Hi, Walter,

First, let me state that I was not talking about alternative organizations in general, but specifically about AI - they seem to have a decent record. Of course, governments all over the World despise them, for obvious reasons.

Second, of course you are right, in that none of these organizations are really infallible, or entirely free from all sorts of influences for that matter.

>Hi Hilmar,
>
>>>Again, I see only your feeling that you're more safe. I don't see any rock solid statistics here, so there is no way you can say this on behalf of all americans. All I can say that since 911 the situation in europe is worse. I say this based on rock hard statistics and not from personal opinion.
>
>>This reminds me of the reports by Amnesty International. According to them, the World has become a worse place, not a better place, as a result on the war against terrorism.
>
>>Personally, I trust information from AI more than information from most current governments.
>
>I tend to agree with this. However you still have to watch out. For example, a few years ago, greenpeace (I don't know if they're active in south america though) they started a campain agianst the dump of an oil platform based on arguments of polution. Shell (the owner of the platform) was more or less force under preasure of greenpeace to disassemble the platform instead of just sinking it into the sea, despite the scientifical reports saying there was no danger of polution. It costed shell many million dollars. Afterwards, greenpeace had to confess they were wrong.
>
>Walter,