[net.politics] Libyan Air-raid/ open letter to

mkr@mmm.UUCP (MKR) (05/01/86)

In article <127@paisley.ac.uk> andrew@cs.paisley.ac.uk (Andrew Fleming) writes:
>In article <8300002@unido.UUCP> uh@unido.UUCP writes:
>>I think you should look at the people in your own country:
>>
>>It is very simple to start a war with Lybia, if I'm so far away from the
>>country I attack, as you are to Lybia.
>>But we must live here and WE much more than YOU have to fear the
>>consequences for YOUR air attack of Tripolis. You should think about that!
>>
>>     Uwe Hoch
>
>I think you've hit the nail right on the head, I wonder if the 
>American would have attacked if they were a lot closer to Libya,
>we in Europe will undoubtly suffer the consequences of Reagan's
>action.

	This is just plain silly. If Libya were closer to the US, or if
these terrorist actions were happening in the US, we would have attacked
*long* ago, and probably would have rid the world of Qaddaffi very
quickly indeed. Just because Europeans quake and quiver with fear from
a blowhard bully, don't think for a minute that Americans are such wimps.
The only reason we haven't done more against Libya is because we're so
far away that Qaddafi's actions don't affect us enough to *really* piss
us off.

	If you don't like getting your people blown up, why don't *you*
do something about it?

Bah!!


					--MKR
"There's nothing wrong with shooting, as long as the right people get shot."
					-"Dirty" Harry Callahan

andrew@cs.paisley.ac.uk (Andrew Fleming) (05/10/86)

In article <800@mmm.UUCP> mkr@mmm.UUCP (MKR) writes:
>In article <127@paisley.ac.uk> andrew@cs.paisley.ac.uk (Andrew Fleming) writes:
>>In article <8300002@unido.UUCP> uh@unido.UUCP writes:
>>>I think you should look at the people in your own country:
>>>
>>>It is very simple to start a war with Lybia, if I'm so far away from the
>>>country I attack, as you are to Lybia.
>>>But we must live here and WE much more than YOU have to fear the
>>>consequences for YOUR air attack of Tripolis. You should think about that!
>>>
>>>     Uwe Hoch
>>
>>I think you've hit the nail right on the head, I wonder if the 
>>American would have attacked if they were a lot closer to Libya,
>>we in Europe will undoubtly suffer the consequences of Reagan's
>>action.
>
>	This is just plain silly. If Libya were closer to the US, or if
>these terrorist actions were happening in the US, we would have attacked
>*long* ago, and probably would have rid the world of Qaddaffi very
>quickly indeed. Just because Europeans quake and quiver with fear from
>a blowhard bully, don't think for a minute that Americans are such wimps.
>The only reason we haven't done more against Libya is because we're so
>far away that Qaddafi's actions don't affect us enough to *really* piss
>us off.
>
>	If you don't like getting your people blown up, why don't *you*
>do something about it?
>
>Bah!!
>
>
>					--MKR
>"There's nothing wrong with shooting, as long as the right people get shot."
>					-"Dirty" Harry Callahan

	So Europeans are wimps eh ? Can you then tell me why the big
macho Americans are cancelling holidays to Britain ? Why is the Rambo
man afraid to come to Europe ? As to statement only Americans are getting
blown up and killed, remember when Thatcher decided to support the 
strike against Libya, she effectively signed the death warrant of two
British people, and endangered the lives of numerous other members of 
Britain !!!! So you before you make any other simple-minded statements
kindly make sure you know what you are talking about




					Andy

hotchkis@glasgow.glasgow.UUCP (Graham Hotchkiss) (05/14/86)

