that bin Laden is right; it's that Bush is wrong and is doing much to make bin Laden look right to a lot of people.

We do want to steal Arab oil, but we do not really want to conquer all Arab lands. We've done all the physical conquest we could. Now we just do business -- at many's expense. I can understand why some would feel occupied by a tyrant. No one elected Halliburton -- but we might as well have, in electing Bush.

What frightens me about that is that some 60 million people in the U.S. voted to undermine the very liberties that made it possible for them to vote freely in the first place. Then the government starts to do more things of the sort that terrorists do -- abusing people with an unflappable sense of self-righteousness, for one.

posted by Dylan24 on August 13, 2005 at 5:52 PM | link to this | reply

What...

...wonderful memories, mellyn!

But so sad, too.

Thanks for sharing.

D

posted by DamonLeigh on August 13, 2005 at 12:41 AM | link to this | reply

YOU ARE SO RIGHT ! ! !

This takes me back to mu beautifll little isalsnd of Puerto Rico and how Spain just took it from my ancestors, the Taino Indians, and then the Americas, "liberated" it from Spain, brought in the African slaves because the Tainos were dying , for they were a very hospitable people, they were not made for slavery, plus dieases were also killing them.

My

Great-grandmother was one of the few left.  they seperated the family.  I remeber, I must have been about 4 or 5 when I wnt with my mother to see her.  I'll never forget that letrine that I ran out of.  I remember the sailors getting off their boats not showing much concern for us kids.  Just passing us by, though we were excited to see them, I don't know why.  I understand.  Though, I don't remember everything.

mellyn 

posted by mellyn on August 12, 2005 at 6:20 AM | link to this | reply

katray...

...either I don't attract many of the hawks here, or they do pop in but are a bit nervous about commenting.

I do get a bit harsh with them sometimes, I guess. Can't blame them for staying quiet!

Thanks, katray!

D

posted by DamonLeigh on August 11, 2005 at 7:55 AM | link to this | reply

Yeah...

...that was a hot time over here, Ariala. And they did cause some real carnage at different times. Pub bombings caused a lot of deaths (Birmingham and Guildford). The bomb at Hyde Park during a Royal parade was horrendous - dismembered Horse Guards and horses everywhere. There was a huge bomb in the City (financial district) in 1994, I think, that destroyed several buildings (though killed no one,as it was a Sunday), and something similar in the London Docklands area a couple of years before.

And that's just what I can remember as I write, and just here on the mainland. There was a LOT more in Northern Ireland itself - daily bombings and shootings at times.

For some reason I always assumed this would be global news at the time, but of course, it's unlikely to have gotten to mainland Europe, let alone America.

Thanks for reading.

D

posted by DamonLeigh on August 11, 2005 at 7:53 AM | link to this | reply

Damon, just now at work I was talking to a guy who was in England in

1979 and saw a large commotion, heard the police and then found out the IRA had bombed something...then he went to Scottland and a certain area was closed off because of some sort of bomb threat...

posted by Ariala on August 11, 2005 at 7:45 AM | link to this | reply

Fascinating similarities Damon

Much here I wasn't aware of in regards to what the British and Irish have suffered. Didn't know about U.S. support either. Thanks for posting it.

It will be interesting to see how the war on terror hawks respond to this. Of course, as in dealing with any cocky teen-ager, I don't expect any real breakthroughs.

posted by katray4 on August 11, 2005 at 7:33 AM | link to this | reply

That...

...is a fair point. There was also a senator involved in the protracted negotiations afterwards, but his name escapes me. Mathews? Nah - something starting with 'M' though.

Your final comment is spot on. It strikes me that bin laden has been rattling on for years about how agressive the US is in its foreign policy; how it's looking to take control of the Middle East; how it wants to steal Arab oil. And then Bush goes and plays right into his hands by invading Iraq, thereby proving bin Laden to be correct!

Brilliant! What a strategist!

Cheers!

D

posted by DamonLeigh on August 10, 2005 at 9:41 AM | link to this | reply

"...a political settlement was reached."

Yes, with the help of whom? Was it not with the help of Mr. Bill Clinton, President of the terrorist-supporting United States?

As I stood in line one frigid January afternoon to get a glimpse at the impeachment proceedings against Mr. Clinton in the U.S. Capitol, my father and I talked to a couple of visitors from Ireland who were appalled that we would seek to remove the president who was so helpful to achieving peace in Northern Ireland.

I suppose they were just part of the myth machine.

Okay, now that I've done my teenage venting, I can say that your points generally make sense. Using extreme antiterrorist tactics only heightens sympathy for the terrorists among those who might otherwise view them as the marginal wackos they are. 

posted by Dylan24 on August 10, 2005 at 5:16 AM | link to this | reply