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The view of one British wrighter,very good read

2K views 35 replies 14 participants last post by  hotrodit 
#1 ·
This one was taken from a mustang message board I frequent, I can't vouch for the source, but it's a nice read nonetheless:
No matter what your views on President Bush's statement of upcoming war, this, from an English journalist, is very interesting. Just a word of background for those of you who aren't familiar with the UK's Daily Mirror. This is a notoriously left-wing daily that is normally not supportive of the Colonials across the Atlantic.


Tony Parsons ... Daily Mirror ... September 11, 2002

One year ago, the world witnessed a unique kind of broadcasting -- the mass murder of thousands, live on television. As a lesson in the pitiless cruelty of the human race, September 11 was up there with Pol Pot's Mountain of Skulls in Cambodia, or the skeletal bodies stacked like garbage in the Nazi concentration camps.

An unspeakable act so cruel, so calculated and so utterly merciless that surely the world could agree on one thing - nobody deserves this fate. Surely there could be consensus: The victims were truly innocent, the perpetrators truly evil.

But to the world's eternal shame, 9/11 is increasingly seen as America's comeuppance. Incredibly, anti-Americanism has increased over the last year.

There has always been a simmering resentment to the USA in this country; too loud, too rich, too full of themselves, and so much happier than Europeans -- but it has become an epidemic. And it seems incredible to me. More than that, it turns my stomach.

America is this country's greatest friend and our staunchest ally. We are bonded to the US by culture, language and blood. A little over half a century ago, around half a million Americans died for our freedoms, as well as their own. Have we forgotten so soon? And exactly a year ago, thousands of ordinary men, women and children -- not just Americans, but from dozens of countries -- were butchered by a small group of religious fanatics. Are we so quick to betray them?

What touched the heart about those who died in the Twin Towers and on the planes, was that we recognized them. Young fathers and mothers, somebody's son and somebody's daughter, husbands, wives, and children, some unborn.

And these people brought it on themselves? Their nation is to blame for their meticulously planned slaughter?

These days you don't have to be some dust-encrusted nut job in Kabul or Karachi or Finsbury Park to see America as the Great Satan. The anti-American alliance is made up of self-loathing liberals who blame the Americans for every ill in the Third World, and conservatives suffering from power-envy, bitter that the world's only superpower can do what it likes without having to ask permission.

The truth is that America has behaved with enormous restraint since September 11.

Remember ... remember .... remember ... the gut-wrenching tapes of weeping men phoning their wives to say, "I love you," before they were burned alive.

Remember those people leaping to their deaths from the top of burning skyscrapers. Remember the hundreds of firemen buried alive.

Remember the smiling face of that beautiful little girl who was on one of the plan es with her mum.

Remember .... remember ...

And realize that America has never retaliated for 9/11 in anything like the way it could have.

So a few al-Qaeda tourists got locked up without a trial in Camp X-ray? Pass the Kleenex ....

So some Afghan wedding receptions were shot up after they merrily fired their semi-automatics in a sky full of American planes? A shame, but maybe next time they should stick to confetti.

AMERICA could have turned a large chunk of the world into a parking lot. That it didn't is a sign of strength. American voices are already being raised against attacking Iraq -- that's what a democracy is for. How many in the Islamic world will have a minute's silence for the slaughtered innocents of 9/11? How many Islamic leaders will have the guts to say that the mass murder of 9/11 was an abomination?

When the news of 9/11 broke on the West Bank, those freedom-loving Palestinians were dancing in the street. America watched all of that -- and didn't push the button. We should thank the stars that America is the most powerful nation in the world. I still find it incredible that 9/11 did not provoke all-out war. Not a "war on terrorism." A real war.

The fundamentalist dudes are talking about "opening the gates of hell" if America attacks Iraq. Well, America could have opened the gates of hell like you wouldn't believe.

The US is the most militarily powerful nation that ever strode the face of the earth. The campaign in Afghanistan may have been less than perfect and the planned war on Iraq may be misconceived.

But don't blame America for not bringing peace and light to these wretched countries. How many democracies are there in the Middle East, or in the Muslim world? You can count them on the fingers of one hand -- assuming you haven't had any chopped off for minor shoplifting.

I love America, yet America is hated. I guess that makes me Bush's poodle...

But I would rather be a dog in New York City than a Prince in Riyadh. Above all, America is hated because it is what every country wants to be -- rich, free, strong, open, optimistic. Not ground down by the past, or religion, or some caste system. America is the best friend this country ever had and we should start remembering that.

Or do you really think the USA is the root of all evil? Tell it to the loved ones of the men and women who leaped to their death from the burning towers.