> In article <800@mmm.UUCP> mkr@mmm.UUCP (MKR) writes:
> >In article <127@paisley.ac.uk> andrew@cs.paisley.ac.uk (Andrew Fleming) writes:
> >>In article <8300002@unido.UUCP> uh@unido.UUCP writes:
> >>>I think you should look at the people in your own country:
> >>>
> >>>It is very simple to start a war with Lybia, if I'm so far away from the
> >>>country I attack, as you are to Lybia.
> >>>But we must live here and WE much more than YOU have to fear the
> >>>consequences for YOUR air attack of Tripolis. You should think about that!
> >>>
> >>>     Uwe Hoch
> >>
> >>I think you've hit the nail right on the head, I wonder if the 
> >>American would have attacked if they were a lot closer to Libya,
> >>we in Europe will undoubtly suffer the consequences of Reagan's
> >>action.
> >
> >	This is just plain silly. If Libya were closer to the US, or if
> >these terrorist actions were happening in the US, we would have attacked
> >*long* ago, and probably would have rid the world of Qaddaffi very
> >quickly indeed. Just because Europeans quake and quiver with fear from
> >a blowhard bully, don't think for a minute that Americans are such wimps.
> >The only reason we haven't done more against Libya is because we're so
> >far away that Qaddafi's actions don't affect us enough to *really* piss
> >us off.
> >
> >	If you don't like getting your people blown up, why don't *you*
> >do something about it?
> >
> >Bah!!
> >
> >
> >					--MKR
> >"There's nothing wrong with shooting, as long as the right people get shot."
> >					-"Dirty" Harry Callahan
> 
> 	So Europeans are wimps eh ? Can you then tell me why the big
> macho Americans are cancelling holidays to Britain ? Why is the Rambo
> man afraid to come to Europe ? As to statement only Americans are getting
> blown up and killed, remember when Thatcher decided to support the 
> strike against Libya, she effectively signed the death warrant of two
> British people, and endangered the lives of numerous other members of 
> Britain !!!! So you before you make any other simple-minded statements
> kindly make sure you know what you are talking about
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 					Andy

Absolutely right.How much terrorism have Americans experienced on their own soilcompared to countries in Europe (which are much smaller). Perhaps the fact that
all these folks are staying clear of Europe is indicative of a deep-seated
Paranoia amongst many Americans (as was suggested to me by an American living
over here!). Mind you there is a maxim which says 
"Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean that everyone doesn't hate me!"


		Graham
"Gossip - the only thing that travels faster than the speed of light "

greg@harvard.UUCP (Greg) (05/17/86)

>In article <8300002@unido.UUCP> uh@unido.UUCP (Uwe Hoch) writes:
>I think you should look at the people in your own country:
>It is very simple to start a war with Lybia, if I'm so far away from the
>country I attack, as you are to Lybia.
>But we must live here and WE much more than YOU have to fear the
>consequences for YOUR air attack of Tripoli. You should think about that!

In article <800@mmm.UUCP> mkr@mmm.UUCP (MKR) writes:
>	This is just plain silly. If Libya were closer to the US, or if
>these terrorist actions were happening in the US, we would have attacked
>*long* ago, and probably would have rid the world of Qaddaffi very
>quickly indeed. Just because Europeans quake and quiver with fear from
>a blowhard bully, don't think for a minute that Americans are such wimps.
>The only reason we haven't done more against Libya is because we're so
>far away that Qaddafi's actions don't affect us enough to *really* piss
>us off.

You're not just whistling Dixie.  According to my textbook on Japan, public
opinion on the Pacific War was divided and uncertain until Pearl Harbor.  The
Japanese military really did sign its death warrant by attacking US soil.  A
terrorist attack on US soil would have a strong reaction precisely because we
don't have as many terrorist attacks now.  Our soil has been safe from attack,
whether military or terrorist, for a long time, and we wish to keep it that
way.  (No, it hasn't been exempt from terrorist attack, but it has been
relatively safe.)

In article <127@paisley.ac.uk> andrew@cs.paisley.ac.uk (Andrew Fleming) writes:
> 	So Europeans are wimps eh ? Can you then tell me why the big
> macho Americans are cancelling holidays to Britain ? Why is the Rambo
> man afraid to come to Europe ? As to statement only Americans are getting
> blown up and killed, remember when Thatcher decided to support the 
> strike against Libya, she effectively signed the death warrant of two
> British people, and endangered the lives of numerous other members of 
> Britain !!!! So you before you make any other simple-minded statements
> kindly make sure you know what you are talking about.

It is true that MKR is exaggerating when he says that the Europeans quake and
quiver in the face of a political bully.  Perhaps it is more appropriate to say
that they don't know a bully when they see one.  (The Austrians recently
demonstrated that they don't know a Nazi when they see one either, but that's a
different story.)  The fact of the matter is that you guys let terrorists
through *your* airports so that they can put bombs on *our* planes and hold
*our* passengers hostage.  No, Americans are not the only victims of terrorism,
but they are a big target of international terrorism.  I quote the Israeli
Ambassador to the UN (from Time Mag.):  "One third of [international] 
terrorism's victims since 1970 have been Americans."

