Aujourd-hui sommes-nous tous les Americains?
Published on September 10, 2006 By O G San In International
"I hope their lights stay off, I hope they sweat buckets without their air-conditioning. Let them live for just 24 hours the way the people of Baghdad live every fucking day."

So said a friend of mine back in 2003 when I told him there had been a major power cut in New York. He is no jihadist, certainly not a Muslim, nor a man of any religious belief, but rather a white Englishman with family in the States. But even with the Iraqi debacle in its early stages, my friend expressed his animus towards the US in such terms.

Perhaps cocooned by their ask-no-questions media, the average non-passport holding American is unaware of the sheer depth of hatred that exists towards their country around the world. And not just in the Islamic world, which has been the target of America’s wrath since 9-11, but in white, nominally Christian, Europe, in East Asia, in Africa and South America, the US is now more than ever seen as an arrogant bully.

It could have been so different. With a wiser leadership Americans could have isolated and degraded those who wish to kill them. Instead a small cabal of neo-conservative extremists drunk on power and childish fantasies has squandered the international goodwill which existed after that murderous day five years ago and made their country an international pariah.

Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice et al railroaded their frightened country into a disastrous conflict in Iraq whose cost in blood and treasure will be paid by Americans long after these fools have shuffled off to luxurious retirements. Exploiting the dead of that September morning they deceived the American public into supporting a war against a country with no more responsibility for 9-11 than Iceland or Paraguay. Instead of striking a blow against terrorism, Bush’s war in Iraq has given al-Qaida a three-year advert for jihad with no end in sight.

The US Army, lauded in some quarters as a new Roman Empire after the fall of Kabul, has been beaten, and beaten badly, by an insurrection centred on just a fifth of the Iraqi population. Other targets for regime change, not least Iran and North Korea, have taken note of this and openly mock the paper tiger.

The images of 9-11 remain seared in the memories of most of humanity, the terrible moments before the second jet hit the World Trade Center, the grotesque fireball, the desperate people jumping to their deaths to escape the heat, the awful, almost stately collapse of the towers.

But next to these images of innocent civilians being murdered by religious fascists who valued no human life, not even their own, there are other iconic snapshots of the past five years - the orange-clad inmates of Guantanamo internment camp, the fireballs over Baghdad, the Abu Ghraib prisoner on a lead and just recently the dead of Lebanon.

Five years on, it is obvious that Bin Laden is winning. Apart from anything else, he is still alive and at large, an achievement in itself. He wanted a war of civilisations and Bush was stupid enough to give him one. With each passing day world opinion drifts more towards him than to Bush.

On the conventional battlefield, in Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon, the US is losing. In the struggle for hearts and minds too, America is taking a pasting as Bush, easily the most idiotic man ever elected to the White House, acts as al-Qaida’s finest recruiting sergeant.

In the process all of us, American or not, have become less safe. These last five years have been bad. The next five will be worse.

Comments
on Sep 10, 2006
With each passing day world opinion drifts more towards him than to Bush.


That's a bit much. World opinion is drifting away from Bush, sure, but it's hardly heading towards Osama. I'm fairly sure most people, even in Muslim countries, would prefer Bush's NWO to Osama's caliphate. At least Bush offers (and this is being my most cynical) a semblance of freedom to those he attacks.

America is taking a pasting as Bush, easily the most idiotic man ever elected to the White House, acts as al-Qaida’s finest recruiting sergeant.


Maybe, but as I'm certain you're aware most of the major US policy thinkers were bemoaning the lack of a great enemy after the fall of the Soviets. Now they have their wish, so you could call the nurturing of a more powerful terrorist threat a bold step forward in international affairs.
on Sep 10, 2006
Maybe, but as I'm certain you're aware most of the major US policy thinkers were bemoaning the lack of a great enemy after the fall of the Soviets. Now they have their wish, so you could call the nurturing of a more powerful terrorist threat a bold step forward in international affairs.


Well said Cacto!

Sometimes I wonder what the heck do these people all over the world think would have happen if America wasn't there? There is such a great bias against America in general that the news that is being spread around the world never tells the story from an angle of objectivity. Everyone twist the information they give to suit themselves. So it's damn if we do and damn if we don't.

