ONE year ago, the world witnessed a unique kind of broadcasting - the mass murder of thousands, live on television.
As a lesson in the pitiless cruelty of the human race, September 11 was up there with Pol Pot's mountain of skulls in Cambodia, or the skeletal bodies stacked like garbage in the **** concentration camps.

An unspeakable act so cruel, so calculated and so utterly merciless that surely the world could agree on one thing - nobody deserves this fate.

Surely there could be consensus: the victims were truly innocent, the perpetrators truly evil.

But to the world's eternal shame, 9/11 is increasingly seen as America's comeuppance.

Incredibly, anti-Americanism has increased over the last year.

There has always been a simmering resentment to the USA in this country - too loud, too rich, too full of themselves and so much happier than Europeans - but it has become an epidemic.

And it seems incredible to me. More than that, it turns my stomach.

America is this country's greatest friend and our staunchest ally. We are bonded to the US by culture, language and blood.

A little over half a century ago, around half a million Americans died for our freedoms, as well as their own. Have we forgotten so soon?

And exactly a year ago, thousands of ordinary men, women and children - not just Americans, but from dozens of countries - were butchered by a small group of religious fanatics. Are we so quick to betray them?

What touched the heart about those who died in the twin towers and on the planes was that we recognised them. Young fathers and mothers, somebody's son and somebody's daughter, husbands and wives. And children. Some unborn.

And these people brought it on themselves? And their nation is to blame for their meticulously planned slaughter?

These days you don't have to be some dust-encrusted nut job in Kabul or Karachi or Finsbury Park to see America as the Great Satan.

The anti-American alliance is made up of self-loathing liberals who blame the Americans for every ill in the Third World, and conservatives suffering from power-envy, bitter that the world's only superpower can do what it likes without having to ask permission.

The truth is that America has behaved with enormous restraint since September 11.

Remember, remember.

Remember the gut-wrenching tapes of weeping men phoning their wives to say, "I love you," before they were burned alive. Remember those people leaping to their deaths from the top of burning skyscrapers.

Remember the hundreds of firemen buried alive. Remember the smiling face of that beautiful little girl who was on one of the planes with her mum. Remember, remember - and realise that America has never retaliated for 9/11 in anything like the way it could have.

So a few al-Qaeda tourists got locked without a trial in Camp X-ray? Pass the Kleenex.

So some Afghan wedding receptions were shot up after they merrily fired their semi-automatics in a sky full of American planes? A shame, but maybe next time they should stick to confetti.

AMERICA could have turned a large chunk of the world into a parking lot. That it didn't is a sign of strength.

American voices are already being raised against attacking Iraq - that's what a democracy is for. How many in the Islamic world will have a minute's silence for the slaughtered innocents of 9/11? How many Islamic leaders will have the guts to say that the mass murder of 9/11 was an abomination?

When the news of 9/11 broke on the West Bank, those freedom-loving Palestinians were dancing in the street. America watched all of that - and didn't push the button. We should thank the stars that America is the most powerful nation in the world. I still find it incredible that 9/11 did not provoke all-out war. Not a "war on terrorism". A real war.

The fundamentalist dudes are talking about "opening the gates of hell", if America attacks Iraq. Well, America could have opened the gates of hell like you wouldn't believe.

The US is the most militarily powerful nation that ever strode the face of the earth.

The campaign in Afghanistan may have been less than perfect and the planned war on Iraq may be misconceived.

But don't blame America for not bringing peace and light to these wretched countries. How many democracies are there in the Middle East, or in the Muslim world? You can count them on the fingers of one hand - assuming you haven't had any chopped off for minor shoplifting.

I love America, yet America is hated. I guess that makes me Bush's poodle. But I would rather be a dog in New York City than a Prince in Riyadh. Above all, America is hated because it is what every country wants to be - rich, free, strong, open, optimistic.

Not ground down by the past, or religion, or some caste system.

America is the best friend this country ever had and we should start remembering that.

Or do you really think the USA is the root of all evil? Tell it to the loved ones of the men and women who leaped to their death from the burning towers.

Tell it to the nursing mothers whose husbands died on one of the hijacked planes, or were ripped apart in a collapsing skyscraper.

And tell it to the hundreds of young widows whose husbands worked for the New York Fire Department. To our shame, George Bush gets a worse press than Saddam Hussein.

Once we were told that Saddam gassed the Kurds, tortured his own people and set up rape-camps in Kuwait. Now we are told he likes Quality Street. Save me the orange centre, oh mighty one!

Remember, remember, September 11. One of the greatest atrocities in human history was committed against America.

No, do more than remember. Never forget.

 

I read that before and it is still AWESOME.

It is true and will remain so for hundreds of years that America is the number 1 superpower in the world. No one can touch America head on and survive.

We are the strongest, most wealthies, and most knowledgable country in the world and that is why others hate us. It must be a real bitch to hate something so much and NOT be able to do a damn thing about it...

