thedrifter
01-15-03, 06:28 AM
This was sent to me by Tude
I'm told that this material was provided by Joe Galloway, author of "We Were
Soldiers," and should be an item of interest to today's pacifists. This one is
definitely NOT tongue in cheek. Sig, the author, was a teen-aged Marine who
marched and fought as a rifleman to and from the Chosin reservoir in Korea in
1950. He switched to the Army, and served as a Special Forces officer in
Vietnam. After Vietnam he joined the CIA, and went back to Korea. He's been
there, done it, and has some specific thoughts on countries that don't "like" us.
If you aren't interested in the ramblings of an old man, hit Delete now.
If you're still there, pull up a chair and listen.
Is there anyone else out there who's sick and tired of all thepolls being
taken in foreign countries as to whether or not they "like" us? The last time I
looked, the word "like" had nothing to do with foreign policy. I
prefer 'respect' or 'fear.' They worked for Rome, which civilized and kept the
peace in the known world a hell of a lot longer than our puny two centuries- plus.
I see a left-wing German got elected to office recently by campaigning against
the foreign policy of the United States. Yeah, that's what I want,to be
lectured about war and being a "good neighbor" by a German. Their head honcho
said they wouldn't take part in a war against Iraq. Kind of nice, to see them
taking a pass on a war once in while. Perhaps we needed to have the
word "World" in front of War. I think it's time to bring our boys home from
Germany. Outside of the money we'd save, we'd make the Germans "like" us a lot
more, after they started paying the bills for their own defense.
Last time I checked, France isn't too fond of us either. They sort of liked us
back on June 6th, 1944, though, didn't they? If you don't think so, see how
nicely they take care of the enormous American cemeteries up above the Normandy
beaches. For those of you who've studied history, we also have a few cemeteries
in places like Belleau Woods and Chateau Thierry also. For those of you who
haven't studied it, that was from World War One, the first time Europe screwed
up and we bailed out the French. That's where the US Marines got the
title 'Devil Dogs' or, if you still care about what the Germans
think, "Teufelhunde." I hope I spelled that right; sure wouldn't want to offend anyone, least of all, a German.
Come to think of it, when Europe couldn't take care of their Bosnian problem
recently, guess who had to help out there also. Last time I checked, our kids
are still there. I sort of remember they said they would be out in a year. Gee,
how time flies when you're having fun.
Now we hear that the South Koreans aren't too happy with us either.
They "liked" us a lot better, of course, in June, 1950. It took more than
50,000 Americans killed in Korea to help give them the lifestyle they currently
enjoy, but then who's counting? I think it's also time to bring the boys home
from there. There are about 37,000 young Americans on the DMZ separating the
South Koreans from their "brothers" up north. Maybe if we leave, they can begin
to participate in the "good life" that North Korea currently enjoys. Uh huh. Sure.
I also understand that a good portion of the Arab/Moslem world now
doesn't "like" us either. Did anyone ever sit down and determine what we would
have to do to get them to like us? Ask them what they wouldlike us to do.
Die?. Commit ritual suicide? Bend over? Maybe we should follow the advice of
our dimwitted, dullest knife in the drawer, Senator Patty Murray, and build
more roads, hospitals, day care centers, and orphanages like Osama bin Laden
does. What with all the orphans Osama has created, the least he can do is build
some places to put them. Senator Stupid says if we would only "emulate" Osama,
the Arab world would love us. Sorry Patty. In addition to the fact that we
already do all of those things around the world and have been doing them for over sixty years.
I don't take public transportation, and I certainly wouldn't take it with a
bomb strapped to the guy next to me. Don't get me wrong: I'm not in favor of
going to war. Been there, done that. Several times, in fact. But I think we
ought to have some polls in this country about other countries, and see if
we "like" THEM. Problem is, if you listed the countries, not only wouldn't the
average American know if he liked them or not, he wouldn't be able to find
them. If we're supposed to worry about them, how about them worrying about us?
We were nice to the North Koreans in 1994, as we followed the policies of
Neville Clinton. And it seemed to work; they didn't restart nuclear weapons
program for a whole year or so. In the meantime, we fed them when they were
starving, and put oil in their stoves when they were freezing.
In a recent visit to Norway, I engaged in a really fun debate with my cousin's
son, a student at a Norwegian University. I was lectured to by this thankless
squirt about the American "Empire," and scolded about dropping the atomic bomb
on the Japanese. I reminded him that empires usually keep the stuff they take.
We don't. Back in 1945 most Norwegians thought dropping ANY kind of bomb on
Germany or Japan was a good idea. I also reminded him that my uncle, his
grandfather, and others in our family spent a significant time in
Sachsenhausen
concentration camp, courtesy of the Germans, and they didn't all survive.
I
further reminded him that if it wasn't for the "American Empire" he would
probably be speaking German or Russian.
Sorry about the rambling, but I just took an unofficial poll here at our
house,
and we don't seem to like anyone. Happy New Year.
Sig
"We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to
visit violence on those who would harm us."
