Re: CHAT: America's unfolding history

At 8:30 pm +0100 12/9/01, O'Connell James wrote:
[snip]
>Unfortunately I fear that America, led by maybe the
>person most feared in England, President Bush,
Can I, as an Englishman, say that I dissociate myself utterly & entirely
from this statement.  Whatever I may think of President Bush, he is
certainly *not* the person I most fear.  Nor, indeed, do I know of any
other English person who has him as their most feared person.

One thing I admire is the wisdom of the Founding Fathers in drawing up the
US consitution with its differentiations of functions and its checks and
counter-balances to ensure that, as far as humanly possible, power is kept
in check.  It is not perfect - nothing in this world is - but IMHO it's
stood well the test of time.

To expect a nation to have no blemishes in its history is unrealistic; but
before lecturing another nation, one does well to think of one's own
nation.  Britain's history is not without some appalling acts of barbarity.
But this not the time to dwell on such things.

As I said in an earlier mail, my memory is long and I dread to think what
would've happened to devestated western Europe in the post-war years if
America had turned its back on us and become isolationist.  Thank God it
didn't.  I for one am grateful for Marshall Aid and that Americans joined
with their allies in forming NATO as a bulwark against the spread of
communism across our continent.  I am grateful that during my secondary
school days I was actively encouraged to think for myself, i.e. to be free.

By attacking the World Trade Center these wicked people were ensuring that
they would kill not only US citizens but citizens of many other free
nations.  In my view, this is not an act of war against America, but
against _all_ democratic nations.

Again I extend my condolences to all on this list who have lost friends &
relations in those appalling acts of evil.

Ray.





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A mind which thinks at its own expense
will always interfere with language.
                   [J.G. Hamann 1760]
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