Jim,
You're not alone:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=624&ncid=753&e=10&u=/ap/20041102/ap_on_sc/britain_iraq_hawking


>Hi Perry,
>
>I understand that there are many many of you who disagree with these "policies".
>It seems possible, though, that the "fear factor" may be outweighing the intrinsic good that has always been the hallmark of the American people.
>
>That so much worldwide sympathy and goodwill and agreement to act on Afghanistan could be squandered so quickly and so totally remains a great mystery to me.
>
>Of course the world is watching. My take on this high interest: if President Bush is re-elected then what was viewable as an unavoidable aberration will instead become clearly sanctioned, leading to loathing of things American, including its people.
>
>In my message to which you replied I was hoping to make the point, indirectly, that "all freedom loving nations" is really "code" for 'you're either with us or against us' and you're obviously not freedom loving enough if you won't join our "coalition".
>
>Jim
>
>
>>As I've stated before to others from outside the US, please keep in mind that there are many, many, many of us here who don't regard these as US policies. They are the policies of a government that was created through misdeeds during the last election.
>>
>>Vanity Fair magazine had an excellent article on the 2000 elections. Several of the people who came forward to talk with the author were court clerks with the supreme court at the time. They were so ashamed at the courts decision and the basis they used for making the decision. These are the people who are the true patriots here in the USA. Speaking up amongst the confusing times we are in.
>>
>>There are very long line at many polling places today. I'd like to believe it is because the majority of Americans realize that it is time to give America back to the people. But only time will tell. There are reports of people spending up to 8 hours in line during early voting last week. I just can't picture what I'm seeing and hearing occuring because people are interested in maintaining the status quo.
>>
>>PF
>>
>>>SNIP
>>>>
>>>>Let's hope that all freedom loving nations will come together to fight the evil empires and the tyrants that impose their will upon their citizens.
>>>>
>>>SNIP
>>>Hi Dale,
>>>
>>>I think you'll find that all freedom loving nations have come together to fight the evil empires and tyrants that impose their will upon their citizens. And that they are still together in that common cause.
>>>
>>>The difference is that many of those same freedom loving nations disagreed with President Bush's approach to the Iraq problem. Most, in fact, wanted to let the UN inspectors complete their work, using that time to employ additional means displace Saddam or squash his power somehow. [it's also agreed that the UN Inspectors would never have been allowed into the country had it not been for the heavy military pressure applied by the U.S.]
>>>
>>>The implication of your words is that those countries that did not participate in the Iraq invasion are NOT "freedom loving", which is balderdash.
>>>
>>>I don't think I need to remind you that a good many "evil tyrants" - Saddam and Bin Laden being but two of them - were heavily supported by the U.S., to the point that they were able to gain the 'stature' they achieved by that very support.
>>>
>>>To date it has not been deemed "acceptable" for one nation or group of nations to "interfere" in the internal situations in other countries (save of course through clandestine means, as was common through the "cold war") and at this point it remains unacceptable. It is changing slowly (Kosovo may be an example) but it is still "under discussion" as witness Rwanda and East Timor before and Sudan today.
>>>
>>>That the U.S.'s definition of "freedom loving" is to be the yardstick for agreed action amongst countries against another simply is not on because it would then be driven by the U.S.'s thirst for oil and basically nothing else!
>>>
>>>That the U.S. is the most generous of countries is indisputable, at least in my eyes. That the U.S. is the only super-power left in the world is a simple fact.
>>>Until President Bush decided that Iraq was a legitimate target (and Blair the puppet danced to the tune) the U.S. had maintained a reputation of being very very careful in the exercise of its might. It was always clear that diplomatic means were exhausted before the U.S. delpoyed its military.
>>>
>>>Summarizing... virtually all of the countries of the world ARE participating in the effort to put and end to terrorists. Even the French and Germans and Russians and Canadians and those others who were not in the "coalition of the bribed" in the Iraq war!!! But that seems to fail the definition of "freedom loving" in the eyes of the U.S.
>>>
>>>Jim