Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2001 17:13:12 +0200 From: Rahul Siddharthan <rsidd@physics.iisc.ernet.in> To: Technical Information <tech_info@threespace.com> Cc: FreeBSD Chat <chat@FreeBSD.ORG> Subject: Re: Another article, from the "other side" Message-ID: <20010927171312.C56631@lpt.ens.fr> In-Reply-To: <4.3.2.7.2.20010927100849.017f9938@threespace.com>; from tech_info@threespace.com on Thu, Sep 27, 2001 at 10:25:33AM -0400 References: <4.3.2.7.2.20010924191808.0227cf28@threespace.com> <3BAFD532.6ED7A320@duth.gr> <4.3.2.7.2.20010926015428.01814630@threespace.com> <20010926125046.C1370@lpt.ens.fr> <20010926070519.A30531@blackhelicopters.org> <20010926132021.E1370@lpt.ens.fr> <20010926072915.A30655@blackhelicopters.org> <4.3.2.7.2.20010927003714.01819658@threespace.com> <200109271345.f8RDjn116287@dungeon.home> <4.3.2.7.2.20010927100849.017f9938@threespace.com>
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Technical Information said on Sep 27, 2001 at 10:25:33: > >As I said, I think the only way to reduce terrorism is to change your > >foreign policy. That might be why you read about it so much. Others > >have said the same as I have. > > > >Of course, many nations should change their aggressive foreign policies, > >but the US could be the leaders. I rate the chances low, unfortunately. > > I rewrote this paragraph four times before I finally decided to just say > this: Many of the same countries and governments that decry U.S. > involvement in their affairs are quick to take funds/assistance from the > U.S. or attempt to do trade with us. And in my mind, that's completely > hypocritical. You can't have it both ways. I don't see why not. Yes, the US has its good, helpful, generous side. It also has its meddlesome, underhanded, disruptive foreign policy side. (At least, that's the uncritical way of looking at it. The more cynical would say that the US gives assistance to foreign countries to gain more control over them; I've read such accusations of the US policy towards Israel, among others -- ie, "if you don't obey us, we'll cut off the funding".) Be that as it may, I don't see what's wrong with criticising the bad points (and there is much to criticise), while praising the good (yes, there's much to praise too). As for trade: what's that got to do with anything? > That may sound cynical or arrogant, but perhaps this editorial piece can > state the sentiment more clearly. > > http://threespace.com/ksmm/america.html For once, this "someone sent me an email" thing is actually true. (Note the year, though: 1973, not mentioned on your link.) A more official version can be found at http://www.rcc.ryerson.ca/ccf/news/unique/am_text.html Personally, I think he's largely correct, but just a bit overboard. I don't know what it was like in 1973, but these days, when disaster strikes somewhere, everyone helps. Heck, when there was an earthquake in Gujarat (India) last year, Pakistan too sent a few planeloads of relief material. And I've read of several foreign countries sending assistance to the US for the current disaster. As for railway construction/repair, I don't think the Americans did it for free: they did it as paid consultants/engineers. If nobody "loaned the US an old caboose" for the US railroads, well, the US probably didn't ask. As for the man on the moon... that was a part of the race with the Soviets, who did a lot with space exploration too (they were first with nearly every other milestone). Yes, the US do spearhead the economy of the world, they are at the technological cutting edge. In terms of economic policy, and also in terms of the educational system (not mentioned by Sinclair, I think), the US unquestionably got it right and everyone else is lagging far behind. But I don't think that means one should not criticise the foreign policy. And I certainly don't think the foreign policy is justified by, or has any connection whatever with, these things. R To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message
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