George Orwell
Sempers,
Roger
I'm told that this material was provided by Joe Galloway, author of "We Were
Soldiers," and should be an item of interest to today's pacifists. This one is
definitely NOT tongue in cheek. Sig, the author, was a teen-aged Marine who
marched and fought as a rifleman to and from the Chosin reservoir in Korea in
1950. He switched to the Army, and served as a Special Forces officer in
Vietnam. After Vietnam he joined the CIA, and went back to Korea. He's been
there, done it, and has some specific thoughts on countries that don't "like" us.
If you aren't interested in the ramblings of an old man, hit Delete now.
If you're still there, pull up a chair and listen.
Is there anyone else out there who's sick and tired of all thepolls being
taken in foreign countries as to whether or not they "like" us? The last time I
looked, the word "like" had nothing to do with foreign policy. I
prefer 'respect' or 'fear.' They worked for Rome, which civilized and kept the
peace in the known world a hell of a lot longer than our puny two centuries- plus.
I see a left-wing German got elected to office recently by campaigning against
the foreign policy of the United States. Yeah, that's what I want,to be
lectured about war and being a "good neighbor" by a German. Their head honcho
said they wouldn't take part in a war against Iraq. Kind of nice, to see them
taking a pass on a war once in while. Perhaps we needed to have the
word "World" in front of War. I think it's time to bring our boys home from
Germany. Outside of the money we'd save, we'd make the Germans "like" us a lot
more, after they started paying the bills for their own defense.
Last time I checked, France isn't too fond of us either. They sort of liked us
back on June 6th, 1944, though, didn't they? If you don't think so, see how
nicely they take care of the enormous American cemeteries up above the Normandy
beaches. For those of you who've studied history, we also have a few cemeteries
in places like Belleau Woods and Chateau Thierry also. For those of you who
haven't studied it, that was from World War One, the first time Europe screwed
up and we bailed out the French. That's where the US Marines got the
title 'Devil Dogs' or, if you still care about what the Germans
think, "Teufelhunde." I hope I spelled that right; sure wouldn't want to offend anyone, least of all, a German.
Come to think of it, when Europe couldn't take care of their Bosnian problem
recently, guess who had to help out there also. Last time I checked, our kids
are still there. I sort of remember they said they would be out in a year. Gee,
how time flies when you're having fun.
Now we hear that the South Koreans aren't too happy with us either.
They "liked" us a lot better, of course, in June, 1950. It took more than
50,000 Americans killed in Korea to help give them the lifestyle they currently
enjoy, but then who's counting? I think it's also time to bring the boys home
from there. There are about 37,000 young Americans on the DMZ separating the
South Koreans from their "brothers" up north. Maybe if we leave, they can begin
to participate in the "good life" that North Korea currently enjoys. Uh huh. Sure.
I also understand that a good portion of the Arab/Moslem world now
doesn't "like" us either. Did anyone ever sit down and determine what we would
have to do to get them to like us? Ask them what they wouldlike us to do.
Die?. Commit ritual suicide? Bend over? Maybe we should follow the advice of
our dimwitted, dullest knife in the drawer, Senator Patty Murray, and build
more roads, hospitals, day care centers, and orphanages like Osama bin Laden
does. What with all the orphans Osama has created, the least he can do is build
some places to put them. Senator Stupid says if we would only "emulate" Osama,
the Arab world would love us. Sorry Patty. In addition to the fact that we
already do all of those things around the world and have been doing them for over sixty years.
I don't take public transportation, and I certainly wouldn't take it with a
bomb strapped to the guy next to me. Don't get me wrong: I'm not in favor of
going to war. Been there, done that. Several times, in fact. But I think we
ought to have some polls in this country about other countries, and see if
we "like" THEM. Problem is, if you listed the countries, not only wouldn't the
average American know if he liked them or not, he wouldn't be able to find
them. If we're supposed to worry about them, how about them worrying about us?
We were nice to the North Koreans in 1994, as we followed the policies of
Neville Clinton. And it seemed to work; they didn't restart nuclear weapons
program for a whole year or so. In the meantime, we fed them when they were
starving, and put oil in their stoves when they were freezing.
In a recent visit to Norway, I engaged in a really fun debate with my cousin's
son, a student at a Norwegian University. I was lectured to by this thankless
squirt about the American "Empire," and scolded about dropping the atomic bomb
on the Japanese. I reminded him that empires usually keep the stuff they take.
We don't. Back in 1945 most Norwegians thought dropping ANY kind of bomb on
Germany or Japan was a good idea. I also reminded him that my uncle, his
grandfather, and others in our family spent a significant time in
Sachsenhausen
concentration camp, courtesy of the Germans, and they didn't all survive.
I
further reminded him that if it wasn't for the "American Empire" he would
probably be speaking German or Russian.
Sorry about the rambling, but I just took an unofficial poll here at our
house,
and we don't seem to like anyone. Happy New Year.
Sig
"We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to
visit violence on those who would harm us."
George Orwell
Sempers,
Roger