Tell it to the nursing mothers whose husbands died on one of the hijacked planes, or were ripped apart in a collapsing skyscraper. And tell it to the hundreds of young widows whose husbands worked for the New York Fire Department.

To our shame, George Bush gets a worse press than Saddam Hussein. Once we were told that Saddam gassed the Kurds, tortured his own people and set up rape-camps in Kuwait. Now we are told he likes Quality Street. Save me the orange center, Oh Mighty One!

Remember .... remember ... September 11. One of the greatest atrocities in human history was committed against America.

No, do more than remember. Never forget.
 
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#5 ·


AMERICA could have turned a large chunk of the world into a parking lot. That it didn't is a sign of strength. <hr></blockquote>

Whether or not you agree with the current situation or not I don't think most people in the world realize the assault we could have launched after 9/11. This country didn't have to seperate the terrorists from their countries to try and be humane, we could have just levelled everything within our power.
 
#7 ·
Originally posted by dmorris1200:
<strong>




Whether or not you agree with the current situation or not I don't think most people in the world realize the assault we could have launched after 9/11. This country didn't have to seperate the terrorists from their countries to try and be humane, we could have just levelled everything within our power.</strong><hr></blockquote>

The reason for this... the whole world would hate you even more.

All I gotta say is bravo to bush, he took the whole world from being sympathetic to the US at the time of 9/11 to all hating america today. BRAVO TO BUSH. See maybe this is why the flag wavers should maybe be a little angry with the guy.
 
#12 ·
Hey stoner no one cares because all your post on politics are about your hatred of the American government. Any thread that supports the gov. or the American people you jump on spewing your anti-American rhetoric. Just let people support what they want to with out criticizing everything. I support your right to free speech as much as mine but there is a time and a place. Threads like this are not the place, on threads that are debates go ahead.


mustang66maniac are you still mad at me because I called you a wuss?
:rolleyes:
 
#13 ·
So everyone else should have the right to say pro american anti araab crap and I don't have the right to say my view. I'm sorry but that is BS I'll keep speaking my mind, even if everyone decides to tar and feather me. Oh yeah and call mustang a wuss all you want but what I have noticed is those who don't allow other people to speak their minds are often just the ones who are too dumb to debate. I'm not saying this is the case but often it is. Someone says something, someone says something else, some person knows they cannot win so they start with insults or tell the other person no one cares. Just some food for thought but I'll go head to head with you in a debate to prove my point. :p
 
#14 ·
those who don't allow other people to speak their minds are often just the ones who are too dumb to debate. <hr></blockquote>

And those who insist on butting in on every topic which doesn't concern them are usually just immature losers with no self-esteem who just need to keep hearing themselves. Neil posted something very nice as a reminder of all those who perished which had nothing to do with you. But because of the loudmouth insecure loser that you are you had to run your mouth off just to get a reaction. I was told a long time ago, chose your arguements wisely, you'll win more of them and be taken more seriously. Have you ever read the story about the boy who cried wolf, or how about the story about the one that just cried all the time? It's a shame that even with the amount of time you've been on this board you are still an immature idiot, regardless of your political views.
 
#17 ·
Originally posted by dmorris1200:
<strong>

And those who insist on butting in on every topic which doesn't concern them are usually just immature losers with no self-esteem who just need to keep hearing themselves. Neil posted something very nice as a reminder of all those who perished which had nothing to do with you. But because of the loudmouth insecure loser that you are you had to run your mouth off just to get a reaction. I was told a long time ago, chose your arguements wisely, you'll win more of them and be taken more seriously. Have you ever read the story about the boy who cried wolf, or how about the story about the one that just cried all the time? It's a shame that even with the amount of time you've been on this board you are still an immature idiot, regardless of your political views.</strong><hr></blockquote>

:rolleyes: I'm immature now cuz I speak my mind. Also I must be the only immature person on here. I mean nobody else who shares the common opinion is immature. :rolleyes:
 
#18 ·
I'm immature now cuz I speak my mind. <hr></blockquote>
No you're immature cause you speak your mind constantly and never shut up. You're the kind of jerk-off that would go up to a woman who just lost her husband in a car accident and tell her to shut up and stop making such a big deal about it, and then say "I was just speakin' my mind". You're a loser not because of your opinions but because throw them all over the place like a retard.
 
#23 ·
I hope more Iraqi soldiers die.Just the ones that follow Saddom.The one's that will surrender to the coalition force's so they can live peacfully without worry about their wive's getting raped by Saddom's goons are ok with me.

Followers of Saddom
Kill'em All


:Watching Fox News Channel:
I see a bomb falling...3...2...1....TOUCHDOWN!!!!
 
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