Professor Amara stated:
<<Besides, I'm rather partial to the Earth, the Solar System, and the Milky
Way, and I generally abhor boundaries (one of the reasons I moved to live
outside of the
U.S.). I would rather those flags and stickers show pictures of the Solar
System ("Sol we Shine") or the Milky Way ("Universe Bless the Milky Way").>>
Dr. Graps, when there is strong, evidence that there contain other
civilizations swinging about other stars, in the milky way, the local group,
the virgo cluster, etc., then, perhaps a reason will be found to make common
cause with said beings. Until that glorius event, being a citizen of the
cosmos is merely poetry. There is always room for the poetic tho'. :-)
<<The events since September 11, and my U.S. observations the last weeks,
have polarized me (unexpectedly) much more as a pacifist, and I know
now that the U.S. is not a good fit as an environment for me to live
(or to raise a kid). >>
You have indeed, set down psychological roots elsewhere, in a different
society, but that is not necessarilly a bad, thing, if it is a better fit.
<<Before I moved out of the U.S. ~4 years ago, I was, in a small way, a
pacifist, believing that one doesn't answer violence with yet again
more violence. I also believe that any group's rampant unhappiness
or disrest has an element of truth embedded, and it must be
addressed in a civil way, or the violent cycle will continue.>>
Please let me provide an example. I cannot help but remembering a documentary
I viewed, last saturday night. It was about the Japanese attack on Nanking,
China in 1937. I believe in that particular case the victims of the Japanese
army and navy were innocent, and were so poor, and disorganized, that they,
personally, could in no way have assuaged the Japanese sense of inferiority,
or actually, their deeply held race nationalism.
<<In human history's most wretched times, people were labeled and then
burned,
quartered, persecuted, and I see this kind of fear-based labelling on people
appearing again. I couldn't escape the feeling that the place where I was
born and lived for most of my life (the U.S.) has gone a little bit insane.>>
Dr. G, one could frame this in another fashion. Neoconservative, Norman
Podhoretz once quipped, "a neoconservative is a liberal who has be mugged by
reality." I believe the USA has been mugged by Islamic Fundamentalism,
insired and led by the Saudi Wahabbi clan. I believe that the war being
fought is not for freedom, so much as against, Islamic fundamentalism. People
have a right to say and believe as they wish, until it takes American lives.
We may never beat terrorism in the permanent sense, but we can destroy that
which has been fostered by the Islamic fundamentalists.
Finally, I remember responding to one of Damien Broderick's pleas for
American restraint (I am paraphrasing). My response was "wait until it
happens in Sidney, then you'll see.." I don't know if DB ever read that or
deleted my response, but I feel it applies to human perceptions and choices.
As to your personal choice of where you fit in, Dr. Graps; Europe isn't so
bad, maybe it's what works best for you? Be happy!
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Sat May 11 2002 - 17:44:26 MDT