A message from an old friend you all may enjoy

This e-mail is definitely NOT tongue in cheek. Sig, the author, was a teen-aged Marine who marched and fought as a rifleman to and from the Chosin Reservoir in Korea in 1950. He switched to the Army, and served as a Special Forces officer in Vietnam. After Vietnam he joined the CIA, and went back to Korea. He's been there, done that, and has some specific thoughts on countries that don't "like" us.

They Don't 'Like' Us!

If you aren't interested in the ramblings of an old man, please delete now. If you're still there, pull up a chair and listen.

Is there anyone else out there who's sick and tired of all the polls being taken in foreign countries as to whether or not they "like" us? The last time I looked, the word "like" had nothing to do with foreign policy. I prefer 'respect' or 'fear'. They worked for Rome, which civilized and kept the peace in the known world a hell of a lot longer than our puny two centuries-plus. I see a left-wing German got elected to office recently by campaigning against the foreign policy of the United States.

Yeah, that's what I want, to be lectured about war and being a "good neighbor" by a German. Their head honcho said they wouldn't take part in a war against Iraq. Kind of nice, to see them taking a pass on a war once in while. Perhaps we needed to have the word "World" in front of War. I think it's time to bring our boys home from Germany. Outside of the money we'd save, we'd make the Germans "like" us a lot more, after they started paying the bills for their own defense.

Last time I checked, France isn't too fond of us either. They sort of liked us back on June 6th, 1944, though, didn't they? If you don't think so, see how nicely they take care of the enormous American cemeteries up above the Normandy beaches. For those of you who've studied history, we also have a few cemeteries in places like Belleau Woods and Chateau Thierry also. For those of you who haven't studied it, that was from World War One, the first time Europe screwed up and we bailed out the French. That's where the US Marines got the title 'Devil Dogs' or, if you still care about what the Germans think, "Teufelhunde". I hope I spelled that
right; sure wouldn't want to offend anyone, least of all a German.

Come to think of it, when Europe couldn't take care of their Bosnian problem recently, guess who had to help out there also. Last time I checked, our kids are still there. I sort of remember they said they would be out in a year. Gee, how time flies when you're having fun.

Now we hear that the South Koreans aren't too happy with us either. They "liked" us a lot better, of course, in June, 1950. It took more than 50,000 Americans killed in Korea to help give them the lifestyle they currently enjoy, but then who's counting? I think it's also time to bring the boys home from there. There are about 37,000 young Americans on the DMZ separating the South Koreans from their "brothers" up North. Maybe if we leave, they can begin to participate in the "good life" that North Korea currently enjoys. Uh huh. Sure.

I also understand that a good portion of the Arab/Moslem world now doesn't "like" us either. Did anyone ever sit down and determine what we would have to do to get them to like us? Ask them what they would like us to do. Die? Commit ritual suicide? Bend over?

Maybe we should follow the advice of our dimwitted, dullest knife in the drawer, Senator Patty Murray, and build more roads, hospitals, day care centers, and orphanages like Osama bin Laden does. What with all the orphans Osama has created, the least he can do is build some places to put them. Senator Stupid says if we would only "emulate" Osama, the Arab world would love us. Sorry Patty; in addition to the fact that we already do all of those things around the world and have been doing them for over sixty years, I don't take public transportation, and I certainly wouldn't take it with a bomb strapped to the guy next to me.

Don't get me wrong: I'm not in favor of going to war. Been there, done that. Several times, in fact. But I think we ought to have some polls in this country about other countries, and see if we "like" THEM. Problem is, if you listed the countries, not only wouldn't the average American know if he liked them or not, he wouldn't be able to find them. If we're supposed to worry about them, how about them worrying about us?

We were nice to the North Koreans in 1994 as we followed the policies of Neville Clinton. And it seemed to work; they didn't re-start nuclear weapons program for a whole year or so. In the meantime, we fed them when they were starving, and put oil in their stoves when they were freezing.

In a recent visit to Norway, I engaged in a really fun debate with my cousin's son, a student at a Norwegian University. I was lectured to by this thankless squirt about the American"Empire", and scolded about dropping the atomic bomb on the Japanese. I reminded him that empires usually keep the stuff they take; we don't, and back in 1945 most Norwegians thought dropping ANY kind of bomb on Germany or Japan was a good idea. I also reminded him that my uncle, his grandfather, and others in our family spent a significant time in Sachsenhausen concentration camp, courtesy of the Germans, and they didn't all survive. I further reminded him that if it wasn't for the "American Empire" he would probably be speaking German or Russian.

Sorry about the rambling, but I just took an unofficial poll here at our house, and we don't seem to like anyone.

Happy New Year. Sig

dontcha just love right wing propaganda, really tugs at the old heart strings.

Luckily this "old guy" will die soon.
good riddance.

I liked the story....

*claps*

He seems to do a lot of "last time I checked...", but It's really good. He's just brave enough to say what we're all thinking... either that or hes stupid....

I agree with you quite often but this time you are way off the mark. This man put his life on the line to protect our freedom, not once but three times!!

You might think its just more rightwing propaganda but this man is one of the most liberal minded folks of his age group I've ever met.

Sig is a very nice man who has done alot for the cause but he also is a realist, and he can't understand why so many people who've had their lives saved by American help and support, yet they'll bite our hands even as we feed their babies!!

I don't think of this as propaganda but as an American and a certifiable war hero wondering why we are so hated by the very people we have helped in the past.

I made the argument to him that America should just stay home for 10 or 20 years, spend all of our time and money on making our country better, stronger and improve our crumbling infrastructure. Sig agreed that we need some TLC, especially our infrastructure but said we should never turn our backs on the rest of the world, because we would not like the view when we returned to inspect the carnage our absence would create.

A very profound statement that from a wonderful man. Yes Lupe he is old and will soon depart this world, and it will be a sad day for all of us who know him, I only wish you could. Then you to would understand and appreciate what his generation did to make our generations free.

Peace.

hey U.S.M.C. Do you mind if I copy and paste that story on another website I know some ppl that will like that story alot or I can send you in that direction and you can post it there yourself.

Peace

Cherokee

Geeze Lupe it would be nice if your country would repay its war time bill from WW2..Might help that deficet a lil.

I wish we would let the world fester on its on wounds..because frankly comments like lupes make me sick..to disagree is one thing..to make jest of one who has seen more then luppy will ever see is another..And to think lupe is a Brit (if i am not mistaken) a country that has made its living off of others backs for centeries..

Boomslang

[Edited on 2-2-2003 by Boomslang]

Well you can't fault the man for speaking the truth. Do you dispute anything he says in there Lupe ? I certainly don't.

I'm quite sure Sig wouldn't mind, in fact its why he sent it to me in the first place.

Peace