You ever consider the fact that these factions out there are winning because they have so much support even from people who are supposed to do something about them?

I'm not going to go into the arguements that our leaders shouldn't have done this or they should have done that. Been there done that. I'm not going to go into the discussion of whether our leaders should have just lay down like puppies and take what's being dealt to us. Who the frig do these people think they are? Do they not see what's happening in the world around them? Will they feel any differently if there is suddenly a tirade of assualts on their country? I guess what has happened in Italy and the UK is of not much significant then uh? They will just continue to hate America and it's people no matter what. I think I have a very colorful comment to that and I won't bother to state it.

on Sep 10, 2006
foreverserenity,

"Will they feel any differently if there is suddenly a tirade of assualts on their country?"

There are millions of us around the world for whom terrorism has long been a reality, way before 9-11.

cactoblasta,

"That's a bit much. World opinion is drifting away from Bush, sure, but it's hardly heading towards Osama. I'm fairly sure most people, even in Muslim countries, would prefer Bush's NWO to Osama's caliphate. At least Bush offers (and this is being my most cynical) a semblance of freedom to those he attacks."

Well, yes and no. I agree few people want a world run by bin Laden. But there is certainly more support for murdering US innocents than there was previously.

If al-Qaida attacks the US again, you will see more dancing in the streets of the Islamic world than last time.

And in western Europe more people than before, in the company of friends after a few glasses of wine, will let it be known that they are happy the US has been bloodied once more.
on Sep 10, 2006
They’ll forgive us, Bush will be gone soon and we can finally be free from his tyranny

It’s kind of nice to be able to do one thing and say another. An apparent staggering over reaction is what was needed but we will be able blame everything on Bush and be almost free from blame ourselves once he’s out.

There really nothing we can do about anti-Americanism right now because we’re stirring things up and nobody likes that. But even though there’s more animosity towards us now I still believe were safer because of the war.

You’ll never be able to reason with terrorist we have nothing to bargain with. Leaders of these countries however are another story. We can influence someone with self worth and a strong desire to hold on to their hard earned power. There all outwardly blustering but inside they’re thinking they might have to share a cell with Sadam if they go to far. And without the support of these leaders the terrorists have no means to even get over here to attack us.


on Sep 10, 2006
Well, yes and no. I agree few people want a world run by bin Laden. But there is certainly more support for murdering US innocents than there was previously.


Sure. But I honestly believe that's always been there. No one likes a person who interferes incessantly and claims virtue for doing so, and that's always been the US' approach to international affairs. Maybe there's a few more people who want to see the US bloodied, but the desire has always been around in considerable levels.
on Sep 11, 2006
"I hope their lights stay off, I hope they sweat buckets without their air-conditioning. Let them live for just 24 hours the way the people of Baghdad live every fucking day."

So said a friend of mine back in 2003 when I told him there had been a major power cut in New York. He is no jihadist, certainly not a Muslim, nor a man of any religious belief, but rather a white Englishman with family in the States. But even with the Iraqi debacle in its early stages, my friend expressed his animus towards the US in such terms.


Interesting mentality your friend has. Funny though he would want anyone to "suffer" what is considered a lifestyle in Iraq. He makes it sound as if somehow we are responsible for them not having central air, big screen TVs, computers, etc. A people who chose to live like in the days when electicity was only for those with money, where cities were days and months away from each other, where plumbing was not even considered yet. He makes it sound as if they are suffering in these conditions when they actually chose to live this way. And if he was refering to how they are living today, during a war, well 9/11 sure put that perspective into most if not all Americans for more than 24 hours. He may not be a jihadist, or a man of religion, he is however heartless, cruel and inconciderate to hope that anyone, including women children, elder people, sick people and those who don't deserve it, all be punished just because ha has animus towards the US. God forbid he would ever have to suffer anything, unlike him I will not wish him any condemnation for his comments.

Perhaps cocooned by their ask-no-questions media, the average non-passport holding American is unaware of the sheer depth of hatred that exists towards their country around the world. And not just in the Islamic world, which has been the target of America’s wrath since 9-11, but in white, nominally Christian, Europe, in East Asia, in Africa and South America, the US is now more than ever seen as an arrogant bully.


