John,

>DD
>
>Tolerance? Acceptance of Points of View? You have to understand what they are first. With respect, the US is so wealthy, so big and so parochial that many points of view on this sad old earth, would be a total mystery. That isn't a criticism, when I worked for a short time in Mozambique I simply could not comprehend their POV (e.g. laughing when their newborn dies, having walked for 2 days to be at the hospital for the birth). Tolerance? Try desperation and a feeling of alienation that I would never have believed.

Parochial? Perhaps. I will agree that most here are soft and have no idea whatsoever of the kind of 'toughness' required to survive. I shudder to think what will happen should we need to reinstitute the draft. I dare say we're too soft, though there are many many fine folks here.

>
>Having said that, the US is so generous and so big-hearted when it hears of others' misfortune, that maybe your POV is something the world should learn from.

Well, a wise man taught me that "you cannot give what you do not have". In his case it regarding spiritual knowledge (the best <g>) but I'd thinkit applies to the intellectual, moral, emotional and physical realms as well.

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>There, my daily helpful contribution. < g >

Cogent as always. Peppered with the ever-so-subtle sarcasm I have come to enjoy in our reparte'.

>
>Regards
>
>JR