[Tolstoy]

Some comments...

Zarix:

Of course, US doesn't need any allies because it has the strongest military in the world.

You must be kidding! Only Bush believes that... and the entire Fox news cast perhaps.

On a global scale the United States do need input, information, councelling - call it what you want - from other nations. Recently WTO (World Trade Organisation) condemned (or vetoed) the US tax on foreign steel as imposed by Bush, because it was against international law. The US is dependent on trade as well. Don't think for a second that the US can totally isolate themselves and be completely independent. They can't. At least not on the scale that they are running now.

And what about polution... The Kyote-treaty (sp.?)... what if the Americans were dying from global polution, and countries like Germany, China, Russia and France and their respective industries were the cause of it, somehow? Don't you think that allies would be a good thing to have, in order to propose a *global* treaty to reduce polution?

And this war against Iraq? Why do you think that Colin Powell adviced Bush to take it to the UN? Because without the support of the UN, more criticism and hatred will be applied to the US in the Middle Eastern region if they were to go to war on their own.

BUT... to late. Bin Laden must be clapping in his hands right now, as the number of fanatics and fundamentalists will rise in number to join his organisation of terror, the Al-Queda. More blood will be spilled.. also on US soil, because of the unilateral foreign policy of the United States.

The war is suicide, plain and simple.

Krsqk:

I agree with your assesment of the military state of your country. The US has the most advanced and deadliest military in the world today, albeit not the largest (infantry-wise), I believe.

"... Many times, they have supported arguably evil people because they were against another arguably evil person who was unfriendly to US interests. While sometimes US involvement was welcomed and/or prevented the spread of evil, it has also brought about resentment and the perception of the US as an "empire-builder."

They have fought what they percieved to be evil. They have also fought against "evil" with "evil".

Your perception of why people (non-americans) hate or dislikes the United States is wrong (if not, you're avoiding this issue entirely), in my opinion. I am not from the States myself, but I believe that I can better comment on why this is.

First, you need to pretent not to be so full of patriotism (if you have are), and focus on matters of fact, rather than government propaganda. The fact that people in Iraq (whether free from Saddam or not) dislikes the United States so much is that they feel betrayed. They feel left behind. The US government, your government, didn't support the rebels in what became *their* struggle back in 90/91. US withdrew their forces and pretended it never really took place.

Whether US betrayed the rebels in so much as described above, is completely irrelevant, the point is that the Iraqi people feel betrayed, and that is why this war is complete and utter suicide. They see a Jewish-Christian coalition, they see government that betrayed them and so on... the US are blind to this fact! They see themselves as liberators, which is ludicrous. What's to liberate? Only the anger of millions of millions of people, and more and more fanatics. We'll have another bloody 11th September on our hands.

[i]"The US is the wealthiest country on earth. Its citizens partake of a lifestyle of which most the world has never dreamed. It also spends a large percentage of its wealth on foreign aid, has forgiven substantial debts owed it by other countries, and has invested billions to rebuild countries which intended its destruction."

That the US is the wealthiest country on Earth is more or less certain (however not when it comes to annual income per citizen - Luxemborg is #1, I believe).

Also, please present these statistics of which you speak of.. forgiven substantial debts(!), investments, etc.

The "funny" thing is, that while the US government has used many billions to go to war, they have yet to present a budget or at least a plan for what is going to happen after the war. Is the US going to pay? Or..?! The Iraqi people perhaps? Food/shelter for oil-agreements? Way to liberate...

[ April 01, 2003, 12:59: Message edited by: Tolstoy ]