While I agree that the average American can be very ignorant not only to what happens beyond our own borders but within them, I have a lot of doubt that they are ignorant to the feelings of the rest of the world at this moment. I would hardly call our war on terrorism a wrath but everyone has the right to believe what they want, at least anyone who is free to do so or does it in the secret of their mind. Many think we are an arrogant bully, generalising and many like to point out here, but like I said everyone has the right to think what they like, we think french are cowards, we think arabs are terrorist (most anyways), we even think Mexicans are gang members. Does anyone care what we think? Why should we care what others think of us? Everyone has always seen us as nothing but a bunch of lazy, burger king eating, money spending, satelite addicted, ignorant, dumb enough to vote for Bush, worthless Americans. I personally don't give a rats behind what they think anyways. They still gonna make products that we gonna buy and they gonna keep taking our money. Period.

on Sep 12, 2006
Don't people check their articles anymore around here? Whats the point or replying to the article and the writer if they ignore their own articles? (if something happened and for any emergency you can not respond then disreguard my post   ).
on Sep 12, 2006
O G SanSeptember 10, 2006 15:10:38Reply #3
foreverserenity,

"Will they feel any differently if there is suddenly a tirade of assualts on their country?"

There are millions of us around the world for whom terrorism has long been a reality, way before 9-11.


That is why OG San I don't understand why some of these same people have the very attitude they do towards America. You would think we started it all. We didn't. That is why it is hard to comprehend why they do say and do the things they do if they do against us and why they seem to support those that are doing these terrorists acts. If they don't support it, then why are not all these countries leaders, except for but a few, also doing everything in their powers to eradicate this problem?
on Sep 12, 2006

"I hope their lights stay off, I hope they sweat buckets without their air-conditioning. Let them live for just 24 hours the way the people of Baghdad live every fucking day."

So said a friend of mine back in 2003 when I told him there had been a major power cut in New York. He is no jihadist, certainly not a Muslim, nor a man of any religious belief, but rather a white Englishman with family in the States. But even with the Iraqi debacle in its early stages, my friend expressed his animus towards the US in such terms.


Did this friend of yours take into account living conditions in Iraq before the war? Let HIM live for just 24 hours the way the people of Kurdistan and southern Iraq lived every day for 20 years before the liberation.

For some reason these people always think that life under Saddam was paradise (despite torture and ten-thousands death penalties) and then blame the US for terror attacks that destroy the Iraqi infrastructure committed by Saddam's allies now.

The people of New York already had many days that were very much like life under Saddam in Iraq, what with the thousands of victims of the 911 attacks. If your friend thinks that "live as Iraqis live now" is a violent curse, tell him that I want to live in his world.

on Sep 12, 2006
But even though there’s more animosity towards us now I still believe were safer because of the war.

You’ll never be able to reason with terrorist we have nothing to bargain with. Leaders of these countries however are another story. We can influence someone with self worth and a strong desire to hold on to their hard earned power. There all outwardly blustering but inside they’re thinking they might have to share a cell with Sadam if they go to far. And without the support of these leaders the terrorists have no means to even get over here to attack us.


See Stubby, you finally have a succinct response here. Our country and the world needs to get beyond blaming President Bush, I might not agree with everything he has done as a President, but this is one of those things that was necessary, and if he had done nothing where do you think our country would be right now?
on Sep 12, 2006
Don't people check their articles anymore around here? Whats the point or replying to the article and the writer if they ignore their own articles?


Maybe he's on vacation Charles? Who knows.
on Sep 12, 2006
Evening all. I didn't comment coz I didn't feel like it. Simple as that.

But I will point out the irony that, speaking of non-Americans, Charles said: "I personally don't give a rats behind what they think" but he obviously does care what I think.
on Sep 13, 2006
Great article O G San.
on Sep 16, 2006
Thanks
on Sep 16, 2006
The one fact that many people who offer such laments overlook is that maybe we Americans hate them right alongside the Husseins and bin Ladens. Frankly I have as much care for the happiness and wellbeing of people with the kind of angst described here as I have for bin Laden in his cave. Many of us are growing to believe that the problem for the last few decades is giving a damn what people like that think.