So there you go

- by Steve Hopkins

There’s a reality to life that’s being missed here. Jerre says I can stay in the old US of A with my B52’s and that I’m not listening and even that I am misinformed. Of course I’ll stay in the US of A with my B52’s and if the "Scandanavian" countries are ever attacked and need to be rescued I’ll see what I can do for ya.

I am listening Jerre. What I said before still stands. If it was Sweden you’d be the first one on the band wagon. If your country was overrun by evil and controlled by maniacs you’d love to see the marines! If your people were starving and dying you’d love to see our little parachutes of aid. I know you’re going to say we caused it all! Somehow the Soviets are totally left out of it in your version. It’s all caused by this little organization (and in the big picture they are little) called the CIA in your story. And there are no warlords to deal with in your tale. The Taliban was somehow our invention. The amazing thing is that you have twisted these things to fit your cause.

You quote out of context to support twisted views. Your numbers ARE generally out of date. And I still think you should watch MORE TV. Every interview I’ve seen with what appears to be regular old Afghans seems to be positive. I suppose our government COULD be controlling all the journalists in the world but I kind of doubt it.

The reality here is that, invited or not those people are glad to see us. For the first time in decades they have hope. Food. Help. Freedom. Education. Soccer instead of executions. What a concept. How bad are we??? Woof! Please feel free to show me the rotten side of any of that!

You are the one who is overcome with his own sense of self-righteousness. You see nothing but wrong with everything the US has ever done. You have not once mentioned the billions of dollars in world humanitarian aid that comes from this country every year. That almost every effort, anywhere, to make the world better, cleaner, safer or healthier is backed financially and physically by the US. That most of the world’s endangered species are better off because of our laws and international efforts totally escapes your critical gaze. We have taken in millions of refugees from countries they obviously feel the need to escape from. Have you mentioned that? Nope. At least I KNOW we must take the good with the bad. That’s the reality of life.

We are not a perfect country or people. Our form of government isn’t necessarily the best. Our policies aren’t always right. Capitalism needs to be reigned in. Can you say that your little part of the world is better at whatever it’s doing? I don’t think so. Your country wastes as much, buys as much, controls as much, has as many laws, has a foreign policy, blunders it’s way thought it’s mistakes. Just like everyone else.

The world as we know it will probably not last much longer. Some great changes must take place fairly soon if humans as a whole are to survive. Eric seems to think he’s free from responsibility just because he declares it so. Cary thinks we can rely on people’s good nature. Jerre seems to think information is all we need. Informed people don’t always do the right thing. People aren’t all good natured. And every damned one of us whether we write an eloquent rebuttal or not, is responsible for the way things are and the changes that need to be made.

If you don’t like what’s going on, do something about it. You can’t turn your head and ignore it and whine about all the bad things in the world around you. If you are alive, you are responsible. Do something.

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