As to Americans cancelling holidays in Europe, I have several points to make.
Firstly, the expected outcome of the raid on Tripoli was that international
terrorism would increase some in the immediate future, but in the long run it
would go down, especially if we continue our current policy.  Secondly, don't
call us "Rambo men".  I refuse to be labelled by a violent and offensive which
was made by some moron in Hollywood who tries to think with his muscles.

Thirdly, Americans have cancelled trips to Europe not because of any special
fear of terrorists, but rather because the public always overreacts to events
in the national media.  For example, many people have a fear of flying.
This is partly due to the gruesome accounts by the national media of *all*
plane crashes and other air disasters.  Far fewer people have such a fear
of automobiles, despite the fact that they are actually far more dangerous
than planes.

Lastly, your point is irrelevant.  We are not discussing the American public,
we are discussing American foreign policy.  Our government, unlike your
governments, has decided to take decisive action against terrorism.  It is true
that we should know we're talking about when we make any sort of statements,
but it is also true that you should know what we're talking about if you decide
to reply.

In article <540@glasgow.glasgow.UUCP> hotchkis@glasgow.glasgow.UUCP (Graham Hotchkiss) writes:
>Absolutely right.How much terrorism have Americans experienced on their own
>soil compared to countries in Europe (which are much smaller). Perhaps the
>fact that all these folks are staying clear of Europe is indicative of a
>deep-seated Paranoia amongst many Americans.

However little terrorism there has been on our soil, we have experienced a lot
of terrorism on *your* soil.  Why is it that these small European countries
cannot protect their airports, while an even smaller and closer Israel can?
You have this notion that America is now somehow responsible for terrorism
because we have a policy against it, while Europe sits by and suffers the
consequences. The fact is that incompetence in European airports is far more
responsible for international terrorism than any attack on Tripoli.  Why can't
they get their acts together in Athens or Rome?  If the Europeans are so
dissatisfied with *our* solution to international terrorism, why aren't they
pursuing any solution at all?
-- 
gregregreg

tos@psc70.UUCP (Dr.Schlesinger) (05/21/86)

>don't have as many terrorist attacks now.  Our soil has been safe from attack,
>whether military or terrorist, for a long time, and we wish to keep it that
>way.  (No, it hasn't been exempt from terrorist attack, but it has been
>relatively safe.)

   That's right, it sure hasn't been as "exempt" as a lot of people
have been led to believe. There have been Puerto Rican terrorist bomb
attacks in New York for many, many years, and in all likelihood they
will continue to occur.

Tom Schlesinger, Plymouth State College, Plymouth, N.H. 03264
uucp: decvax!dartvax!psc70!psc90!tos

andrew@cs.paisley.ac.uk (Andrew Fleming) (05/22/86)

>In article <127@paisley.ac.uk> andrew@cs.paisley.ac.uk (Andrew Fleming) writes:
>> 	So Europeans are wimps eh ? Can you then tell me why the big
>> macho Americans are cancelling holidays to Britain ? Why is the Rambo
>> man afraid to come to Europe ? As to statement only Americans are getting
>> blown up and killed, remember when Thatcher decided to support the 
>> strike against Libya, she effectively signed the death warrant of two
>> British people, and endangered the lives of numerous other members of 
>> Britain !!!! So you before you make any other simple-minded statements
>> kindly make sure you know what you are talking about.
>
>It is true that MKR is exaggerating when he says that the Europeans quake and
>quiver in the face of a political bully.  Perhaps it is more appropriate to say
>that they don't know a bully when they see one.  (The Austrians recently
>demonstrated that they don't know a Nazi when they see one either, but that's a
>different story.)  The fact of the matter is that you guys let terrorists
>through *your* airports so that they can put bombs on *our* planes and hold
>*our* passengers hostage.  No, Americans are not the only victims of terrorism,
>but they are a big target of international terrorism.  I quote the Israeli
>Ambassador to the UN (from Time Mag.):  "One third of [international] 
>terrorism's victims since 1970 have been Americans."
>
>As to Americans cancelling holidays in Europe, I have several points to make.
>Firstly, the expected outcome of the raid on Tripoli was that international
>terrorism would increase some in the immediate future, but in the long run it
>would go down, especially if we continue our current policy.  Secondly, don't
>call us "Rambo men".  I refuse to be labelled by a violent and offensive which
>was made by some moron in Hollywood who tries to think with his muscles.
>

If you had read the article you would have seen I said "Rambo man",
not "Rambo men", I in no way intended to imply that the vast majority
of American are anything like Rambo, apologies that if that's how
it came across. Still I think Americans are cancelling holidays to
Europe because of the Libyian affair



			Andrew Fleming