RE: german harps etc

["Smith, Richard" <rismith@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Bravo, David.  I'm with you.

Richard J. Smith, R.A.
rismith@xxxxxxxxxxx


- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:owner-harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf
Of Anthony P. Costine
Sent: Friday, May 21, 2004 9:17 AM
To: David Dix
Cc: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: german harps etc



Okay, that tore it. I figured there'd be a couple of idiots on both 
sides having to have their say, and then maybe it would go away and 
maybe ADMIN would  have to remind everyone to play nice...but this post 
just really really offends me. I find the whole attitude offensive and 
hurtful. I'm sick and bloody tired of the "blame America first" crowd. 
Let's not forget that this country has done more good for the world in 
our relatively short history than most others have even postured about 
doing. Who saved Europe twice, maybe three (Kosovo was getting 
nasty...) and continues to expend capital in the form of money and 
troops to defend it today? Who's always the first to hand out foreign 
aide? Make loans that will never be paid back? Be a beacon of light and 
hope--after all, how many people from Europe move here every year v. 
the number who leave? Who is at present liberating a country, trying to 
achieve a democracy in a region that's known nothing but terror? Or 
were the mass graves and rape rooms of Saddam such lovely vacation 
spots?
Bombing wedding parties? There are two sides to every story. It was an 
area where foreign fighters were coming in, and their was ground fire 
directed at the aircraft.
Geneva convention? These people are terrorists and thugs. The Geneva 
convention is for armed uniformed combatants. These people aren't...in 
fact, I think they're lucky they're not shot, given the lack of uniform 
and hiding among civilians.
As far as the photos...I'm sure Nick Berg would rather have been 
photographed wearing panties on his head or naked in front of dogs on a 
leash than beheaded. I'm also sure that a goodly percentage of the 3000 
people killed on Sept. 11 would rather have been piled in a naked 
pyramid than having to jump 70 stories to the ground or burn to death 
where they stood.
And let's not even talk about the governments of France, Germany and 
Russia getting $$$ and oil from Saddam to stymie the U.S. at every 
point.
And lets not forget some British MP's getting oil money from 
Saddam...to vote against involvment.
Screw you. Stay home. This country (USA) isn't perfect, but it tries 
damn hard and it's the best the world's got.




I have a holiday planned to San Francisco and L. A. this summer, and 
I'm wondering whether I really want to go and help fund a country that 
dismisses the Geneva Convention, bombs wedding parties and encourages 
its soldiers to photograph each other abusing prisoners.
 
But on the other hand, I might deprive myself of a golden opportunity 
to see the likes of Rod Piazza, Mark Ford, Mark Hummel, Kim Wilson, 
James Harman, Rick Estrin, Bill Barrett, Ironman Mike Curtis and a 
squillion others on their home turf. I must stand a chance of catching 
at least ONE of them.
 
it's a dilemma. In the meantime our correspondent from Idaho may like 
to consider the proposition that the reason Germany (along with the 
rest of the world apart from our deluded Prime Minister) doesn't back 
Bush on Iraq is because what the US and, sadly, (my country) Britain is 
doing in that country is immoral, arguably illegal, and in both the 
short and long term a far greater threat to regional and world 
stability and peace than Saddam and his non-WMD ever was.



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