I'm frankly astonished that such stuff is allowed on this forum.

I used to live in Lebanon, and have many friends there, and I can do
nothing, but nothing, about what is being allowed, indeed encouraged by the
current US government, during the comprehensive destruction of that lovely
country, than weep.

Now I live in the Philippines, where every foreigner is called 'Hey Joe!'
or 'Americano' or 'Melikan', regardless of nationality - I've lived there
for a decade, and I'm not American, but each year, as American foreign
policy goes increasingly more crazy, I'm put in more personal danger.

I wrote earlier today that I'd been to Tawi-Tawi, in the Sulu Islands (the
other end of nowhere).

If I tried to go there again, I'd probably be killed.

The reason? US troops are currently patrolling Jolo, the next island up the
chain, helping in the 'War Against Terrorism'. That was where, 100 years
ago, Black Jack Pershing conducted a small massacre at Bud Datu, and the
local people still remember that.

Please, spare us the high volume patriotism, if only because some of us
want to retreat from all that, and just beach comb a bit, pick up a few
shells, and quietly discuss them.

regards

Richard





On Tue, 8 Aug 2006 06:41:17 -0400, Schweikert, Brian CONT
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>
>A good read
>
>
>
>
>To Kill an American
>You probably missed it in the rush of news last week, but there was
>actually a report that someone in Pakistan had published in a newspaper
>an offer of a reward to anyone who killed an American, any American.
>
>So an Australian dentist wrote an editorial the following day to let
>everyone know what an American is. So they would know when they found
>one. (Good one, mate!!!!)
>
>
>"An American is English, or French, or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish,
>Polish, Russian or Greek. An American may also be Canadian, Mexican,
>African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Australian, Iranian, Asian,
>or Arab, or Pakistani or Afghan.
>
>
>An American may also be a Comanche, Cherokee, Osage, Blackfoot, Navaho,
>Apache, Seminole or one of the many other tribes known as Native
>Americans.
>
>
>An American is Christian, or he could be Jewish, or Buddhist, or Muslim.
>In fact, there are more Muslims in America than in Afghanistan. The only
>difference is that in America they are free to worship as each of them
>chooses.
>
>
>An American is also free to believe in no religion. For that he will
>answer only to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming to
>speak for the government and for God.
>
>An American lives in the most prosperous land in the history of the
>world.
>The root of that prosperity can be found in the Declaration of
>Independence, which recognizes the God given right of each person to the
>pursuit of happiness.
>
>An American is generous. Americans have helped out just about every
>other nation in the world in their time of need, never asking a thing in
>return.
>
>When Afghanistan was over-run by the Soviet army 20 years ago, Americans
>came with arms and supplies to enable the people to win back their
>country!
>
>As of the morning of September 11, Americans had given more than any
>other nation to the poor in Afghanistan. Americans welcome the best of
>everything... the best products, the best books, the best music, the
>best food, the best services. But they also welcome the least.
>
>The national symbol of America, The Statue of Liberty, welcomes your
>tired and your poor, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores, the
>homeless, tempest tossed. These in fact are the people who built
>America.
>
>Some of them were working in the Twin Towers the morning of September
>11, 2001 earning a better life for their families. It's been told that
>the World Trade Center victims were from at least 30 different
>countries, cultures, and first languages, including those that aided and
>abetted the terrorists.
>
>So you can try to kill an American if you must. Hitler did. So did
>General Tojo, and Stalin, and Mao Tse-Tung, and other blood-thirsty
>tyrants in the world. But, in doing so you would just be killing
>yourself. Because Americans are not a particular people from a
>particular place, they are the embodiment of the human spirit of
>freedom. Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, is an American."
>
>
>

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