[Iron_Ranger]

Originally posted by Timber Loftis: quote: Originally posted by Iron_Ranger: Take this for example: Say you have the nicest house on your block. And everyone else doesnt like you for it. Do you care? No you dont. If that turns to violence, are you to blame? No your not. Why should you be held responable for something that you have? We could get into a big debate over how we got it, but whats done is done, you cant change the past. You can only try to do whats best for the present and furture.

You should not be responsible for their ills, IR, but it is human nature for them to (a) covet and (b) dislike your advantage, and you with it. To make it worse, if they come to you with problems seeking leadership (as you are obviously the one in the neighborhood who knows how to keep your house), and you scoff at them, or, worse, abuse and/or take advantage of them, then their hatred grows. Again, it's not your fault.

Ok, explain. How do we scoff at other nations?

So, you are then understandably offended, angry, and upset - but NOT (if you have a brain) *surprised* - when they "burn down your house and sleep with your daughter." Wouldn't you have been better off helping them out to begin with, or at least not scoffing at them?

Heh, I was going to use the following statment in another part of the post but it seems to fit here better. Cut through the metaphores. The burning down the house statment could be compaired to Sept 11th no? Ok, now whats strange is, you say wouldnt it have been better if we helped in the begining, well, we did just that, he helped Afghanastan against the Soviets in 1980, and then we get branded as setting up the Taliban. Whats even more strange (well maybe not) is that there was a Democrate in office at the time.

Look - I am sure that not every part of my above extended metaphor applies to US international relations, but you started the metaphor thing so don't hold it against me if I got creative.

Not holding you against it at all.

[EDIT] I didn't read your post (immediately above) before I posted this, so I think the issue has already been sufficiently addressed. And, I think we see eye-to-eye on it. [img]graemlins/cheers.gif[/img] [/QUOTE]