X-Message-Number: 18814 Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2002 07:23:58 -0500 From: Thomas Donaldson <> Subject: CryoNet #18797 - #18813 Hi everyone! I guess I will get involved in politics. I note the comments of Phil Rhoades on US foreign policy as he reads it. Most of the events were not direct military interventions by the US. As such, the changes required not only US aid (if we assume that it happened) but also cooperation by a segment of the affected country. The Shah of Iran could not have returned to power unless a significant number of Iranians wanted him ... not a majority, but a significant number. Furthermore, such changes could NOT have been produced in a really democratic country, in which the attempt to do so would have been stopped by the military itself. Even in the case of Australia, the US did not of and in itself cause the loss of Whitlam. Lots of Australians were happy to see him go (I actually think this is one of the weaker cases he brings up, but that's a long argument). The world simply does not consist of lots of innocent, entirely upright countries bothered by the tyrannical actions of the US. Yes, the US has done bad things, but it should not be forgotten that they had lots of allies who agreed with them, rightly or wrongly, in those countries themselves. And why has the US gotten itself into such troubles? IT IS BIG. It's very difficult for a big country to avoid dealing with many other countries all over the world, again for good or evil. And although the number of democracies has increased a bit, plenty of countries only claim to be democratic. And guess what: the US isn't going to be able to change that. The most that can happen is that it can replace one group of unfriendly thugs with another group of slightly more friendly thugs. Yes, its made mistakes there, too, but it's difficult to work out what to do when you must choose between 2 bads. And for Australia, here's a problem right next to you: the people of West New Guinea (the part ruled by Indonesia) don't like what Indonesia is doing to them. Does your government choose to help them, or remain friends with Indonesia? I don't ask this question to get you to change Australia's policy, but to point out how hard these issues get when you meet with them in Reality. Best wishes and long long life for all, Thomas Donaldson Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=18814