 

Wow... that is powerful. Great piece of writing.

 

Awesome sentiment....I wish more people actually saw
the United States in this light.

 

Hopefully more will before their "lights" are turned out...

 

LMAO!!

Well Britian was saved by the US Airforce, B-17's, and P-51 Mustangs. They should love us.

 

Sorry....you really need to look at the correct history books a little more carefully.

There is no doubt that poor little Britain was in a fix during the early 40's.
After all we were virtually fighting the war single handed.
The US coming to help was a vital factor in concluding things more quickly and perhaps more succesfully than it might have been otherwise.
However it was the RAF that actually defeated the Luftwaffe.

And while we were at it....let's be clear that the US entry into the war was not entirely altruistic...there was another agenda.
The long term interests and aspirations of the US would have been very different indeed had the **** banner extended over the whole of the European seaboard.

PS.
What's this BritIAN place you mention.

 

Above all, America is hated because it is what every country wants to be - rich, free, strong, open, optimistic.

Not ground down by the past, or religion, or some caste system.

This hits the nail on the head.
From a philosophical point of view, people hate change, they fear it.
You could fill a shelf of books with examples of how forward thinkers were mistreated throughout the worlds history.

Beheaded, banished, imprisoned, tortured.

I would hate to come up with a bright idea 200 years ago, hell, 100 years ago.

The sad truth is that the overzealous religious fanatics are the biggest hypocrites to ever walk the planet, and cause the most danger to world peace.

Most of the worlds conflicts are a result of religion, and this is truly sad.
Sad because people still live in the middle ages, and are threatened at the possibility of change.

As far as God goes, I really don't know what to believe, maybe there is, and maybe there isn't, (both possibilities are simply awesome!) but it sure feels nice being able to have my beliefs without being criticized or beaten (A luxury of living where we do)

All I know for certain is that we share the world with a overwhelming amount of stupid people. (and stupid people are the most dangerous)

Habibi

 

You are quite right.

Religion....which I was brought up to think and believe should be the basis for good and humane treatment to our fellow beings....is the root cause of virtually all the worlds conflicts now, and historically.

No wonder people shy away from the church and what it supposedly stands for.

 

finally someone says it.

As a Canadian I get sick of hearing about how terrible the Americans are in the eyes of the rest of the world.

Let's face the facts... America, Canada, UK and I will include Australia as basically the same culture (entertainment, language, music, religion, politcial outlook, economic aspirations)

So when other cultures slam the US, they slam me, they slam the English and so forth.


Note to Americans... our leader is a self-serving putz. If we had anybody else running the show we would have been in Iraq with you guys.

 

Neat word there Lenny...

Altruistic... I like it.

RP

 

Britain was a typo. Kinda like your liitle instead of little.

And I think you need to check your history books. We loaned them destroyers, torpedo boats, planes, and had I don't know how many volunteers over there helping.

I will agree the Spitfire was one of the greatest fighter planes, and in my opinion the prettiest WWII fighter plane ever built. The hurricane was not a bad plane either. But the factories could not produce them fast enough nor could the pilots be trained fast enough also. While the RAF had a major role in defeating Germany, I think you need to look at the number of US pilots that helped make up the RAF and the large number of P-47 thunderbolts we sent over there.

http://www.cpcug.org/user/billb/mustang.html

Just read the first few paragraphs and if you still disagree, then we will have to agree to disagree.

 

I don't disagree with most of what you say and for God's sake don't get the idea I'm knocking the US.....I'm not.
I love the place...after all I live there half the year.

What I would like to put over is the view that some (Well a lot actually), of people in the rest of the world get tired of some US citizens constantly putting forward the opinion that everyone should be so grateful for the almighty US and what it stands for.

Yes...it is almighty...but that brings a great responsilbility.

One thing might be a little humility.

You only have to look at a few general discussion forums, and before long someone will say....
"Of course we are the greatest country in the world....and if you don't like it....tough $*$*.

And if you still don't like it we'll just blow you away with our awesome firepower. "


It might come as a surprise but the rest of the world do not aspire to living like Americans, or to actually be in America.

A huge public debate took place on International TV last weekend.

"What the world thinks of America".

A huge percentage (As I recall 78%) said they had no desire to live the American dream but preferred their own culture.

I, obviously, do not agree.

I love many things about life in the US (Don't ask me to point out what I don't like....I couldn't spare the time for the replies that would become necessary)

The US is a magnificent, majestic country.

But I could never give up the gentle English countryside and it's customs......which by the way the majority of US tourists to the UK on the usual boring trail around London, Stratford etc., never get to see.

 

Sorry Leny, but after that last post we have no choice except to nuke you.

Three,....Two,....One.....

 

Religion, no.

Religous zealots and people are the cause of the problem. When they band together for organized religion, then the doodoo hits the fan. Has always been that way and always will.