So, A couple of comments worth mentioning. The first is from Mike, who takes issue with this post, dealing with comments attributed to the communications director for Canadian PM Chretien:
Ducros and Cretien have it dead right. The truth hurts sometimes.
Be that as it may, Mike, you don't have civilized governments running around calling other heads of state "morons". And the fact that you personally don't like Bush adds nothing to the actual case under discussion, it just proves that there is nothing the Bush Government will do that will ever meet with your approval. Do you have anything substantive to say about Bush being a moron, or do you just want to leave a flippant little remark as an insult? Either, of course, is fine. It's just that stupid insults don't do much to make me want to take you very seriously. Mike does, at least, leave an apparently valid e-mail address that traces back to a Canadian domain. And just for the record, Mike, I don't think a country that has Chretien as its leader has ANY room to be calling Bush (or any other head of state, for that matter) a moron.
Our other commentor, also with an international flavor, is Lila from Brasil. Like Mike, she also leaves a valid e-mail that traces to a legitimate domain. Lila doesn't like this post, dealing with Jessica Lange's anti-American statements. Lila's comment has a little bit more angst in it:
If you knew the US international policy you would also hate USA. If you don't agree what people all around the world are saying about US is because you are very stupid and have no idea what it's all about So before saying something go study the US international policy and you will find out the United States is not that great country and you'll be ashemed of yourself, unless you're unsensible, heartless, soulles and give's a shit to humanity.
I really don't know how to respond to something like this. I do know a fair bit about US foreign policy, but I don't know exactly which part of it Lila finds so "unsensible". Is it because we act in our own best interests? Is it because we try and deal with regimes we like? Is it because we aren't willing to stand idly by and let our citizens be massacred? Is it because we believe in capitalism? Is it because we continue to support the only democratic government in the middle east? Lila never says, so I guess we'll never know. She does call me very stupid, unsensible, heartless, and soulless, so I'm guessing that she doesn't agree with most of my commentary here on RNS. Ah, well, somehow I'll just have to learn to get over the disappointment and carry on with my life.
BTW, Mike and Lila, if you would ever like to have an actual debate about something posted here, next time try and leave something a little more intelligent and concrete in the comments section. But thanks for caring. Really.
Okay, I'd just like to add a little something, from an international perspective, so to speak.
I'm an Estonian. My country was invaded by Soviet Russia during the 2nd World War. They occupied us for 50 years, damaging our economy and infrastructure immensely, leaving behind decay and poverty when they left.
They left because of America. Because America stood against their desire for world domination, and forced their economy to crumble.
This was 11 years ago. In 11 years we have rebuilt everything and are becoming less and less distinguishable from Western Europe. We are thriving. Our economic growth rate is 5 per cent a year. 10 years ago we had hardly any food.
We're also a small country, of 1.5 million people. We have no real natural resoources other than lumber. Yet we thrive because we embrace free markets and democracy and the 'evil' American culture of consumerism. I suggest all whiny morons from Chile to Cambodia take a long hard look at THEMSELVES and ask why they can't prosper even though they have far greater resources. You're like bums shaking their fists at the fatcats even though they're uneducated and unemployed by choice.
To put it short, Lila... shut up, you whiny Brazilian bitch.
Posted by: Sam on November 28, 2002 07:19 PM